Intense inspection in the industrial cities across the sultanate has resulted in closing down of 15 factories, while 399 industrial units were issued warnings or caution notices for failing to adhere to precautionary measures issued by the Supreme Committee on COVID-19.  

These actions were taken by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), which continues its intensive efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and mitigate its effects in various industrial cities.  

Eng Basim al Zedjali, senior health, safety and environmental health specialist at Madayn, stated that ever since Madayn began its procedures to fight the pandemic, inspection visits to 1855 industrial units have been conducted until last week. “Of these visits, 1456 industrial units were found adhering to the precautionary procedures while warnings and practice correction notices were issued to 399 industrial units,” Zedjali informed. 

The inspection visits included issuance of violation notices and closure of industrial units that did not adhere to the precautionary measures, as well as closure of units that violated the decisions of the Supreme Committee on COVID-19. Following this, 15 industrial units were closed, and violation notices were filed against 13. 

He added, that during these inspection visits, Madayn officials aim at disseminating awareness among the workers in the companies and factories on safe and healthy practices at the workplace. “The visits also aim at applying penalties on the industrial units that are not committed to the procedures.  

Such violations include lack of personal protection tools, absence of physical distance between workers, especially those operating in production lines, and during rest areas; units that have not considered exempting employees with medical conditions and pregnant women, invalidity of temperature measurement devices with inaccurate readings; and insufficient quantities of hand sanitisers at workplace,” Zedjali pointed out. 

Zedjali noted that Madayn, in cooperation with Oman Investment and Development Holding Company (Mubadrah), carried out sterilisation and disinfection operations for 197 industrial units, in addition to sterilisation operations that included all the administration buildings in the industrial cities of Knowledge Oasis Muscat and Al Mazunah Free Zone. 

(Madayn Emergency Room receives coronavirus related inquiries and complaints through 24449685 or via WhatsApp: 92389609.)