Occupational Safety and Health - Kuwait Oil Company - Case Study Example

Introduction The Kuwait Oil Company Ltd. was established by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company which is now known as British Petroleum Company and Gulf Oil Corporation in the year 1934.The activities of the Company had extended to include exploration operations, onshore and offshore surveys, drilling of testing wells, developing of producing fields apart from exploring oil and natural gas. Oil was found in commercial quantities at the Burgan Field in 1938. By the June of year 1946, His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the late Amir of Kuwait, inaugurated the export of the first shipment. Exploration of new fields was continued as well as the export facilities were expanded to result in constructing the North and South Piers, the Sea Island and the Single Point Mooring. In the year 1975, the Kuwait government took over KOC completely. A new era began in the year 1975, December 6th with the nationalization of Kuwait's oil industry (Simon et. al 1996, pp. 1055). Kuwait started negotiations in the early 1970s in order to restore control over its own natural oil resources, in accordance with all the other Arab oil producing states. With the mutual agreements with the two original partners of the company, the shareholding of the state in Kuwait Oil Company was increased until full control was achieved by the state. An agreement was signed in the year 1975, March 5th, by the State of Kuwait and the two oil companies, British Petroleum and Gulf, giving the state complete control of its oil resources. Occupational Safety and Health The accident and emergency department works all seven days a week on a twenty-four hour rotation for the treatment of all emergency cases without any delay. The doctor on-duty can seek consultation of any Specialist at any instant, whether it's during official working hours or apart from it. This division facilitates a number of services, like: Family Practice Services Diabetic Services Dermatology Services Child Welfare Services Family Medicine in the Medical Group is an amazing feature held inside the hospital premises. This service was initiated in early seventies i.e. fifteen years after the Hospital had been established in the form of General Practice Services. At present, there is a team of eighteen General Practitioners +M.O. Dermatology are practicing primary health care as well as constituting the Hospital Medical Outpatient Department. These highly dedicated medical experts conduct their consultation on a daily basis from 0700 to 2200 hours, all working days. These experts are looking after a population of around hundred thousands, constituting the Oil Sector Employees and their families. They take the responsibility for taking initial decisions on each and every medical problem that can arise. The General Practitioners are always in close contact with all the specialties and hospital facilities. The Nursing Service Division at Ahmadi Hospital, in compliance with International and Kuwait Nurses Association standards, works with the mission and function to provide an organizational structure and environment assuring the professional growth of employees, through active participation in education, continuous provision of high quality care and utilization of resources in an effective manner. Nursing has an inevitable role in the society which believes in importance of maintenance and improvement of health for individuals and groups. The nursing profession in Kuwait Oil Company functions effectively along with other health care providers. All these having the aim of preventing disease and disability, care of the ill, promotion and maintenance of optimal health for individuals and groups along with the achievement of a dignified death. The Specialized Medical Services of Kuwait Oil Company includes a number of specialties, like: Surgery Internal Medicine Orthopedics Ophthalmology Ear, Nose and Throat Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Dermatology Urology Neurosurgery Chest Diseases etc. The treating doctors refer patients to the concerned specialists, in order to provide them with specialized medical treatment. The Ambulance service provides first aid services to various locations, like: Headquarters - Ahmadi Hospital Wafra - Joint operations West Kuwait North Kuwait Al Ritqa This service consists of a vital group of highly qualified paramedics offering distinguished first-aid services, round the clock. The ambulances are well equipped. The Bio Medical Workshop Provides high-tech preventive service along with regular maintenance for all sophisticated medical equipment used in Ahmadi Hospital and remote Clinics of Kuwait Oil Company. The service includes: Maintenance and repairing of special Ambulance equipment. These instruments are standby in sites of remote areas and used in emergency. This includes portable Ventilators, Suction machines, Monitor Cardiac, Pulse Oximeter and Infusion Pumps etc. Re-designing and