More than 45 regional and international health, safety and environment (HSE) experts will discuss HSE best practice and operational excellence at an upcoming forum in Doha.

Held under the patronage of Dr Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry and chairman of Qatar Petroleum, the 8th Annual HSE Forum in Energy will be held from October 8 to 10 at the Doha Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Ali Alrahbi, vice president for Quality HSE & Security at Dolphin Energy, has called for ways to encourage Qatar nationals into the HSE field in the energy sector, saying access to knowledgeable resources is essential to maintain HSE excellence in the Gulf region ahead of the forum.

He said that while HSE practice in the Gulf energy sector is at a high level, several key challenges remain.

“The energy sector in the GCC is very advanced in setting up HSE policies and procedures, and I believe the region is using the best international practices, codes, and standards related to the energy industry,” said Alrahbi, a panel member at the forum.

“The key challenges to maintain HSE excellence are to increase access to more knowledgeable resources and initiatives dedicated only to HSE, along with developing ways to encourage more Qataris into the HSE field.

“I would like to see a framework where all interested parties are represented, operating in collaboration with regulatory bodies to review existing policies and study improvement opportunities in line with best practice from the international community.”

Alrahbi said that Dolphin Energy has developed a set of key performance indicators to measure continuous efforts in safeguarding people, minimising impacts on the environment, and protecting its assets.

He said: “One of Dolphin Energy’s earliest decisions was to rank quality, health, safety and environmental excellence with other primary business objectives.  This has set the tone for the company’s development and today pervades our corporate culture and identity.”

“In 2008, Dolphin Energy started to formalise its CSR commitments, and became a founding member of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group.  Since then, it has embraced this commitment further by integrating sustainability key performance indicators into its operational objectives.

“Dolphin Energy has also emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in HSE, and has developed a strong track record in engaging with and recognising the role contractors and partners play in maintaining safety standards,” he added.

The HSE Forum in Energy will put a spotlight on the latest developments and technological solutions essential to ensuring the effective health and safety management and sustainable environmental practices in the energy sector.

It will feature 30 presentations, two panel discussions and five hours of networking sessions, before culminating with four half-day post conference workshops on the final day. – TradeArabia News Service