On May 23, the AEB Safety, Health, Environment and Security (SHES) Committee organized a webinar “Occupational Health and Safety Regulations in Popular Business Expansion Sites”. 

The event was moderated by Tatiana Borisova, the Committee Chairperson.

Searching for new growth opportunities, many companies are expanding their international presence by opening offices and setting up production facilities in different countries. However, while this process offers the benefits of a new round of business growth, it also comes with many unfamiliar challenges. One of the main challenges is local regulatory requirements, including those related to occupational health and safety. These requirements may differ significantly from those that companies are used to working with in Russia and may lead to additional difficulties when entering new markets.

And since businesses do need to understand the key aspects of labor legislation, requirements for working conditions and safety measures in a new region in order to adapt optimally and minimize risks, this webinar provided an in-depth look at the specifics of occupational safety regulation in the countries that have become the most popular for business expansion in recent years. Thus, Sergey Khomenko from Align Technology presented information on key aspects of occupational safety in Armenia; Svetlana Lazareva from Manpower shared her experience on how to organize an occupational safety management system in an office in Kazakhstan; Ratmir Proskurnov, UPPERCASE LEGAL ADVISORY, spoke about some of the labor protection provisions for private sector workers in the UAE; and representatives of Centil Law Firm Maxim Saifutdinov and Nigina Saidova considered the peculiarities of labor protection regulation in Uzbekistan. At the same time, when expanding a business, it is important not only to comply with local requirements for employee safety, but also to take care of their emotional well-being. That is why Tatiana Borisova from Novartis Group in her presentation noted the nuances of psychological support for employees during such a transformation - both for those who moved to a new location and those who stayed to work in the Russian office.

The speakers offered the webinar audience not only theoretical information, but also real cases and best practices of companies that have already successfully adapted to new markets, as well as gave some tips on how to effectively prepare for and cope with possible difficulties in the expansion process, while maximizing the benefits of international growth. At the end of the webinar, there was an interactive Q&A block where the attendees could get answers to their questions.