The Excellence Model to Implement the Safety Management System Effectively in Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Al Hakami Muatasem Abdulhadi , Al Salah Mohammed Abdullah 
Published: March 2023

Objectives/Scope

The objective of this abstract is to explain how Ras Tanura Producing Department have achieved the President's Award for Safety Excellence for the most improved department among all Saudi Aramco departments.

The Safety Management System is the framework that steers an organization to maintain a safe working environment besides fulfilling its obligations toward its employees, asset, and the environment. An organization’s leadership is responsible to identify the best approach that helps the safety management system to achieve its expectations and adjust it once needed. The effective implementation of The Safety Management System is crucial for business continuity, especially in a high-risk industry such as oil and gas fields.

Ras Tanura Producing Department had shown a high level of collaboration and engagement with Loss Prevention Department that led to improve the safety performance and culture among Ras Tanura Producing Department employees. As a result, Ras Tanura Producing Department has achieved an overall score of seventy six (76) percentage during the assessment of safety Compliance Review management system carried by Los Prevention Department in the year of 2021, which demonstrates a commendable improvement from the year of 2018 review score of fifty seven (57) percentage which is recognized as the highest in Saudi Aramco Company.

Ras Tanura Producing Department safety program effectiveness was assessed utilizing a risk based approach which focuses on the most prevalent areas for improvement identified in an analysis of Saudi Aramco safety performance and a thorough review of Ras Tanura Producing Department’s documentation. The review also assessed the implementation of the Eight Lifesaving Rules. Evidently, Ras Tanura Producing Department has an opulent and mature Safety Management System that reveals comprehensive and logically written processes. These processes have gone through several reviews and revisions. Also, Ras Tanura Producing Department piloted management monthly safety audits and the verification, closure system of major incidents recommendations, which have been recognized as best practice.

Method, Procedure, Process

One of the tools that Ras Tanura Producing Department developed in this regard is so-called the "Excellence Model". The creation of this model was the outcome of several brainstorming sessions and workshops discussing all the challenges that the department faced in day-to-day business. The challenges include but are not limited to operating three main oil fields in scattered locations, close proximity to the populated area, a youth workforce, and thousands of contractor employees working on projects that interfaced with onstream facilities.

The model consists of five main elements namely the Leadership Commitment, Loss Prevention Engagement, Field Compliance Review, Performance Monitoring, and Continuous Improvement. It is worth mentioning that under each element, several programs act as enablers to help the department to achieve all desired goals and ultimately enhance the overall system. The objective of the Excellence Model is to guide and monitor all safety-related programs with the management oversight to ensure effective and consistent implementation.

Ras Tanura Producing Department is an up stream operational facility, responsible to produce Oil, Gas and Power to down stream customers, from onshore field and offshore field, namely three major areas, Abu Ali, Qatif and Abu Safah. The distance between each field within Ras Tanura Producing Department geographical area a challenge. This uniqueness where our facility is either offshore or nearby community such as Ras Taunra city, Qatif city, or Jubail city with operation facility that contained Hydrogen Sulfide concentration is also a challenge. In Ras Tanura Producing Department is even challenges us more because we are not only looking to maintain safety but we are seeking excellence.