New BSC membership underpins Farnek’s people-first safety culture where highly trained FM professionals combined with strong governance and technology, work together to protect people
Leading UAE-based smart and green FM company Farnek has strengthened its continued commitment to internationally recognised safety standards, by becoming a member of the British Safety Council (BSC).
The prestigious BSC evaluated and approved Farnek’s application for a two-year period. Quite apart from the international recognition, through the BSC membership, Farnek now has automatic access to regulatory updates, online training and e-learning courses, as well as newsletters featuring the latest market trends, with commentary from international experts.
The membership reflects Farnek’s strategy to strengthen its alignment with clients and partners across the GCC and global markets who share the BSC’s focus on protecting people and improving workplace safety standards.
“Safety leadership must work at two levels. We need strong governance, clear standards and accountability at corporate level, but those things only have value if they translate into safer decisions and behaviours where the work is taking place. Both can be true at the same time…and they should be,” said Ryan Mitchell, Director of QHSEW, Farnek.
For Farnek, protecting employees, clients and communities is not treated as a corporate message or a function that sits apart from operations. It is built into the way work is planned, supervised, owned and delivered every day…supported by highly trained professionals on the ground, disciplined operational controls and increasingly, better use of data and technology.
“The people closest to the work remain the most important part of any safety system. Technology can give them better information, improve visibility and help us identify emerging risk earlier, but it does not replace competent supervision, operational discipline or professional judgement. Those fundamentals remain non-negotiable,” Mitchell added.
Founded over 70 years ago, with thousands of members worldwide the BSC has strong industry visibility and a proven ability to connect recognised international standards with the realities of managing workplace risk around the world.
“However, witnessing the BSC’s resurgence in the GCC is significant. This region is developing rapidly, and the frameworks that support safe operations must continue evolving with it.
“The BSC membership gives us the opportunity to benchmark internationally while also contributing the operational experience we have developed across complex environments throughout the region.
“That balance between corporate leadership and operational competence sits at the heart of Farnek’s approach to HSE,” commented Mitchell.
Farnek translates corporate safety objectives into site-level controls covering hazard identification, risk management, incident investigation and corrective action. The emphasis is on execution…ensuring standards work in practice, not just on paper. Technology strengthens that system rather than replacing it.
Through HITEK AI, Farnek has developed SAFETEK, its in-house AI-powered safety management platform, to provide operations and HSE teams with better access to incident data, inspections, corrective actions, training records, permit-to-work controls and emerging risk trends.
The platform is designed to support decision-making, helping frontline teams and management move from fragmented reporting towards faster intervention, stronger accountability and more proactive risk management.
For Farnek and HITEK AI, membership of the British Safety Council therefore represents more than an affiliation. It reinforces a model where international standards, executive governance and operational competence are supported by data and intelligent technology.
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For more information, log on to www.farnek.com
Photo caption: (L-R) Stephen Loynton, British Safety Council – Regional Strategic Account Manager – Middle East; Audrey Flemming, British Safety Council – Head of Culture Change and Psychosocial Safety & Ryan Mitchell, Director of QHSEW, Farnek.
About Farnek:
Farnek is the leading provider of sustainable and technology-driven Facilities Management in the United Arab Emirates. Established in the UAE since 1980, Farnek Services LLC is a Swiss-owned independent total facilities management company.
With a skilled workforce of more than 12,000 employees, Farnek delivers professional Facilities Management and security services across several sectors; Aviation, Hospitality, Banking, Retail, Shopping Malls, Telecom, Residential, Commercial, Infrastructure, Government, Education, Leisure and Entertainment.