May 2004    
ADNOC will be hosting its annual HSE Awards ceremony on 17 May 2004. Pipeline's editor, Richard Price spoke to Mr. Mohammed Al Mehairy, ADNOC's Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) Division Manager about company's achievements and the challenges of implementing a successful HSE policy.

How long have you been in charge of HSE at ADNOC?

I joined ADNOC as a secondee from ADCO in May of 2002 in the position of HSE Manager. Previous to that I was the HSE Manager in ADCO

What are some of the challenges of implementing a successful HSE policy in an organization like ADNOC with its diverse group of companies?

There are two main challenges. The first is to obtain consensus of the Group Companies on corporate standards and initiatives. This buy-in is essential to ensure that the corporate expectations are aligned with the reality of the businesses, particularly when they are so diverse (E&P, construction, marine, marketing & refining, and chemicals). Additionally, gaining the consensus of the Group Companies helps to ensure they take ownership of the HSE standards and initiatives.

The second challenge is related to the diverse cultural background that exists in the UAE. We need to be constantly aware of this when trying to influence workforce behaviors and attitudes. This precludes us from moving as quickly as we would sometimes like to.

In May ADNOC will be hosting its HSE Awards ceremony. How long have these awards been running?

The ADNOC HSE Award program was initiated in 1997.

How successful are these awards in promoting and improving HSE standards in ADNOC?

The ADNOC HSE Award has been a tremendous success. It serves two important purposes. Firstly it recognizes outstanding achievements in the areas of Health, Safety and Environment within the Abu Dhabi Oil and Gas sector. Individuals and teams from the ADNOC Group Companies and their contractors are recognized and rewarded for their HSE successes. Secondly, it provides an excellent opportunity for the sharing and transferring of best HSE practices across the Group. The sharing of HSE information and ideas is critical to unlocking enhanced performance.

Without giving away the names of the winners can you highlight some of ADNOC's HSE achievements during 2003?

In 2003 we achieved a corporate Loss Time Incident Frequency (LTIF) of 0.50, the lowest ever achieved since we started recording in 1997. Seven of the Group Companies (ADGAS, ESNAAD, ADOC, Bunduq, Borouge, Fertil and Takreer) had no LTIs in 2003.

We achieved an additional 10 per cent reduction in operational flaring. A significant part of this was through the efforts of ZADCO who reduced their total flaring by 44 per cent through process optimization and production planning.

ADCO commissioned a new plant for treatment and handling of oil-based mud (OBM). To the greatest extent possible, OBM's are recycled. OBM cuttings are treated in a thermal desorption treatment plant and at least 99.95 per cent of the oil from the OBM cuttings is reclaimed as a fuel. Recovered water, with less than 10 ppm oil, is routed for irrigation of pasture and trees around the thermal treatment plant and the remaining cuttings are used in the construction of bricks.

What are some of the things ADNOC is doing to ensure the safety of staff?

ADNOC provides safety standards for the Group in the form of 'Codes of Practice (CoPs)'. These CoPs cover occupational safety, fire safety, safety engineering and Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Assessment. ADNOC EH&S Division prepares, consults on and rolls out the CoPs and monitors implementation at the Group Companies. It also provides training, guidance and advice on implementation. ADNOC EH&S Division also facilitates the sharing of safety information across the Group by way of HSE Alerts. Facility safety is covered by the submission (by Group Companies to ADNOC), of Health, Safety and Environmental Impact Assessments (HSEIAs), which must address major hazards, major hazard management, risk levels (demonstration of risk being as low as reasonably practicable - ALARP) and management of occupational hazards.

Could you tell me if there were any workplace fatalities, and how does this compare with previous years?

There was a single fatality in 2003 resulting from an unfortunate road traffic accident. This compares well to 2002 when there were five fatalities.

When did ADNOC begin keeping HSE records on such things as lost time activities?

Since 1997.

How does ADNOC monitor HSE progress and ensure compliance? Is this something done internally or does an independent company verify performance?

ADNOC has a variety of internal processes to monitor compliance and performance. The primary tools are imbedded in the HSE Management Systems (HSEMS) that the Group Companies are required to have in place. On an annual basis Group Companies must report their performance to ADNOC. Additionally, audits are conducted on a regular basis. Several of the Group Companies choose to seek external certification such as ISO 9001, IS) 14001, ISO 18001, ISO 18801 and ISM Code. The International Shareholders also conduct periodic HSE audits in their governance capacity.

Do Group Companies have there own policies, or is there a common ADNOC approach to HSE issues?

ADNOC has an HSE policy that outlines the expectations for the ADNOC Group Companies. This includes the requirement that every Group Company implements a systematic HSE management system that ensures compliance with the law and achieves continuous performance improvement. The Group Companies are permitted to have their own policies provided that they align with the corporate ADNOC HSE policy. For a number of HSE issues there is a benefit in pursuing a single, common approach. This is usually determined on a case-by-case basis.

How do you ensure sub-contractors comply with ADNOC HSE requirement?

