Gamal Fathy, Head of the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Committee at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR), announced the successful implementation of a Safety Stand Down across 11 key geographic regions in Egypt, including Cairo, Alexandria, Suez, Sinai, Tanta, Delta, Assiut, North and East Gulf of Suez, South Gulf of Suez, Western Desert, Eastern Desert, North Upper Egypt, and South Upper Egypt.

This initiative involved an extensive awareness program for employees at various companies, focusing on the integration of HSE measures to ensure operational safety and production sustainability. The program emphasized the importance of adhering to safe driving practices throughout the petroleum value chain and ensuring safe transportation within the sector.

The Safety Stand Down highlighted MoPMR’s strategy of adopting proactive measures to prevent accidents, addressing the three core elements of the petroleum work system: training and development of personnel, equipment efficiency and maintenance, and the implementation of safe work procedures and business control measures. Additionally, it stressed the importance of developing and regularly training on emergency plans to ensure readiness in any situation.

Fathy relayed a message from Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, underscoring the critical importance of prioritizing HSE measures in the petroleum sector, particularly in ensuring the safety of transportation procedures.

MoPMR is currently executing an integrated HSE strategy, encompassing unified safety standards based on Egyptian laws and international guidelines such as American standards, NFPA, API, and the UK’s Health, Safety, and Environment regulations. This strategy includes the application of Process Safety Management (PSM), promoting safety culture among all employees, and integrating digital solutions into safety systems and procedures. Additionally, MoPMR is actively involved in workshops with international organizations like the International Organization of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) and the International Maritime Organization to enhance safety standards for oil and petroleum transportation and shipping via general and specialized ports.