Thousands of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) staff and contractors marked the launch of the Company’s Safety Day on 23 February, 2016 – an annual event to highlight the importance of safe practices in the workplace, which started back in 2007.

This year PDO placed special emphasis on the theme of ‘Respect’, one of PDO’s three “Golden Rules” to embed a stronger safety culture.

Over the next month, personnel will attend presentations, group discussions, workshops and role-playing exercises concentrating on the basics of safety.

Since 2011, PDO’s safety performance has steadily improved and last year there was 12 per cent fall in its Lost Time Injury Frequency compared to 2014. However, the Company is stressing there is no room for complacency or cutting corners, especially in the current low oil price environment.

PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci said, “Irrespective of cost pressures in the current challenging environment, PDO remains committed to its number one priority of personal and process safety with a firm focus on Goal Zero – no harm to people, assets and the environment. This is our 10^th Safety Day, which is just one illustration of our constant focus on health, safety and the environment.  However, it is important to emphasise that the occasion should not be seen as an isolated event. We need to remain vigilant at all times and never drop our guard.”

“A strong safety culture relies very much on getting the fundamentals right and adhering to our three Golden Rules of Compliance, Intervention and Respect to eradicate unsafe practices and behaviour. It is about showing respect for the rules and for the hazards in our operation; it is about showing respect to our colleagues and our contractors by intervening where we see non-compliant or ‘at risk’ behaviours; and it is about showing respect to our environment and the communities in which we operate,” he added.

Over the past 10 years, PDO’s Safety Day has addressed a number of important areas such as  fatigue management, asset integrity and improving driving standards.

PDO Corporate Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager Mohamed Al Salmani said, “Respect is the foundation of every HSE rule in our organisation. Without respect, there can be no compliance, without respect there can be no intervention. Every one of us has a role to play in protecting ourselves, our colleagues, our production, our equipment and our environment. ”