This is a Group Company responsibility, which is achieved via normal worksite supervision. ADNOC corporate health inspectors assist the Group Companies by conducting comprehensive health & hygiene audits/inspections of contractor camps.

ADNOC implemented a Halon phase-out program in 1997. How successful was this? Is Halon still used and what has it been replaced with?

This process has been quite successful. We have decommissioned, recycled and recovered 65 tons of Halon, which is approximately 60 per cent of the total Halon held within the ADNOC group. Halon is used for fire protection and explosion suppression, particularly in facilities with critical electronic equipment. It is still being used in some of the ADNOC facilities, but is being phased out as facilities are upgraded.

Halon has been replaced by other chemical gaseous agents that are rated with a zero ozone-depleting factor, inert gases, CO2, or fire fighting foams.

What are some of the other initiatives ADNOC is undertaking to improve the environment?

Some other initiatives are; 1) In the HSE Impact Assessment (HSEIA) process, all new projects are scrutinized for adverse effects on the receiving environment, minimum land use, energy consumption and use of raw materials. 2) All produced water, unless compatible with the receiving environment, must be reinjected into deep reservoirs.3) the construction and operation of a natural gas network to supply Abu Dhabi residential, commercial and industrial facilities. This will play a significant role in reducing air emission volumes.

How does ADNOC dispose of hazardous waste? Is there a central waste management system?

ADNOC follows international standards & UAE laws in managing its waste. The primary objective is to reduce hazardous wastes at the source of generation. When a hazardous waste is generated we recycle it or treat the waste to a non-hazardous classification. The remaining few quantities of hazardous waste are presently stored at ADNOC's interim waste management facility. This stored hazardous waste will be transferred to the newly designed central waste management facility (BeAAT), which will become operational in 2006.

Is anything being done to improve air quality?

The air quality in the emirate of Abu Dhabi is generally considered to be good. About 98 per cent of the total air emissions from the ADNOC group are CO2. These emissions are primarily associated with power generation and gas compression. Reduction of operational flaring has been one of our key focus areas since commencing oil and gas production. It was recognized that it was harmful to the environment and that the flared gas had an economic value. Since 1995 the combined efforts of the Group Companies have resulted in a 71 per cent reduction of gas flaring. In 2002, ADNOC-Distribution, the single supplier in Abu Dhabi, phased out lead from all petrol.. ADNOC has recently completed an engineering design study to enable installation of a comprehensive air quality management system. The actual monitoring will start later this year.

How does ADNOC ensure it meets federal environment laws and regulations?

ADNOC is very aware of UAE federal environment laws and regulations as they relate to our operations. As discussed earlier, the Group Companies are required through their HSEMS system to ensure compliance. Key mechanisms include quarterly HSE performance reports, internal audits and semi-annual HSE performance reviews by management. On an annual basis, Group Companies must report their performance to ADNOC. Additionally, ADNOC and the Industrial Shareholders conduct periodic audits.

In 2003 we completed the 2nd draft of our HSE Codes of Practice (COP). While the CoP's reference all applicable UAE federal environmental laws and regulations, in most cases, they exceed UAE federal requirements. The CoP's have been developed based on best practice from around the world. This includes regulatory requirements from North America and the European Union as well as international shareholders.

I believe ADNOC has an HSE laboratory. What are some of the tasks the laboratory is involved in?

The laboratory primarily provides chemical and microbiological analysis. The ADNOC EH&S Division routinely conducts industrial hygiene inspections of camp and catering facilities of Group Companies and their contractors. These inspections include samples of the drinking water, food as well as the kitchen facilities used for food preparation. The samples are analyzed for the presence of certain indicator bacteria. Chemical analyses of water include pH, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and heavy metals.

Apart from the samples generated by the industrial hygiene inspections, the laboratory provides support to the Group Companies on an as requested basis. For those services we cannot provide, we have 3rd party contracts in place with commercial labs in the country.

Finally, what are some of ADNOC'S initiatives for 2004?

A significant initiative for this year is the implementation of a common emergency response system across the ADNOC Group. The ADNOC Group is highly integrated and it is in our best interest to have a common emergency response system across the ADNOC Group to minimize the impacts of significant emergency events.

We are very busy trying to provide adequate HSE oversight for the many new expansion and upgrade projects to be undertaken within the next several years. Our Health Safety Environmental Impact Assessment (HSEIA) procedures require that, commencing with early design stages, project environmental impacts are mitigated by installing minimum emission equipment and state of the art control systems. HSEIA Reports must be prepared and submitted to ADNOC for approval. In future, HSEIA Reports will also be required for our older installations.

Finally, we will be finalizing and rolling out the ADNOC Codes of Practice. The four key documents that will be introduced this year are: HSEIA requirements, Environmental Impact Assessment, Control of Major Accidents Hazards and Crisis and Emergency Management. Another six documents are also planned for approval in 2004. The ADNOC Codes of Practice are a key feature in achieving our ambition to be amongst the world leaders for HSE performance.

© Pipeline 2004