EGA up its ‘Beat the Heat’ game, launches new wearables & cooling suits - reinventing worker wellbeing

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside the oil and gas sector, has taken a bold step forward in protecting its workforce this summer by introducing cutting-edge wearable safety technology as part of its annual ‘Beat the Heat’ campaign.

With outdoor temperatures soaring during the UAE summer, heat-related illness poses a serious threat, especially for those working around-the-clock in EGA’s high-temperature industrial environments. But EGA is no stranger to this challenge. A global front-runner in heat safety, the company hasn’t recorded a single heat-related illness case since 2021.

EGA is raising the bar even higher

The new wearable tech will give real-time data on workers’ physical conditions, helping detect early signs of heat stress and enabling quick intervention before it becomes dangerous. It's a smart, proactive move that underscores EGA’s ongoing commitment to worker wellbeing, safety innovation, and operational excellence in even the harshest conditions.

Since 2022, EGA has been trialling wearable technology to monitor vital health indicators during the intense UAE summer. This year, the company is rolling out a new generation of wearables specifically designed for the demanding conditions of industrial sites like aluminium smelters.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said, “Heat-related illness is a serious challenge in our region. At EGA, our goal each summer is to engage everyone in ensuring we have zero cases of heat-related illness at our company, and together we have a long track record of success. Technology has the potential to make our Beat the Heat programme even more effective.”

Built to withstand harsh environments, the upgraded devices deliver improved location tracking, stronger connectivity, and uninterrupted real-time data directly accessible to EGA’s supervisors and medical teams. One of the key features: automatic alerts and enforced work-rest cycles when a worker’s core body temperature exceeds safe limits. It’s a smart fusion of innovation and care, keeping safety at the forefront of EGA’s summer operations.

Advanced cooling suits

This year, EGA has introduced full-body cooling units at its medical centres and key operational zones in both Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah. These advanced cooling suits provide fast, non-invasive core body temperature reduction, enhancing emergency response capabilities and offering immediate support in cases of heat stress.

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) continues to set the benchmark for workforce safety with its comprehensive ‘Beat the Heat’ campaign, designed to protect employees and contractors during the UAE’s scorching summer months.

The campaign includes a full suite of proactive measures—from hydration testing before and during shifts, to scheduled cooling breaks, cooling showers, and dedicated rest zones strategically placed across EGA’s operations. On the ground, workers stay refreshed using cooling booths, drinking water stations, icemakers, and portable air conditioning units that help them beat the heat and maintain peak performance.

Thanks to these rigorous efforts, EGA achieved a major milestone in 2024: zero recordable heat-related illnesses for the third summer in a row. The company’s last recorded incidents were in 2021, when two employees required IV hydration at EGA’s medical centres and fully recovered within hours. EGA’s ongoing success in heat illness prevention is a testament to its culture of care, innovation, and leadership in industrial safety, setting a high standard for the region and the world.