Traffic safety and off-duty injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents remain issues of great concern throughout Saudi Aramco organizations and across the country. However, in Yanbu' it looks better from a statistical point of view, said Saudi Aramco president and CEO Khalid A. Al-Falih at the end of the Yanbu' Executive Management Safety Review on April 6.
A beautiful Red Sea city, Yanbu' also is a growing area of Saudi Aramco that is rapidly becoming an important center of company refining operations. On March 22, Yanbu' Refinery garnered two national awards — "Occupational Excellence Achievement" and "Perfect Record" — from the National Safety Council commending its safety record, unblemished for the past three years.
The Occupational Excellence Achievement Award recognizes companies that have reported injuries and illnesses that involved days away from work equal to or less than 50 percent of the industry standards and have had no fatalities during a calendar year.
The Perfect Record Award recognizes companies that have completed a period of at least 12 consecutive months without incurring an occupational injury or illness that resulted in death or days away from work.
"The statistics that we saw this morning are truly impressive, and we are extremely proud of the two awards that Yanbu' Refinery received," Al-Falih said.
Al-Falih stressed, however, that statistics alone should not be the reason for celebration. "What we are celebrating is the safety and well-being of our people, which is the result of systems, practices and cultures that have been ingrained in the organization," he said.
"If we have the systems, practices and the culture that produce these statistics, then we have a success story that we need to reinforce, build upon and spread across the company."
Salim S. Al-Aydh, senior vice president of Engineering and Project Management, called the Yanbu' safety record "outstanding" but warned against complacency.
Al-Falih also recognized and commended the efforts of the people and management working in Yanbu' who ultimately were responsible for producing this safety record, stressing the important role that front-line managers play as a communications link. "I was very impressed by the skill, motivation and spirit that our people have," he said.
