Occupational Health and Safety
Safety and health key focus at internal conference
Event emphasized Kingdom’s efforts in developing and promoting Occupational Safety and Health
There was a strong Aramco presence at the recent Saudi International Conference for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).
The three-day event, hosted in Riyadh’s International Conference and Exhibition Center under the theme of Progress and Safety, was supported by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
The event emphasized the Kingdom’s efforts in OSH development and also promoted and enhanced knowledge on best practices and experiences in the field.
Sponsored by Aramco, the event included a full agenda comprised of workshops and panel discussions designed to provide attendees with information and knowledge related to:
- Construction safety
- Sustainable safety ecosystems
- Labor productivity
- Research and innovation
- The future of OSH professionals
- Vision Zero, the industry’s goal for zero incidents and injuries.
Vision Zero
Hatem S. Ghamdi, Loss Prevention (LP) chief fire prevention engineer, represented Aramco on a panel discussion with a host of top-level speakers from organizations such as the Royal Commission in Yanbu’, the Ministry of Energy, SKK Migas, and SABIC. The session looked to Vision Zero and its role in improving safety within the oil and gas industry.
“Vision Zero is what we are all working toward,” said Ghamdi “but approaches need to be considered before implementation. Much of Vision Zero is connected to human behavior, and we need to ensure the message being sent is positively adopted the first time around.”
As an example, Ghamdi cited how use of slogans focusing on the number “zero,” had been seen as dissuading rather than encouraging. “This is actually proven to create a fear of reporting,” he said, “which leads to an underreporting culture — the exact opposite of what we seek.”
On building a sustainable safety ecosystem through an assured safety management system (SMS), Khaled S. Mansour, LP supervisor of Corporate Safety Assessment, said: “The role of leadership is pivotal in continuous improvement, as is their engagement with the SMS. This needs to be embedded in an organization’s DNA.”
Technical applications
The event also highlighted technical applications in the OSH field, as well as research in the preventive field.
LP engineer Abdulrahman I. Alamer, said, “Digitalizing safety means integrating existing and developing technologies, including mobility, wearables, Internet of Things (IoT), and augmented and virtual reality applications.” Alamer added, “The benefits of this are repeatedly bringing value: ease of access to information, consistent collection of meaningful data, and proactive and predictive safety technology developments. Aramco already has platforms such as SafeLife demonstrating this integration.”
Faisal A. Al-Shathri, head of the Riyadh Area LP Division, presided over a panel that discussed methodologies and technologies being deployed to protect those working in high-risk sectors. “As a company that has adopted safety as a core value early on, and by ensuring a continuous and sustainable learning cycle, we continue to show our efforts to evolve as a company, and improve wherever possible.”
Ghassan G. Abulfaraj, chief LP Engineer, said, “Aramco remains a global leader in terms of OSH as a result of its robust management systems, innovation, and importantly — leaders who clearly recognize the importance of safety within our business.”
Caption for top photo: Aramco's contribution is recognized by HE Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rahji, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, with an award to Ghassan G. Abulfaraj, Aramco's chief Loss Prevention engineer.