TAIF-NK JSC: holistic approach to process safety
The approach to solving process safety problems has significantly changed in the Russian Federation in the last few years. It is an area in which current requirements are regularly reconsidered and specified. The importance of this principle is conditioned by the changes dictated by the real sector of the economy, therefore the prevention of emergencies and control over the compliance with all preventive measures is carried out by the state very strictly. Process safety provision and control is a holistic and multi-factor issue in a modern oil refinery such as TAIF-NK JSC. Preventive measures are taken here at all stages of the production life cycle.
Skills that need to be constantly practised
A TAIF-NK JSC relay competition is one of the elements of providing fire safety and prevention in hazardous facilities of the enterprise. Workers of the company annually prove in theory and, most importantly, in practice that they are absolutely ready for emergencies. Traditional competitions began with a welcome speech and parting words of TAIF-NK JSC Director General Maxim Novikov. Then, winners of the previous competition raised the flag. At the first stage of the competition, competitors had to put personal protective equipment on quickly and run a 100-metre distance.
The next stage is the work with the fire hose and fog nozzle where the key moment is to correctly supply water to a fire spot. Competitors work as a group, this is why a good result depends on teamwork. Another stage is to go through a course of obstacles. The last stage of the competition turned out to be the toughest and most realistic one. Team members in full gear had to put out the fire with the help of a fire extinguisher as quickly as possible.
“TAIF-NK JSC as a complex industrial high-tech enterprise with huge energy consumption and concentration of explosive substances has always paid special attention to safety. Constant practice of possible mishaps is one of the key links in preventive measures to avoid an emergency. The annual relay competition is a kind of exam for our subdivisions where they show their possibilities and skills in practice,” says Vice Chief Engineer in Process Safety, Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety at TAIF-NK JSC Anton Nikolayev.
To win a victory, it is necessary to show not only good physical shape but also show off theoretical knowledge. A representative of each team was to do a test, answer a number of questions about provisions and approaches to the creation of health and safety training basics, mechanisms of the appearance and development of threats as well as arising consequences.
“No team member knows who will get the theoretical leg before the draw, this is why all workers learnt exam papers by heart and constantly repeated the theory. I am competing here for the first time. For me, this is self-examination first of all. Sport is life. I wouldn’t mind running, I hope next time I will defend the honour of the team in the relay,” oil refinery operator at TAIF-NK JSC Vladislav Odintsev shares his impressions.
“The goal of the competition is one, to check the readiness of the staff that is located in the plants, in the shops. They are the first to receive messages, they are ready to start extinguishing the fire first and are key helpers of fire-fighting services. Situations in hazardous facilities sometimes develop so rapidly that every second is precious, and a lot depends on the first actions of a worker. It is great that the workers of TAIF-NK JSC demonstrate their amazing skills and knowledge in fire-fighting sports competitions. TAIF-NK JSC is a good training school, everybody has shown quite good results,” notes Andrey Batyushev, vice director of the Detachment of the Federal Fire-Fighting Service of the State Fire-Fighting Service, which is a Nizhnekamsk branch of Office of Contractual Subdivisions in the Republic of Tatarstan.
After all competitions, a team of the oil refinery’s Shop No. 11 was recognised as the best relay team in 2021 that received the main trophy of the tournament — a TAIF-NK JSC handover trophy.
“We participate in such competitions every year, but during the previous years, we were either third or second. We constantly train, want to win, and this time we are lucky and we have won the first honourable place. All the legs are tough, speed is important at the first stage, the most important thing at the second stage is not to get rattled and hit the target, the third leg isn’t easy in itself. Teamwork is key, and we have made it together!” the team of winners shares its emotions.
“There is certain pride for my workers. I have seen the shining eyes of people when they are interested to show off. It is seen that our workers make themselves stronger, more powerful every day. It is true male qualities I have seen in our workers’ faces. Many thanks. Keep it up!” TAIF-NK JSC Maxim Novikov concluded.
Proactive work
A principle of proactive work is in action at TAIF-NK JSC. In case of an accident or emergency, the human factor plays a key role. This is why to make sure employees know what to do in case of emergency, the company learns the experience of accidents in other enterprises. The workers are regularly informed about past events in detail and necessary measures to prevent their repetition, scheduled practical lessons on actions in emergencies are given. Process shops of the oil refinery, Petrol Plant and the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex do training to localise and eliminate possible accidents according to approved schedules.
To provide the readiness of TAIF-NK JSC subdivisions to emergencies and practise the skills of interaction with emergency rescue services of the Fire Emergency Response Unit, State Protection Service, training lessons to localise and eliminate emergencies are given daily by chief engineers of all plants of the enterprise and weekly by special machinery and rescue services.
In accordance with requirements of federal norms and rules in process safety, process shops of the oil refinery, Petrol Plant and the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex are equipped with modern simulators to train employees of TAIF-NK JSC who chair the manufacturing process and use the equipment.
After the training, the workers gain the necessary knowledge and practical skills of running the production, safe start and shutdown of production units, equipment. Here they can brush up on the skills of safe practices, prevention of emergencies and elimination of their consequences. Computer training is done by every worker employed in the production monthly.
“30-40 workers of the enterprise are certified in a week. A worker is given his login and password to enter the system and do a test. The exam is recorded on a video camera, and all the data is sent to Russia’s industrial safety watchdog. Not only the factory’s own workers but also employees of contractors invited to work on the territory of the enterprise do process safety tests at TAIF-NK,” notes head of the Department of Process Safety Production Control at TAIF-NK JSC Anton Vakhotin.
System in professional knowledge upgrade
TAIF-NK JSC workers weekly improve their safety prowess on special stands imitating a real pipeline, real production equipment, complex switchboard equipment. The workers improve the skills that are necessary for the production’s safe operation precisely in practical lessons.
“We regularly monitor what scientific developments and manufacturing novelties appear in process and occupational safety. We study technical possibilities of equipment samples in action and try to buy all the latest novelties for our enterprise’s safe operation. All subdivisions of the company must be focused on achieving three goals — to provide safe working conditions, protect the workers’ lives and health, minimise the negative environmental impact,” notes TAIF-NK JSC Director General Maxim Novikov.
Emergency response team on guard
To do gas rescue works and works to eliminate emergency oil spills in TAIF-NK JSC facilities and to provide the first aid before the arrival of rescue services, a certified non-staff emergency response team has been operating in the company since 2008. It is an independent structure made of workers using hazardous production facilities of TAIF-NK JSC. Nowadays the number of permanent non-staff members of the emergency response team is 383. The key tasks of the emergency response team are:
-save people and provide them with the first aid before the arrival of the united gas rescue squad of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC or medical staff;
-emergency shutdown of plants in cases envisaged by a plan of actions to localise and eliminate consequences of the accident in hazardous production facilities;
-works to localise emergencies in the gas polluted environment with the help of insulating personal protective equipment.
The non-staff emergency response team of TAIF-NK JSC has been certified to do gas rescue works in 2021. To determine the readiness of the team members to do rescue works, a competition among non-staff emergency response teams of TAIF-NK PJSC is scheduled at a training base of the Gas Rescue Battalion-3 of NKNK PJSC in late August 2021.
Today TAIF-NK JSC is a modern oil refinery with high social responsibility that has been successfully operating for the good of the economy of the Republic of Tatarstan for many years. The creation of safe working conditions, conservation of workers’ lives and health, provision of reliable operation of production facilities are one of the priorities of the activity of TAIF-NK JSC. All the staff of the enterprise works for the common good with total dedication. This is the recipe for the company’s success because precisely highly qualified specialists are key in process safety and production of TAIF-NK’s high-quality products.
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