Implementation of an Occupational Health Management System in the Majnoon Oil Field in the Republic of Iraq
Authors: Iqbal Jawed , Ponsonby Will 
Published: November 2015

This paper reviews a project that required the implementation of a comprehensive occupational health system in a brown field (named Majnoon) in the Basra Province of Iraq. This paper reports outcomes from the project and builds on an earlier published paper describing planning and preparation for the project.

A multidisciplinary team from Shell Limited was responsible for implementation of the project comprising of Health, Industrial Hygienist, HSE and Social Performance team. The project required implementation of a comprehensive occupational health management system where none had existed previously. This was required in a diverse work force that was from different ethnic cultural backgrounds with very different experiences of the oil & gas industry.

The Key elements of the occupational health programme were: Medical Emergency ResponseFirst aid and defibrillation in four minutesTier 2 medical response from a paramedic or doctor in one hour for advanced careAdmission to an approved hospital in four hoursReferral to specialist centre as requiredHealth Hazard ManagementCarry out a health risk assessment for all activities by Industrial HygienistIdentify assess control and arrange recovery measures for all health hazards to reduce risks ALARPAssign and track all remedial actions to close outSet up a HACCP system to manage food hygiene and safetySet up a system to manage the risk of LegionellaSet up and roll out a system to manage working in a hot climate (temperatures up to 55 C in summer)Set up systems to manage health of workers during the Holy Month of RamadanFitness to workProgramme to check all international staff are fit to come and work in arduous conditions in Iraq (OGUK standard or equivalent)Task specific medicals for food handlers, drivers, crane operators, BA wearers, Emergency Response team workersDrug and alcohol programDevelop and educate workers on a program to control use of drugs and alcohol in the work placeSet up system for carrying out drug and alcohol test as requiredWorkers WelfareEnsure all worker camps meet minimum requirementsAir conditioned bed roomsNo over crowdingSufficient and good quality food (HACCP system in place)Exercise and leisure facilities availableFacilities to communicate with familiesFatigue management for workers, adequate sleep time, good sleep hygieneSocial PerformanceEnsure health projects included in the health programme are fit for purposeImprove health capacity in local communities and in Basra ProvinceWorking in conjunction with NGOs and the Ministry of Health to bring health care to communities which previously had noneInclusion of Health education programs in local schools and training of Lady Health WorkersRecruitment and training of national doctors to take over health management as a part of the company's commitment to local contentIncident Reporting and InvestigationAll occupational illnesses and injuries should be reported. They are classified according severity under the OSHA system. Targets are set for Total Recordable Case frequency, and the number of man hours worked and Lost time Incident were tracked. All serious incidents are investigated with root cause analysis.