‘There can’t be trifles in process safety’
The best were found among fire prevention brigades at TAIF-NK JSC
TAIF-NK JSC hasn’t registered a single accident and injury in the workplace for many years. Process safety, labour safety, staff’s life and health are paid close attention here. The company sets a strategic goal of achieving great results in providing accident-free production activity and conserving a favourable environment. For this, the enterprise designed a set of measures to raise process safety. Annual competitions among fire prevention brigades of shops are one of the elements to improve skills that are needed to detect and eliminate emergencies. Even though members of these brigades are volunteers, they are demanded to have high professional requirements while the conditions provided to do the tasks are as real as possible. Read in Realnoe Vremya’s report about who won the winner’s cup by outrunning the closest rival by just 0.68 seconds and how the oil refinery in general provides fail-safe production.
Strong, agile, determined
The competition among fire prevention brigades of plants, departments and shops of TAIF-NK JSC was traditionally held on the training site of the Fire and Rescue Unit No. 33. Team members had to go through four stages: a 100m track in personal respiratory equipment, to hit the target with the help of a fire hose, jump over through a 2-metre wall and put out a real fire origin with a fire extinguisher. Besides the practice, they also had to do a test on fire safety rules.
As TAIF-NK JSC notes, the competition is held to find the best and at the same time to raise the workers’ competency.
“Today we have gathered on the training site to hold a competition among fire prevention brigades of the company. The main goal is to test the readiness to extinguish fires, the skill of using primary firefighting equipment and localise fire origin. I wish everybody good luck and decent performance,” Vice Chief Engineer in Process and Occupational Safety and Environment at TAIF-NK JSC Anton Nikolayev addressed the teams before the start.
The winner of last year’s competition was tasked with solemnly raising the flag of TAIF-NK JSC — team of Shop No. 2 of the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex.
This year, 29 teams, five members in each, gathered to fight for the winner’s long-awaited cup. Four members showed physical strength and endurance on the obstacle track, another one competed in theory.
“Each shift of the enterprise has volunteers who are always ready to start doing tasks in emergencies. Today we have come with our best workers to challenge previous winners. We have been preparing, trained during the year and hope that the good luck will be in our court,” equipment head of Shop. No 4 of Petrol Plant at TAIF-NK JSC Marsel Kamaletdinov shared their mood.
Equipment operator of Shop. 6 of the Heavy Residues High Complex at TAIF-NK JSC Ilnaz Tuktamyshev said this was his second competition among fire prevention brigades. The young man decided to compete in one of the most difficult trials — two go over a 2-metre fence and run 100 metres.
“We have competed for the second year and we already do our best. I want to note that it isn’t enough to run quickly for victory, team work is necessary because team cooperation is seen during the relay,” Ilnaz Tuktamyshev is sure.
Petrol Plant operator Dmitry Suleymankin participated in the final and most spectacular stage of the competition. He had to extinguish a blazing tray with an oil product with a fire extinguisher. The process requires strictly following safety rules. For this, competitors put a firefighter’s clothing, gloves and a protective helmet.
“I have been participating in the competitions for many years and think that every worker of the enterprise has to use basic firefighting equipment highly professionally. There can’t be trifles in occupational and process safety. One always has to be on the watch and be ready for any unpredictable situations,” Dmitry Suleymankin is sure.
All actions perfected
As head of the Process Safety Control Department of TAIF-NK JSC Anton Vakhotin notes, team members show their best qualities during the competition — agility, coordination, quick decision making and skills of using basic firefighting equipment. As a rule, they don’t have difficulties during the trials — all actions were perfected.
“Every worker at TAIF-NK knows what to do in an emergency. During the year, all workers of fire hazardous plants do training in fire safety. They learn how to correctly use basic firefighting equipment, fire safety basics, actions when fire is detected as well as the characteristics of combustibles. They do briefings, sit exams,” says Anton Vakhotin.
