HEALTH AND SAFETY

At Qatar Petroleum Refinery, safety is a core value that remains one of our top priorities. We are committed to the safety of our employees, our contractors and our local communities. Our safety programmes are designed to reinforce the safety culture among all personnel. We operate on the principle that all incidents are preventable if everyone completes each task safely. Our programmes engage everyone by incorporating safety measures specifically tailored for each of three targeted groups: department heads and managers, supervisors, and workers. Leadership plays an important role in making our incident and injury free (IIF) work place a reality.
Leaders participate directly in coaching sessions, safety discussions, and workshops focused on ensuring safe and secure operations. Another channel of direct management engagement is the Qatar Petroleum Refinery SHE (Safety, Health, and Environment) Committee chaired by the CEO. This committee discusses the monthly SHE highlights, major incidents, and lessons learned, and conducts monthly site visits. Similarly, at the asset level, the Asset SHE Committee led by asset managers includes representatives from all functions operating within the asset.

The Asset SHE Committee conducts monthly site visits and coaching around asset sites to recognise opportunities for further health and safety improvements. The Committee also organises forums in which operators and maintenance personnel meet to discuss areas of mutual safety concern and share experiences. This is also supported by a network of safety champions and coaches that are embedded in all assets and in all shifts

OCCUPATIONAL AND PROCESS SAFETY

Safety is a Qatar Petroleum Refinery core value that we have embedded in all of our processes and programmes. Over the past few years we have continuously improved our safety processes and programmes, including introducing the Life Saving Rules, continuous improvement in Process Safety, refreshing IIF in Action, enhancing Risk Management and strengthening our Permit to Work system. This success however was not achieved by these programs alone, but more importantly by the hard work, dedication and constant focus on completing each task safely.

Qatar Petroleum Refinery

COMPLIANCE WITH LIFE SAVING RULES

Qatar Petroleum Refinery’ Life Saving Rules (LSR) were formally launched in February 2013. These 10 concise and consistent rules help provide safety guidelines to our workforce. The LSR outline clear and simple “do’s and don’ts” covering activities of highest potential risk. Experience has shown that failure to comply with the LSR is a significant factor in serious incidents and fatalities within the oil and gas industry.

TRAINING

Qatar Petroleum Refinery has revamped the safety training courses provided to its employees and contractors, including class-room based and online training in the local languages of the workers. Additionally, the Company has also launched the “My SEQ Training” dashboard on the Qatar Petroleum Refinery centralised Learning Solution Portal (LSO), and employees can now monitor their safety-related training records and complete many online safety-training packages. The benefits of transferring the SEQ Mandatory Training Records to the LSO are many. Employees are easily updated on mandatory training they are required to complete, while supervisors are given a high-level overview of their team’s progress in doing so. Detailed metrics of training completion by department are available to managers and SEQ course administrators. The change provides a wealth of information that will be leveraged in the future to make training easier to monitor and more effective.

INVOLVEMENT OF CONTRACTORS IN SAFETY PROGRAMMES

It is very important to engage contractors in the safety programmes of Qatar Petroleum Refinery in order to ensure an overall high level of safety, especially given that 94% of recordable injuries in 2016 were contractor incidents. Qatar Petroleum Refinery dedicates particular attention to the preparedness of contractors to ensure work is completed safely. . To this end, contractors undergo onboarding sessions where they are introduced to Qatar Petroleum Refinery’ fundamental safety programmes. Specialised training on heat stress and acclimatisation is provided to contractors as well. They also participate in in the Safety Culture training, and undergo online LSR refresher training.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION

Qatar Petroleum Refinery conducts periodic medical examinations (PME) of its employees. It also conducts mass medical screening of its contractor workforce, which includes fitness-to-work examinations. This is over and above fitness-to-work medical examinations performed by the contractor. Qatar Petroleum Refinery follows OSHA and IPIECA guidelines and recommendations in conducting health survey measures. Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC) also has regulations for the well-being of employees that work in RLIC. Health screening of employees is performed at the Company’s own clinic in RLIC, in order to ensure high levels of quality. Medical screening includes an annual fitness medical examination, fatigue assessments, and heart health assessments through the Healthy Heart campaign. The ‘fitness to work’ examination procedure has been revised and updated in alignment with the occupational health business process, establishing the premier manner in which to ensure occupational health through the application of the Qatar Petroleum Refinery Management System across the Company. In addition, the Medical Centre provides 24×7 health check pit-stops for employees and contractors, ensuring that all who need medical care are able to receive it immediately.