The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has received the BSI Flex 45005. 3.0 certificate, issued by the British Standards Institute (BSI), as a distinct entity in applying best practices and work guidelines in response to COVID-19 pandemic, making TRA the first government entity in the region to obtain this certificate.
H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, received the certificate from Patrick Moody, British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, in a virtual meeting. BSI awards this certificate to entities that were able to meet business continuity and quality standards during the current pandemic.
Achieving this international certificate confirms TRA’s success in applying the best international standards to provide a safe workplace for its employees, which were stipulated in BSI guidelines. The guidelines included a set of directives related to business continuity during a global emergency, developed by experts from various sectors. The guidelines provide a general framework for safe working, represent a comprehensive source of globally agreed best practices, support comprehensive risk assessment and provide practical examples of risk management methods. It helps organizations manage infectious disease risks.
In his speech at the opening of the virtual meeting, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General and Head of the UAE Digital Government, welcomed the British Ambassador and the attendees, and added: “Due to COVID-19 pandemic, we found ourselves as a global community facing a critical test that requires quick adaptation and flexibility in order to continue life in all aspects. In the UAE, we are proud to be among the few countries that have been able to continue working, learning, and purchasing remotely since the early days of the pandemic. TRA has been at the forefront of government entities that have worked to support this trend. In terms of its responsibility for one of the most important sectors, which is the ICT sector, we are proud to obtain this international certificate as the first in the region to meet the standards of BSI for Safe Working during COVID-19.”
TRA has taken many measures to ensure a safe workplace during the last period, as it was one of the first entities to implement remote work on March 26, 2020, as part of its efforts to enhance precautionary measures in the ICT sector and avoid physical interaction between its employees.
TRA also developed plans for the process of gradually returning to work, and took all effective measures to protect employees during work. It reorganized office space for employees to ensure social distancing, provided transparent protection barriers, and maintained remote meetings.
TRA issued a guide to return to work in light of emergency conditions, which stipulated the gradual return to work in TRA offices in successive stages. The first phase included the return of 30% of employees, excluding pregnant women, people of determination, senior citizens and residents, in addition to those with chronic diseases, mothers who care for children from the ninth grade and below. The guide includes the procedures that the employees must follow from the moment they leave home until reaching TRA building, arriving at their office and ending with leaving TRA office.
TRA has also implemented all health protection measures, starting from the moment of entering TRA offices until leaving, by placing health check devices at the entrances to examine the employees upon entry, and distributing the necessary sterilizers and sanitary tools in the corridors, offices and bathrooms.
TRA has implemented a set of sterilization procedures outside working hours, such as the employees’ adherence to leaving work on time in order to sterilize the place, sterilizing TRA’s buildings on a daily basis using disinfectants and sterilizers, as well as ultraviolet rays.
Furthermore, TRA organized virtual awareness workshops for its employees, in cooperation with the
Ministry of Health and Prevention, on the best ways to protect against COVID-19, during which the lecturers provided advice on prevention measures and protection from the risk of infection.
TRA implemented the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources decision on the return of federal government employees to the workplace at a rate of 100% as of July 5, 2020, with adherence to all necessary preventive measures.