The workers of TAIF-NK JSC demonstrated their knowledge of firefighting basics during the theoretical part of the competition. Team members had to answer 20 questions about fire safety. For instance, what substances can be extinguished with a carbon dioxide extinguisher? What fire category do fires of combustibles and materials charged with electricity refer to? Or what explosion safety level does explosive electric equipment have?
“The theory can be compared to traffic rules, this knowledge helps to save lives and health,” believes Alexander Karyakin, oil refinery operator of TAIF-NK JSC. He has been working in the enterprise since 2003, he has annually competed in the competition in the last 10 years.”
“Earlier, I worked in a fire safety subdivision. I started as a firefighter. I am familiar with all this. I retired 20 years ago and joined TAIF-NK. There won’t be any result without preparation and training. It is necessary to update your knowledge, do sport not to give way to young rivals,” stresses Alexander Karyakin.
“We have shining eyes, we are thrilled”
At the end of the competition, the team of Shop No. 8 of the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex won the victory in the team event, representatives of Shop No. 8 of the oil refinery, the team of Shop No. 2 of the complex finished third. Tensions ran high till the end. The running leader outran the closest rival by just 0.68 seconds.
“We have a united, mentally trained team. Managers give us an opportunity to train, brace themselves. Our key slogan is don’t whimper but do,” winner of the competition, captain of the team Shop No. 8 of the complex, repair locksmith Alexander Nenastyev shared his impressions.
“Let me sincerely congratulate the winners of the competition and say words of gratitude to all the participants. We use uniquely sophisticated units. The fact that TAIF-NK has been an example from a perspective of low injury rates in process safety for many years is the merit of the whole staff. As practice shows, any accident starts with a small incident, a fault, a mistake. And how quickly the emergency will be addressed depends on precisely those people who are in the workplace. I wish the TAIF-NK staff prosperity, healthy and run with the fire extinguisher only in such competitions,” Chief Engineer of TAIF-NK JSC Alexey Khramov addressed the competitors at the award ceremony.
TAIF-NK pays special attention to fire and process safety. The company plans to keep holding such competitions because they not only help to unite the staff but also stimulate workers to continue their professional development.
“The enterprise constantly offers occupational and process safety trainings. Every subdivision has computer simulators the staff uses to improve their skills of mastering the production process and the control system, the launch, scheduled and emergency shutdown and actions in emergencies. After the training on the computer simulator, the worker sits an exam. Besides, workers of the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex constantly train themselves and annually win medals. As a director of the complex, I am very happy for the lads. Well done!” Director of the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex of TAIF-NK JSC Andrey Konovnin said.
Director of the oil refinery at TAIF-NK JSC Vladimir Lakhomov adds that competitions of fire prevention brigades is also continuous improvement of skills. In case of emergencies, the workers of the enterprise are always ready to do the most unexpected tasks.
“Many young people participate in the competition. Everybody has shining eyes, they are thrilled. If they run so fast on the training site, if needed, they will also quickly respond and make decisions in the workplace. When I worked as operator, I participated in such competitions. Our team finished second, while Shop No. 17 consisting of former professional firefighters was first. But it was at least important to get closer to them, not win,” recalls Director of the Oil Refinery at TAIF-NK JSC Vladimir Lakhonov.
Head of the Firefighting Unit No. 1 Stanislav Bannikov notes the competitors’ high morale, physical strength, endurance and professionalism.
“The lads’ training is top level. I want to stress that during the year the enterprise offers practical training with our forces and equipment. We go to the shops, help, brief, advise how to do best. Fire prevention brigades are always in the workplaces and take first actions to prevent the fire from spreading. Precisely they welcome the fire security, show where and what is on fire, say the temperature and pressure. This is a very necessary and important area,” Stanislav Bannikov is sure.
Competitions of volunteer accident response and rescue unit as one of the elements of improving and eliminating emergencies
Providing safe working conditions for workers, protecting the staff’s health as well as conservation of the favourable environment are priority tasks for TAIF-NK JSC. To do these tasks, the enterprise introduced a process safety control system that successfully runs and was designed in accordance with requirements of current Russian legislation considering the best Russian and foreign practices in process safety.