modification of Electrical, Electronic Circuits of specialized medical equipment. They also have the facility for home visits to Incapacitated Senile Patients. Ahmadi Hospital now offers Home Visit Service complementary to the doctor's roles providing both out and in-patient services to the patient. This service was introduced in the beginning of year 1999 for only bed-redden and senile incapacitated patients, who face extreme difficulty in reaching the hospital. This assures the continuity of comprehensive Health Services by Ahmadi Hospital to entitled patients and hence to Kuwait Oil Corporation. Laboratory The Pathological Laboratory of Ahmadi Hospital has been equipped with all the latest computerized equipment connected with the main network of the hospital. A large number of new tests have been added in order to give a better service for the Oil Sector employees and their dependents. This Laboratory is the first department in the hospital to be linked to the KOC Internet in order to provide general test information. The Preventive Medical Services Division is an inevitable part of their safety and health structure while offering a number of important services like: Arrangement of vaccination campaigns for all the children of oil sector workers in Kuwait along with the Ministry of Health Program. It also carries out vaccinations of the medical staff in Ahmadi Hospital. It provides the travelers with Vaccinations, guidance and advice to suit the destination of travel. It arranges periodical medical examinations for all the workers and offers medical consultancy as per their needs. It scrutinizes all the cases of compensation as a result of industrial accidents before being discussed and assessed by the Senior Medical Committee. It plays an important role in deciding the medical fitness for pre-employment candidates and studies cases for assessment of fitness for KOC employees. It issues health educational theses, medical articles and booklets on specific diseases on regular basis. Social and Welfare Services Social and Welfare Services are provided in order to solve social problems with the objective of overcoming difficulties encountered by the patients. This enables them to spend a normal life and be useful members to their families and society. The Social and Welfare Officer performs studies of social cases and gets all the necessary information about the past history of patients, by interviewing patients personally or any of their relatives. The officer forms links with various State Social Departments for achieving the best solutions to solve social problems of the patient. This service is provided with great confidentially. Employment Practices The Kuwait Oil Company has a motive to establish itself as one of the most efficient producers of hydrocarbons in the region, as one of the lowest cost oil producing companies in this world, as internationally respected Oil Company for its capabilities and as a source of pride for its employees and the citizens of Kuwait. The Company always conducts all its internal as well as external matters and other affairs to the highest ethical and professional standards. In order to achieve and maintain this goal, the skills of its employees' expertise in accessing, transferring, using and managing appropriate technology, its ability to plan effectively for the future and the adoption of values and behaviors required to enhance the performance of the individual, the team and the Company will be the principal strength of the company. It will definitely reflect positively upon the Company in front of its customers and suppliers, the community and the State. KOC considers the recruitment process on the regular basis for professional, highly qualified and motivated expatriate staff as a high business priority. The KOC provides its new employees and candidates with all the necessary information in order to help them and to encourage the candidates to join KOC. The company answers most of the initial questions that they may have. They always look for a long and fruitful association of their employees with the Company. Kuwait Oil Company recorded a new achievement when they recently conducted the first recruitment through the internet ever. "More than 1,000 applications were received by the company's website, out of which 692 fulfill the recruitment conditions," KOC spokesman and Deputy Managing Director (Administration & Finance) Ali D. Al-Shammari said in a telecom with Al-Watan newspaper, "those who did not provide all necessary papers were rejected automatically" (Press Release 2007, Kuwait Oil Corporation). "There no need for applicants to come for Ahmadi to hand over documents and suffer long waiting time and bureaucracy," he said. "KOC internet-recruitment program has already achieved positive results. Other oil companies in Kuwait have already contacted us to get details of this pioneering accomplishment". There were 373 university-degree holders applied for the vacancies. Out of it, 348 got 3.4 average marks where as, 25 got 3.5 