The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE has become the first government entity in the region to receive the BSI Flex 45005. 3.0 certificate, issued by the British Standards Institute (BSI). The TRA has achieved the certificate for employing the best practices and operational standards in the response against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The certificate was received by TRA Director-General Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori from the British Ambassador to the UAE, Patrick Moody, during a virtual meeting on Tuesday. The BSI presents this certificate to establishments that have met with all quality standards and business continuity ethics amid the ongoing pandemic crisis in line with the BSI guidelines.

Experts from various sectors have developed these guidelines, consisting a set of directives related to the continuity of business operations during the pandemic. Furthermore, they provide a general framework guiding the operations of business entities such as a safe working environment, supporting comprehensive risk assessment, representing an extensive source of internationally approved best practices, and providing practical examples of risk management mechanisms.

Opening the virtual meeting, Al Mansoori asserted that the global community is facing a critical test due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which called for the need for flexibility and quick adaptation to new methods to carry on daily activities across all aspects. He further stated that the TRA has been at the forefront of government entities that have been working to ensure the continuity of daily activities amid the pandemic.

"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," Al Mansoori added.

The TRA has implemented several safety measures to ensure the development of a safe workplace amid the pandemic over the last few months. It was one of the first entities in the UAE to allow remote work from March 26, 2020, following which it also initiated several efforts to ensure a gradual return of work from the office and undertook all precautionary measures for the protection of employees during work.

The TRA issued a set of guidelines to workers to return to work amid the prevailing pandemic conditions to ensure that there is a gradual return of work in successive stages. Furthermore, the authority ensured the implementation of all health protection and precautionary measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, starting from the entry of the employees in the offices until their leaving.

The TRA and the Ministry of Health and Prevention jointly organised a number of virtual awareness workshops for the employees to impart knowledge about the best ways to protect against the COVID-19 infections during work.

As of July 5, 2020, the TRA implemented the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources decision, allowing the return of federal government employees to the workplace at a rate of 100 percent while following all necessary preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19.

WAM