Health and Safety

GEMS has engaged a Dubai Municipality-approved company to deliver preventative disinfection services. Schools have been deep cleaned and then disinfected top to bottom (including school resources – books, toys etc.) using hospital-grade anti-viral disinfectant that is widely used in healthcare facilities (such as the Cleveland Clinic). The products used are proven to be effective against coronavirus strains such as SARS and MERS, and are environmentally safe. A/C vents have also been fumigated in every school and additional hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed throughout all schools.

All staff wear full PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and follow a strict process of regular hand washing, replacing disposable items and social distancing. Each cleaning staff member enters and exits the school through a sterilisation tunnel and undergoes a compulsory temperature check at their accommodation.

Staff buses are used to transport staff, with an increased cleaning and disinfection regime in place for staff buses using approved disinfectants. Buses are currently operating at reduced capacity to meet social distancing requirments. Cleaning staff are temperature checked upon leaving the company accommodation, prior to entering the bus.

Yes, all visitors to schools undergo a temperature check upon arrival, carried out by security guards. Those with a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius are not permitted to enter. This applies to all cleaners, contractors, etc.

GEMS follows the highest health and safety standards. GEMS is certified to ISO 45001, which is the global standard for health and safety management systems. GEMS is one of only very few globally accredited education companies that meet this ISO standard.

Yes, GEMS has established a taskforce that includes stakeholders from all relevant departments within the organisation. Moreover, each school has a dedicated team of central senior health and safety professionals and health and safety co-ordinators.

GEMS has formed a taskforce specifically for this project, with input from multiple stakeholders. This taskforce is continuously reviewing and analysing practices that have already been adopted in certain European and Asian countries where students have already returned to school. It is also actively reviewing all technological aspects that could enhance health and safety standards at GEMS schools, including thermal imaging cameras and sanitisation tunnels.

All GEMS service providers are selected based upon their high health and safety standards. Our transport and facility maintenance companies, for example, are both ISO certified to the same high standards.