plus. There were 221 diploma holders applied for work with KOC, in which 221 had 2.99 average marks and 98 got 3 plus. "Contact was made with those who fulfilled the requirements and dates were set for interviews," said Al-Shammari. It was all done through the internet. This novel system facilitates complete transparency and a high speed in the recruitment process. Productivity Kuwait Oil Company manages the production and export of oil and gas along with the associated facilities from more than twelve developed oil fields situated all over in the state of Kuwait. The oilfields spread over the State and further split off into four main parts of North, West, South and East Fields, that are locally administered at the site headquarters. The North Field is located at approximately 70 miles (112 Km) from Ahmadi where as the West Field is 38 miles (60 Km) and south East Field is 12 miles (20 Km). The Company handles Artificial Lift operations and Water Injection Plants in order to maintain productivity of the oil wells of KOC. Along with this, it handles and maintains a comprehensive and completely integrated complex of production and export facilities basically consist of the following: Oil Wellheads Oil Flow-lines Gathering Centers Gas Booster Stations Pipeline Transit Systems Water Treatment and Injection Plants Mixing and Distribution Manifolds The manifolds are used for the collection, mixing and uniform distribution of the oil. The Central Mixing Manifold (CMM) enables the blending of the crude oil required to meet the specifications of Kuwait Export Crude (KEC) and KNPC refinery feed requirement. KEC is a medium quality crude with API 31.5. Tank Farms: North & South Crude oil is stored in these Tank Farms before going through the export process. The Total Storage Capacity is based on all tanks in commission on KEC service. Crude oil export requirements are governed by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). It effectively sets the target production rates for KOC on the basis of continuous market demand. Crude Metering Systems Crude Oil custody transfer for Export and supply to Refineries is measured dynamically by Metering Facilities located at Mina Al-Ahmadi. These dynamic metering systems are provided in order to enhance the accurate measurements of crude oil and to prevent losses due to measurement variances and errors. Crude Oil is exported through offshore floating facilities. This activity includes crude measurement and documentation. Crude oil from North Tank Farm and South Tank Farm is exported through North & South Piers and SPM terminals (including CALM Buoys). The South Pier is located at 1.28 Km away from the shoreline at Mina Al-Ahmadi. This Pier is mainly utilized for loading the products from the Refineries. The South Pier is also equipped with six loading berths, one of which (Berth No. 4) is allocated for crude oil loading to small and medium sized vessels in the range of 25,000 to 80,000 DWT. The Pier has the maximum loading capacity of 2,600 MT per hour. Loading Terminals The North Pier is located around 1.45 Km away from the shoreline and 3.5 nautical miles north of South Pier. This Pier consists of four loading berths dedicated for crude oil export and product loading from the Refineries. A number of Small to medium sized vessels in the range of 25,000 to 160,000 DWT can be loaded from these berths. Large vessels up to 300,000 DWT can be partially loaded from some Berths. A new state-of-the-art pier was commissioned in early 2005. It can accommodate oil tankers of up to 350,000 MT and natural gas and methanol tankers of up to 60,000 MT. It has a satellite-connected berth monitoring systems in order to assure the accurate and safe anchorage. Conclusion Kuwait Oil Company is owned by the government of Kuwait and undertakes the operation of exploration, drilling, production and export of oil. It is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). The KOC Mission Statement is to explore, develop and produce to marketable quality the hydrocarbon resources in the State of Kuwait and Divided Zone, in accordance with government policy, good reservoir management practice, and by using the most effective, efficient and economical means available, as given in the official website of KOC. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) was established in January 1980 to bring together the nationally owned companies operating in the fields of oil production, processing and transportation. It was formed due to the expansion in oil industry operations, and by virtue on an Amiri Decree. The responsibilities of Kuwait Oil Company under the KPC are the exploration, drilling, and production of oil and gas within the State of Kuwait. KOC is also involved in the storage of crude oil and delivery to tankers for export. References 1. Simon, Reeva S. Mattar, Philip. Bulliet, Richard W. 1996. Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East. Simon & Schuster Macmillan Publication. 2. Official Website. Kuwait Oil Company. www.kockw.com. Read More