Serco is one of the world's leading service companies managing airport facilities, prisons, to designing and managing transport services like the Dubai Metro, one of the world's most advanced metro systems. There are over 50,000 Serco employees in 35 countries.

The Serco Dubai Metro team have been working for 2 years recruiting and training over 3000 employees to run the Operations Control Centre. When fully operational, the Metro will carry over 1.2 million passengers on an average day.

Serco needed a large number of the new recruits working on Dubai Metro to take a range of health and safety training dependent on their function and role by 9 September 2009 (the inauguration date) to ensure that this innovative transport system is run to the highest global safety standards.

After meetings with Mike O'Donoghue, Occupational Health & Safety Manager at Serco Dubai Metro and the Connaught Gulf Account Manager, Shiraj Shah to understand the priorities of the training, a schedule for 2008-2009 was agreed. Serco Dubai Metro wished to extend the IOSH Working Safely course to staff working on the contract and to customize the course to reflect the unique environment in which they work.

41 customized in-company IOSH Working Safely courses were rolled out to SERCO staff. In addition to addressing the types of hazards that exist within a metro, the course was tailored more specifically to the needs of Serco Dubai Metro employees by incorporating references to local legislation and ILO (International Labour Organization) standards, recognized industry best practice standards. References were also made to Serco Dubai Metro's own policies and procedures, to tailor the training so its staff could apply it directly to their jobs. Additional courses of IOSH Managing Safely, IOSH Directing Safely and the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Safety & Health are planned to begin after the opening of all 29 red line stations in 2010.

We completed the first set of training on time, ready for the inauguration on 9 September 2009 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, reducing the risk of failures resulting in costs. Employees now understand the consequences to both the individual and Dubai Metro if they fail to work safely. They learnt how industry affects the environment and how individuals can minimise pollution and waste in Dubai Metro saving money.

This internationally recognized accredited health and safety course enables employees to develop their knowledge and skills and more importantly due to the tailoring of the training, apply it to their workplace contributing to a more effective and efficient, safe working environment. Better lines of communication for health & safety have been adopted.

All the staff working on Dubai Metro understand the hazards, risks and risk controls and the importance of risk assessment with examples of everyday use in their jobs. They were able to identify safety signs and signals and understand emergency, accident plans and procedures and know exactly what to do if accidents, incidents and near misses occur at work. There is an improved awareness of occupational health and safety resulting in a more cohesive safety culture.