“Process safety is a system providing the protection of vital interests of an individual and society from accidents and their consequences in dangerous production facilities. This is how it is put in the federal law.
In reality, it is the whole staff’s days-long huge labour. It is impossible to reach some process safety level and say that’s it, nothing should be done. This should be done every minute. I understand process safety as a whole — repair planning, equipment replacement, diagnostics, staff training, different trainings, competitions where people show their knowledge in practice,” says Chief Engineer of TAIF-NK JSC Alexey Khramov.
“There was created a volunteer accident response and rescue unit at TAIF-NK, which receives authorisation once in three years in the Russian Ministry of Emergencies in accordance with dedicated documents. This year, the TAIF-NK’s unit has successfully received the authorisation, obtained a new certificate. Also, each unit member do training in a specialised organisation once in three years and receives authorisation to do gas rescue works,” notes Anton Vakhotin, head of the Process Safety Control Department at TAIF-NK JSC.
According to him, volunteer unit members improve their skills at TAIF-NK facilities during the year according to schedule.
“If there is an incident in the workplace, everybody will leave the area and these lads will start to localise the source and will eliminate the accident with special services. Peoples’ lives depend precisely on actions of volunteer unit members,” adds Anton Vakhotin.
To raise process safety, TAIF-NK JSC annually holds competitions among members of the volunteer accident response and rescue unit. It is one of the elements of improving and eliminating emergencies in the enterprise. The teams consist of certified unit members. This year, the best gas rescuers will be chosen on 25 August.
There is no such thing as a lot of training
The enterprise is sure that there is no such thing as a lot of training. The company takes the improvement of skills in actions in emergencies seriously. Training is done on a regular basis — by the shift foreman, chief engineer of the plant and the chief engineer of the enterprise.
“The training is chaired by chief engineers is offered with the volunteer unit, fire and rescue unit and the gas rescue brigade. During the training, we improve the cooperation between all the services, obtain practical skills to prevent accidents, save and take people away from the dangerous zone,” said head of the Process Safety Control Department at TAIF-NK JSC Anton Vakhotin.
According to him, all volunteer units and fire security are equipped with all necessary materials, instruments and personal protection equipment. TAIF-NK JSC is fully responsible for the equipment of the firefighting brigades No. 90 and 91.
“The volunteer unit bought and constantly updates insulating suits, respiratory equipment, personal gas analysers to safely enter a gas-filled zone, examine it and evacuate a victim if needed. All the necessary equipment is bought for the firefighting units too. This year, it is planned to buy a new firefighting vehicle because equipment goes obsolete,” the enterprise stresses.
Besides the training and regular competition, all engineers of TAIF-NK JSC do process safety testing. Process safety testing is done through a unified testing portal approved by Russia’s industrial safety watchdog.
“The testing is done in a special room equipped with computers, video cameras to record all the process. The main goal of the testing is to raise process safety and learn requirements of federal laws and legal acts in process safety,” specifies Anton Vakhotin.
Thanks to the holistic approach to process and occupational safety, there hasn’t been registered a single case of injury and accident at TAIF-NK JSC.
“Zero injury, accident rates are our pride. Factory workers, including me, are superstitious people, we are afraid of boasting about it. Nevertheless, we are proud of this indicator and try to keep it. Staff training is the most important aspect that needs to be paid attention. We cannot say that today we will do all briefings during the week and the staff will have enough knowledge. This job needs to be done throughout our lives,” Chief Engineer of TAIF-NK JSC Alexey Khramov is sure. He says that the shareholders of the company that are generous with funding to provide the safe operation of industrial facilities have the huge merit in the zero injury rate.
“There is no such thing that we prove the necessity of replacing of some part to somebody. Everything changes, funded on time. Many thanks to our shareholders for this. Every day our work is linked with a risk of manmade accidents that often start with a small incident or violation. It is easier to prevent any problem than combat its consequences. This is what we do every day, keeping the environment and efficient production in mind,” concluded Alexey Khramov.