Dr. Alireza Mahmoudi, speaking at the first specialized conference on HSE, crisis management, and passive defense of Iran’s metropolises, referred to the strategic role of safety in sustainable urban development and stated: Today, urban management faces a wide range of occupational, civic, environmental, and urban-crisis hazards, and effectively confronting these hazards requires scientific planning, an efficient organizational structure, coordination among specialized units, and active citizen participation.
He emphasized the need for unified procedures in the municipalities of the country’s metropolises and added: By leveraging successful municipal experiences and using scientific and specialized capacities, the organizational structure of the HSE, crisis management, and passive defense sectors should be reviewed and reformed so that, in addition to precisely defining responsibilities and preventing duplication, the groundwork is laid for improved coordination, greater efficiency, and the establishment of an integrated urban risk management system.
The mayor of Arak, referring to specialized workshops held on the sidelines of the conference, stated: Transferring practical experience, examining common challenges, and presenting specialized solutions are among the most important goals of this event. It is expected that the results of the meetings and workshops will help formulate practical proposals for reforming processes, improving safety standards, and creating a coordinated framework in the urban management of Iran’s metropolises.
Unveiling the national plan "Every Citizen, an HSE Assistant" in Arak
Dr. Mahmoudi, referring to the resolution of Arak Municipality’s Supreme HSE Council, announced the unveiling and launch of the "Every Citizen, an HSE Assistant" plan at this conference and said: With an approach focused on expanding social participation in accident prevention and improving urban safety, this plan will be unveiled and implemented for the first time in the country at Arak Municipality.
He added: Citizens can participate in the process of identifying hazards, assessing and managing risk, and preventing accidents by identifying and reporting existing hazards in streets, parks, public spaces, and other urban environments. Our goal is to turn safety from a purely organizational duty into a public culture and to use the people’s capacity alongside the municipality’s specialized capabilities to build a safer city.
Registration of more than 376 HSE committees and 2,025 safety resolutions in Arak Municipality
The mayor of Arak, describing part of the measures taken in the HSE field over the past 30 months, stated: During this period, more than 376 HSE committees have been formed in various subsidiary sectors of the municipality, and more than 2,025 resolutions aimed at improving the safety of employees and citizens have been approved, about 73 percent of which have been implemented. The internal structure of the organization has also been reviewed with the aim of streamlining, increasing efficiency, and strengthening the coherence of activities of units related to urban safety and health.
He emphasized the need for special attention to the safety of construction sites and said: The simultaneous movement of machinery, workers, and citizens in high-traffic routes increases the likelihood of accidents, and controlling these hazards requires effective supervision, compliance with legal requirements, continuous training, and strengthening a culture of safety among operational personnel and the general public.
Mahmoudi, referring to the cited statistics on the high share of construction sites in occupational accidents and work-related deaths, noted: Given that more than 40 percent of occupational accidents and about 50 percent of work-related deaths, according to the cited statistics, occur at construction sites, revising supervisory processes, precisely defining the responsibilities of safety custodians, and strictly implementing the requirements of Chapter 12 of the National Building Regulations are a serious necessity for reducing accidents.
Arak Municipality’s measures to reduce urban hazards
The mayor of Arak continued by referring to the measures taken to improve citizen safety and said: Identifying more than 29 accident-prone points in the city and following up on control measures, including installing speed-control cameras, constructing pedestrian bridges, correcting the geometry of streets, and eliminating hazards from unsafe and abandoned excavations, are part of urban management’s programs for accident prevention. He added: Standardizing more than 50 sets of children’s playground equipment in parks and green spaces, following up on the installation of grounding systems in more than 43 parks, and planning to complete safety measures in other parks are also on the agenda in order to protect citizens’ health, especially children.
Mahmoudi also referred to the plan to make Arak’s southern ring road safe and stated: Improving the safety conditions of this route, including removing guardrails and installing New Jersey barriers according to the planned schedule, is being pursued with the aim of reducing traffic hazards and improving travel safety.
He concluded by emphasizing: Citizen safety, employee health, environmental protection, and preparedness for crises must be taken into account in all decisions and urban management projects. Holding this conference is an opportunity for scientific and practical synergy among metropolises so that, by drawing on one another’s experiences, we can take more effective steps toward reforming structures, expanding public participation, reducing risk, and improving urban resilience.
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