Driving Safety
Safety in Motion: Several Aramco operations areas achieve record traffic safety records
Two departments in Northern Area Oil Operations see motor vehicle violations fall to zero.
Two Northern Area Oil Operations (NAOO) departments and 32 divisions have set record traffic safety results.
The Northern Area Gas Producing Department achieved a record of zero traffic violations for a second consecutive year, while the Northern Area Technical Support Department (NATSD) completed 2020 without a single traffic violation.
Dawood M. Al-Dawood, vice president of NAOO, said the two records were the result of structural behavior changes. “This is a true testament of the organization’s commitment to traffic safety.”
“This is a true testament of the organization’s commitment to traffic safety.”
— Dawood M. Al-Dawood, NAOO vice president
Journey to zero
The results are even more impressive when allowing for the expansion of construction projects across the area and a corresponding increase in the workforce. NAOO predicted a potential surge in traffic-related issues in 2016 and embarked on a series of proactive measures to mitigate any rising trend, which resulted in zero traffic violations for six consecutive months from October 2020.
Supervisors regularly held counseling sessions with employees who violated traffic safety rules and regulations. Depending on the nature of the offense, employees met with senior management for counseling.
Traffic safety campaigns were conducted to reinforce safe driving behaviors, including regular text messages. Traffic safety performance indicators were also monitored on a weekly basis. A culture of zero tolerance over time led to a sharp decline in traffic violations and a corresponding drop in motor vehicle accidents.
Everyone’s business
Hamad M. Al Sharekh, a compliance coordinator with the NATSD, said traffic safety was everyone’s business. “It is no longer management’s responsibility alone, but a collective responsibility and concern of all employees,” he said.
NAOO traffic safety best practices include:
- Adopting virtual traffic safety engagement meetings and small group discussions, targeting young employees and high-risk drivers
- Assigning traffic safety goals to all employees, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining safe driving behaviors
- Establishing department level traffic safety committees
- Issuing safe driving contracts to employees new to the department and discouraging daily commuting to remote areas
- Increasing surveillance along the company roads in collaboration with Industrial Security to enforce safe behavior
- Implementing an automated journey management program to oversee employees’ off-road risk exposures
- Appointing department level traffic safety ambassadors to propagate awareness
- Provision of bus transportation.
Meshal Al-Amri, a compliance group leader with the Northern Area Well Completion Operations Division, said he was proud to be part of a positive change. “Departments have been empowered to step in with diverse efforts to govern the admin area’s traffic safety equation and implement applications, tools, and technologies to ensure continuous improvement.”