A Qatari Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) expert has called for ways to encourage Qatar nationals into the HSE field in the energy sector, saying access to knowledgeable resources is essential to maintain HSE excellence in the Gulf region.
Ali Alrahbi, Vice President for Quality HSE & Security at Dolphin Energy, said that while HSE practice in the Gulf energy sector is at a high level, several key challenges remain.
“The energy sector in the GCC is very advanced in setting up HSE policies and procedures, and I believe the region is using the best international practices, codes, and standards related to the energy industry”, said Alrahbi, a panel member at the upcoming 8th Annual HSE Forum in Energy, taking place from 8-10 October at the Doha Grand Hyatt Hotel.
“The key challenges to maintain HSE excellence are to increase access to more knowledgeable resources and initiatives dedicated only to HSE, along with developing ways to encourage more Qataris into the HSE field.”
“I would like to see a framework where all interested parties are represented, operating in collaboration with regulatory bodies to review existing policies and study improvement opportunities in line with best practice from the international community.”
Held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry and Chairman of Qatar Petroleum, the 8th Annual HSE Forum in Energy will host more than 45 regional and international HSE experts to discuss HSE best practice and operational excellence.
At the opening session of Day One, Alrahbi will be part of the Executive Plenary Session: ‘Pursuit of Continuous Improvement: Sustaining HSSE Excellence.’ He will be joined by several HSE leaders in the oil and gas sector, including Nasser Mohammed Ali Mubarak, Corporate HSE Support Manager, Qatar Petroleum, Dr. Wells Grogan, Vice President, HSSEQ at Maersk Oil, and Brett Doherty, SHE Group Manager at Rasgas.
Having begun gas production in 2007, Dolphin Energy operates in Qatar and the UAE, and has consistently placed HSE excellence at the forefront of all its business practices and operations.
Alrahbi said that the company has developed a set of key performance indicators to measure continuous efforts in safeguarding people, minimising impacts on the environment, and protecting its assets.
He added: “One of Dolphin Energy’s earliest decisions was to rank quality, health, safety and environmental excellence with other primary business objectives. This has set the tone for the company’s development and today pervades our corporate culture and identity.”
“In 2008, Dolphin Energy started to formalise its CSR commitments, and became a founding member of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group. Since then, it has embraced this commitment further by integrating sustainability key performance indicators into its operational objectives.
“Additionally, the company has issued three sustainability reports that measure its performance and has been instrumental in helping Qatar develop its first sustainability development index.”
Dolphin Energy has also emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in HSE, and has developed a strong track record in engaging with and recognising the role contractors and partners play in maintaining safety standards.
Alrahbi continued: “The collective responsibility culture has fostered an environment where we share our experiences, learn from past incidences and maintain outstanding site conditions.”
“To highlight the role of collective responsibility, at our 5th Annual HSE Contractors Meeting in January 2012, we awarded seven locally based contractors with Recognition Awards for their continued commitment to improving effective communication strategies and enhancing overall standards across HSE.”
The HSE Forum in Energy will put a spotlight on the latest developments and technological solutions essential to ensuring the effective health and safety management and sustainable environmental practices in the energy sector.
