NASS Contracting completes another successful ISO recertification audit and achieves the new ISO 45001:2018 standard certification.

History of ISO Certification in Nass Contracting:

During a recent interview with the Nass Contracting Quality and Technical Manager Mr. Saurav Sen, he stated that “Nass Contracting have been working with their certification partner Bureau VERITAS for over a decade and with the support from Bureau VERITAS, Nass Contracting have been successful in continually improving business performance by bringing consistency in our approach to delivery to our Clients through our Management Systems”.

According to statements by the Nass Contracting Senior Management team, “the last twelve months in Nass Contracting have seen important developments in our approach to an Integrated Management System, aimed at all Departments and Divisions of Nass Contracting, a new Integrated Management System was developed to support our approach for business excellence”.

The New Nass Contracting Integrated Management System (IMS):

NASS Contracting have committed substantial resources in developing Departmental Management Systems through the introduction of a brand-new state of the art Integrated Management System which commenced in 2018, together with a new website and a dedicated Content Management System (CMS) portal to ensure accessibility for our staff, Clients and interested parties. NASS Contracting aims to gain both long term primary and secondary benefits from the improved Integrated Management Systems.

A new Milestone with ISO 45001:2018 certification:

As the world’s first International Standard for addressing occupational health and safety, ISO 45001:2018 is considered a new milestone for organizations to achieve, with supporting guidance for use, ISO 45001:2018 offers a single, clear framework for all organizations wishing to improve their OH&S performance.

According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) over 7 600 people die each day from work-related accidents or diseases – that’s over 2.78 million every year*. The burden of occupational injuries and diseases is significant, both for employers and the wider economy, resulting in losses from early retirements, staff absence and rising insurance premiums.

To combat the problem, ISO developed a new standard, aiming to support organizations reduce this burden by providing a framework to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions, all over the world. ISO 45001 is a new and distinct standard, not a revision or update, and is due to be phased in gradually over the next three years. Nass Contracting have already been adopting many of the good practice requirements which the new ISO 45001 standards are set against, and Nass Contracting wishes to encourage other Organizations to adopt the same standards.

Nass Contracting’s Future Ambitions:

Nass Contracting also recently initiated a campaign to work with ALL suppliers and service providers to support its ambitions for the entire supply chain to improve their overall performance, particularly in Occupational Health and Safety.

The Nass Contracting Head Office support teams have already commenced a series of audits to identify opportunities for improvement and they will continue working with its supply chain to improve their collective performance.

Speaking with the Nass Contracting Senior HSE and Business Systems Manager Mr. Andries J. Van Wyk, he stated “the new IMS and ISO 45001:2018 certification is only the start of new business improvement initiatives and we look forward to working with our certification partner and our stakeholders to continually improve our business performance”.

Feedback from the Bureau VERITAS Team:

During the recent ISO recertification award ceremony, the Bureau Veritas team stated that “Nass Contracting and Bureau Veritas have been certification partners since 2010, this decade long relationship has enabled Bureau Veritas to understand Nass Contracting’s processes / projects / activities which resulted in their management systems evolving to the level where capacities have increased and self-sufficiency in compliance and assurance within Nass Contracting is clearly evident. Nass Contracting being a leading organization shows team work and high level of professionalism during their third-party assessments. The all-time positive attitude from Nass Contracting management have enabled their team to respond to any identified issues in a timely manner which has built a structure of their management system piece by piece in Quality, Health & Safety and Environment”.

Bureau Veritas is a leading Organization in Bahrain who supports organizations to work efficiently & effectively, helps in the development, growth and reduces risks and is capable of providing the best services as they enable the organizations to check how far their achievements meet their objectives and show conformity. Nass Contracting is a benchmark for other organizations who are yet not certified for ISO certification.

The Bureau Veritas Management congratulated Nass Contracting on their achievement and passed their gratitude to the entire management team of Nass Contracting.

Mrs. Yosra Abdulla joined Nass Contracting Company as an Executive Secretary in 2008, and worked on some iconic projects like AL Salam Resort and Isa Town Flyover.

She was promoted in 2011 to hold the position of senior HR & administrative Officer and as result of her exemplary performance promoted in 2016 to hold the position of Relations & Personnel Manager.

We thank Yosra for her dedication and service to the company and we extend our best wishes to her with her future endeavors.

Otto Van Farewell!!

Mr. Otto Van has joined Nass Contracting Company as a Project Manager 13 years ago, and was responsible of many Different well-known projects in Bahrain Such as Dragon City, Durrat AL Bahrain & Diyar Homes.

In 2014, he was promoted to hold the position of Senior Project Manager in the Company. Mr. Van was considered as loyal and dedicated employee. Working on multiple projects at a time made him unique.

And we at Nass Contracting Company wish him all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for all the Great Job he Did.

Nass Contracting is currently an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and OSHAS 18001:2007 Certified Company through our certification partner “Bureau VERITAS”.

Transitioning to the new ISO 45001:2018 Standard

ISO 45001 is the new international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S). The standard enables organisations to manage their risks and improve performance to minimise the effects their operations could have on employees, contractors or visitors.

Since the release of the new standards, NASS Contracting have started the process of transitioning from the existing OHSAS 18001:2007 Standards to the new ISO 45001:2018 Standards through a self-assessment process which forms part of a larger Business Systems Development Project currently being undertaken by NASS Contracting.

Why ISO 45001:2018?

According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) over 7,600 people die each day from work-related accidents or diseases – that’s over 2.78 million every year.

