The Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) has completed 7,740,966 person-hours of work or 2,416 continuous work-days without a lost time accident (LTA), it has been reported.

This is in addition to the contractors working for the GPIC, who have achieved 5,114,855 person-hours of work or 1,953 continuous work-days without LTA, said general manager Abdulrahman Jawahery.

"The total combined safe working hours attained was 12,855,821, which is a record for any fertiliser company in the Middle East," Jawahery said. "This also means we have not had a single LTA since May 1992," he added.

"This outstanding record was achieved through the encouragement of employees, contractors and visitors to report unsafe conditions and to take pro-active remedial action, thus preventing accidents."

He said in addition, the GPIC carried out a record 45 safety, health and environment audits throughout the year that ensured all work areas were controlled in such a way that they remained safe.

"During 2008, we also produced a total of 1,545,488 tonnes of ammonia, methanol and urea," he said.

"Of these 1,129,028 tonnes were exported on board 72 ships. The remaining quantity, (373,058 tonnes of ammonia) was used for the production of urea."

He said the GPIC strove relentlessly to effectively implement its plans for operations, maintenance, marketing and the development of human resources and systems.

"Capital projects, cost optimisation and reduction of expenses were also executed successfully without affecting the plant's safety and security."

He said while operating at high efficiency levels, strict implementation of preventative and predictive maintenance and local manufacture of spare parts have all contributed towards the company achieving record net profits of $301 million - the highest in the company's history - last year.

"Interim dividends paid to the shareholders in November 2008 totalled $150 million."

He said the achievements were a wonderful example of fruitful Gulf co-operation and also praised the national staff who are in charge of running and operating this hi-tech industry that has occupied a prominent global position in the petrochemical industry.

Jawahery said during last year, as in previous years, the company continued to make significant achievements especially to rationalise expenditure and increase productivity.

He said 2008 was a year during which the company achieved good results on all levels, the most important of which was winning the award of excellence in the chemicals sector for occupational safety and health from the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents, UK.

He said the company continued to develop human resources with the level of Bahrainisation exceeding 81 per cent.-TradeArabia News Service