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The first Emirati woman to be assigned as an environment, health and safety director in the Government of Abu Dhabi has been awarded the revered Women in Safety Award by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
Dr Huda Khalifa Alsalmi, Head of the HSE Department at Abu Dhabi City Municipality in the United Arab Emirates, fought off stiff international competition to win the award, being chosen for her unwavering commitment to the industry.
Throughout her career, Dr Alsalmi has seen success in her implementation of safety innovations and projects within the Municipality, such as a distance HSE e-Learning platform, through which more than 2,000 Abu Dhabi City Municipality employees have received training.
Dr Alsalmi also works closely with the Municipality’s CEO to help secure resources for continually developing health and safety management, including using new technologies such as VR safety training. Within her role, she acts as the official spokesperson for HSE issues in Abu Dhabi, conducting many interviews and talks through various media to help inspire a positive health and safety culture within Abu Dhabi.
The RoSPA judges said that Dr Alsalmi’s nomination showed not only her dedication to health and safety management but also her evident passion for the next generation of female health and safety leaders, through involvement in extensive mentoring and educational arrangements. Promoting the importance of health and safety within education is a key part of this mentoring, with around 15 female students each year benefitting from practical training at Abu Dhabi City Municipality’s facilities.
RoSPA’s Women in Safety Award is sponsored by L’Oreal and awarded to an individual who has made a significant inspirational impact in the world of health, safety and wellbeing, as either a source of inspiration to their colleagues, or due to their own individual efforts. This may relate to activities within the workplace, or by use of their skills and expertise beyond the workplace.
Speaking on her award win, Dr Alsalmi said:
“Winning the RoSPA Award is an extraordinary achievement that fills me with deep honour and humility. Being recognized as an inspiring woman in the organization is a great privilege and motivates me to strive for even greater heights of success.”
“The RoSPA Award is a remarkable international achievement that shall be adorning my career path, signifying the hard work and determination that has led to this moment. it further fuels my drive to pursue excellence. As a leader, my goal has always been to prioritize people and empower them to take on leadership roles, especially women in the field.”
“I am truly grateful for this recognition and look forward to continuing to make a difference by prioritizing people to promote empowerment and create a culture of collaboration and support.”
Highlighting the importance of a RoSPA award, Dr Alsalmi said:
“The RoSPA Award is an international recognition of world-class HSE excellence that sets an example for all business and strategic partners and contributes to overall business success.”
“Winning the RoSPA Award is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates an organization’s commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy working environment and its implementation of effective measures to prevent accidents and injuries.”
“Moreover, it is a sign of achievement for the HSE team who works tirelessly as a beehive towards creating a safe and healthy workplace.”
RoSPA’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy Adviser, Dr Karen McDonnell, said:
“The judging panel recognised not only Dr Alsalmi’s outstanding personal achievements as a health and safety practitioner, but also her ability to inspire other women to themselves become future leaders in health and safety: qualities which perfectly embody the purpose of the Award.”
Matthew Cryer, Awards Standards Manager at RoSPA, said:
“On behalf of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, I would like to congratulate Dr Huda Alsalmi for her unwavering commitment to health, safety and wellbeing and for being a source of inspiration for all women and industry professionals across the globe – we look forward to seeing where your exceptional health and safety journey next takes you.”
