Abu Dhabi takes steps to ensure school bus, food safety as schools reopen
Image Credit: Supplied
Abu Dhabi: School bus supervisors and drivers are all set for the new academic year with the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) providing them specialised workshops.
The workshops held under the slogan “Enhancing the student’s transportation safety for the academic year 2023-2024” were organised by the ADQCC’s Conformity and Standards Services Sector and aimed to reinforce schoolbus supervisors’ efficiency and performance.
The workshops were designed to ensure that the school bus supervisors and drivers are adequately armed with the necessary skills, knowledge, and prevalent procedures to ensure the student’s safety during transportation to and from schools.
The training workshops included lectures and interactive discussions about safe driving techniques, emergency procedures, bus periodic inspections and adherence to health protocol.
The new step is a part of the ADQCC’s ongoing efforts to enhance school transportation safety and ensure a safe and protected educational environment in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the Integrated Transportation Centre and the Department for Education and Knowledge.
Reflecting the emirate’s commitment to providing the highest level of services and care for all, the ADQCC has issued 23,958 conformity certificates to school bus drivers and 27,419 conformity certificates for school bus supervisors since the inception of the personnel conformity service.
ADQCC’s Central Testing Laboratory sector has held several training workshops for more than 40 food suppliers for educational institutions in Abu Dhabi, focusing on a group of varied lectures about food quality and safety.
The workshops constitute a valuable opportunity for food suppliers to improve their knowledge and understanding of the latest food quality and safety standards and requirements applied in Abu Dhabi, as they provide a communication chance to exchange knowledge and experience among participants and contribute to improving the food products supplied to educational institutions.
The step is a part of the ADQCC’s efforts to enhance the level of food safety and quality in the emirate, and ensure the provision of high standards products to the educational institutions and the society in general.
It has also updated the Guide of Food Traded in Abu Dhabi Schools, reflecting the utmost importance of providing the best services and practices, aiming to bring about the Abu Dhabi futuristic ambitious vision to enhance the educational institution’s student’s health across all age categories.
The guide is applied in all private and partnership schools, institutions’ schools, Zayed Higher Humanitarian Care Organisation-affiliated special needs centres, as well as educational institutions food suppliers to the emirate’s schools or entities working in the educational institutions’ cafeterias.
Dr. Helal Hamed Al Kaabi, ADQCC’s Secretary General, said the council, in collaboration with more than 20 entities in Abu Dhabi, has launched the school bus supervisors and drivers conformity programme to contribute to the development of the school transportation services, through upgrading the skills of the human cadre working in the sector.
