Occupational safety and health in Tengiz is perhaps an integral part of the atmosphere. In any case, they permeate all the activities of Tengizchevroil and business partners, and absolutely in all aspects. Strict safety requirements are natural: one of the world’s largest oil fields has a whole set of unique geological conditions and risk factors, the main of which, everyone here knows this, is the extremely aggressive and toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. What do Tengiz oil companies oppose to these dangerous factors? If we talk about production as such – the most advanced technologies, the protection of the processes of purification and separation of oil and gas through the use of unique metal alloys, the latest control systems and devices. And a person, or, more generally, a staff – how is he protected? Overalls, personal protective equipment, analyzers. A number of special and effective programs that saturate production discipline with a special specificity of self-preservation. But there is one indispensable condition, without which no perfect security programs will lead to success. This is an inner commitment, that is, a conscious and accepted understanding that OHS is a factor of health and life!
As a matter of fact, the work of all security services is devoted to the education and consolidation of such an understanding.
This idea was also the main one at the June TCO Monthly Safety Forum, to which all business partners are invited. On June 6, it was held on the basis of the OHS department of Ariadna LLP: TCO began to practice field meetings, which allows you to get acquainted with the state of work on the ground simultaneously with the discussion of topical issues.
The forum was interesting and active. Its very beginning turned out to be original. The director of ATKS, Laszlo Nagy, spent a “safety minute”, laying out the background of one of the road accidents. What flaws contributed to the accident, what was overlooked and missed in the fleet – the main thing is why minor violations became possible, which, connected like a snowball, led to an undesirable outcome. As a result, it turned out that the reason is the human factor. In other words, a lack of awareness – commitment.
The topic was continued with presentations by the author of these lines, Ainara Kayyrgali, Deputy Head of the Health and Safety Department of Ariadna LLP, Sergey Bystritsky, representative of the BUATS group, Kanat Umarov, head of the occupational safety and health support group of the TCO Small Capital Projects Department, and Maral Akimbergenova, specialist of the CHESM group. The active tone of the discussion, set by the presenters, continued with a specific, business-like conversation at the end of the meeting, which enriched the discussion.
TCO MCP Plant Group Construction Supervisor Ted Pavlik, summing up the Forum, called it meaningful and productive. “We are here not only to develop production at Tengiz,” he said. – We are not faced with the task of developing this production at any cost. We have a more important task – to work safely!”
This is what all of us, specialists of services and departments of occupational safety and health, direct our daily efforts towards.
Ainara KAIYRGALI.