The burden of occupational injuries and diseases are significant, both for employers and the wider economy, resulting in losses from early retirements, staff absence and rising insurance premiums.

To combat the problem, ISO has developed a new standard, ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements, that will help organizations reduce this burden by providing a framework to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions, all over the world

As part of NASS Contracting’s continual commitment to improve Health, Safety and Environmental Standards on sites and throughout all business operations, the NASS Contracting HSE Department have recently introduced new resources who are dedicated support teams that conduct regular compliance inspections, internal audits and general support services, in addition to site HSE representatives.
Through the introduction of a dedicated HSE Compliance Officer and an Environmental Specialist, NASS Contracting have already experienced dramatic improvements in site conditions and working standards.

NASS Contracting are currently in the process of developing their Departmental Business Systems through the introduction of a brand-new state of the art Integrated Management System which will be rolled out through a dedicated Content Management System (CMS) portal, accessible to all staff, Clients and interested parties.
NASS Contracting aims to gain both long term primary and secondary benefits from the improved Integrated Management System. The Departmental Systems currently undergoing further development include:
• Business Systems (BSS)
• Commercial (COM)
• Document Control (DOC)
• Engineering and Design (ENG)
• Environmental (ENV)
• Estimating and Tendering (EST)
• Human Resources (HRD)
• Information Technology (ITD)
• Operations (OPS)
• Plant Management and Maintenance (PLT)
• Planning (PLN)
• Procurement (PRC)

The NASS Contracting HSE Department have recently undergone a familiarisation process for all Applied Science University students who are seeking a career in the Construction and Engineering industries. All students underwent a comprehensive training programme with the HSE Department to improve overall awareness of Health, Safety and Environmental practices in the Construction Industry.

Nass Contracting has won a USD 11million contract, to execute the civil works for substation project for ABB, at the new Dubai Hills Estate.

The 11 million sq metres mixed-use lifestyle development project, is a joint venture between Meraas Holding, a leading Dubai-based development company, and property developer Emaar Properties PJSC, which includes residential, commercial and leisure areas, plus an 18-hole championship golf course.

Switzerland-based ABB is responsible for the design, installation and commissioning of the distribution substation, which will supply electricity to the community.

Nass Contracting CEO, Mr. Ghazi Nass said, “We are very proud to be entering the Dubai Market on such a prestigious project with ABB as our client. This award is suitable to our overall growth strategies in the region”.

Manama, Bahrain

Nass Contracting Company, the preferred contractor in the kingdom have celebrated Bahraini Women’s Day with 55 of their female engineers and administration employees.

The celebration took place in The Dome Hall located at the Applied Science University on 28^th November 2017.

Mr. David Anthony, General Manager of Nass Contracting shared a few words of encouragement on this occasion and said “Nass Contracting have been leaders in the women empowerment movement. We were amongst the first private companies to hire female engineers to handle complex and large projects such as The Bahrain World Trade Centre, the Avenues, EWA Transmission projects, ALBA Potline line 5 and 6 and Power Stations. We extend all the support needed to all the women in our company to rise and shine because empowering women is a change we want them to lead themselves.”

Manama: The Board of Directors of Nass Corporation B.S.C. recently reconstituted Nomination, Corporate Governance and Safety Committee with Dr. Mustafa Al Sayed as its Chairman.

To promote safety within Nass Corporation, a strategic meeting was held recently at Alba Nuwaidrat Occupational Health, Safety and Environment training Centre, chaired by Dr. Mustafa Alsayed. The event was attended by Nass Corporation Chairman Mr. Sameer Abdulla Nass, Director Mr. Ghazi Abdulla Nass, Bahrain Health and Safety Society Director Mr. Yassar Abdulrahim Alabbasi, and all Nass Corporation General Managers between whom a ‘Corporation Safety Group’ will be formed having Mr. David Anthony, General Manager of Nass Contracting as the ‘Champion of Implementation’.

Mr. Sameer Nass inaugurated the event with a speech, highlighting the importance and benefits of safety culture within the corporation: “Developing a culture of safety in our workplace not only holistically supports our employees, but it also directly impacts the company’s bottom line. Hence, most importantly, management must establish the authority of the Safety Group and then support it. When divisional management sees the impact that the lead group created, they will acquire it and then pass that vibration along to all levels of the company.”

Dr. Mustafa Alsayed also emphasized on the importance of safety by saying: “Poor safety standards cannot be blamed on individuals; it is management responsibility to achieve a unified standard for safety. If we can oversee this aspect from a board level; then we can create a preeminent culture in the minds of all NASS workers and associates”.

He also added: “By having a well-trained, organised and energised safety group; safety in the workplace can be kept in the forefront of the minds of workers and management. Safety be considered as much a core value as construction activity and product quality”. He concluded.

The group will study the natural evolution of the existing safety system and hope to shape it with a behavioral system on a corporate-wide level and to achieve a swift result, the group decided to meet twice a year to review the implementation plan set to the safety teams.

Once the fully functional safety group starts to secure its role as a safety watchdog and train its representatives in hazard identification and awareness approaches, the group’s safety representatives will then look into individual division’s safety standards and current performance.

The objective set by Dr. Mustafa was to ensure consistency across all divisions of Nass Corporation, and that each division acquires OHSAS18000/18001 (ISO45001) by 1st of April 2018 to further enhance the current practice by those who already have it, and also to establish a behavior based safety culture throughout the organization.