ASSP Kuwait Chapter marks 25 years with landmark HSE Forum

• The Kuwait Oil Company & ASSP HSE Forum 2024 showcased a series of impactful technical presentations delivered by industry experts, reflecting the latest advancements and critical topics in health, safety, and environment.

The American Society of Safety Professionals – Kuwait Chapter (ASSP-KC), a leading voluntary, non-profit organization committed to advancing Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) practices, joined forces with Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to organize the KOC & ASSP HSE Forum 2024.

Held at the KOC Hubara Assembly Hall in Ahmadi, the forum underscored ASSP-KC’s dedication to professional development and social responsibility. The event featured three specialized workshops and five technical sessions.

The event commenced with a warm welcome by Eng. Heba Kumainasy, followed by an opening address from Eng. Fadhel Al-Ali, Chairman of ASSP-KC, who emphasized the significance of such forums in enhancing contractors’ safety knowledge in Kuwait. Eng. Bader Mubarak Al-Hadhrami, President of ASSP-KC, expressed gratitude to KOC for sponsoring the event and highlighted that these sessions are open to all, particularly contractors who play a pivotal role in the industrial sector.

Mr. Kashif Vali Syed, Secretary of ASSP-KC, welcomed attendees, underscoring the value of knowledge-sharing events. He also provided an overview of ASSP-KC’s upcoming 12th International Health, Safety, Security, and Loss Prevention Professional Development Conference & Exhibition 2025, under the patronage of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). Additionally, he encouraged the submission of technical papers for the conference, detailing the abstract submission deadline.

Eng. Ahmad Eissa Al-Shatti, TL HSE, WK, KOC, and Deputy Director for the ASSP GCC HSE Excellence Awards 2024, presented an overview of the awards program, noting that winners will be recognized during the ceremony on December 19, 2024.

Technical presentations

The KOC & ASSP HSE Forum 2024 showcased a series of impactful technical presentations delivered by industry experts, reflecting the latest advancements and critical topics in health, safety, and environment (HSE).

• Value of global certification: Mr. Bala Siva SrikanthAdivi, CSP, CFIOSH, CCPSC, and TPL Specialist at KOC, emphasized the importance of achieving global certifications to enhance professional competencies and organizational standards.
• Fall protection: Mr. Muruganantham Boosapathi, Safety Engineer at KOC, discussed strategies and best practices to mitigate fall-related risks in industrial environments.
• Process safety culture & normalization of deviation: Mr. Devendra Rathore, PSM Engineer at KNPC, provided insights into fostering a robust safety culture and addressing deviations in process safety management.
• Overview of industrial hygiene in oil and gas industries: Mr. Roshan Rahiman AK, CIH, from KIPIC, presented a comprehensive overview of industrial hygiene practices critical to safeguarding worker health in the oil and gas sector.
• Artificial intelligence in HSE: Mr. Keyur Pandya, HSE Trainer at Wataniya Environmental Services Company, explored the transformative role of AI technologies in enhancing HSE management and predictive safety analytics.

Workshops highlight cutting-edge safety solutions

As part of the KOC & ASSP HSE Forum 2024, three specialized workshops were held, providing hands-on learning opportunities and showcasing the latest safety technologies.

1. H2S & SCBA: Sponsored by M/s Raja Trading Company, this workshop delved into the effective use of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) safety protocols and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) systems, essential for high-risk industrial environments.
2. Work at height and fall protection: Also sponsored by M/s Raja Trading Company, this session emphasized advanced fall protection techniques, critical equipment, and safe practices to prevent workplace accidents.
3. Altair io4 gas detector wearable technology: Sponsored by MSA – the Safety Company, this workshop introduced participants to cutting-edge connectivity technologies in gas detection programs.

In the closing address, Mr. Mohamed Yusuff A, Vice President of ASSP-KC, expressed gratitude to KOC for their support in organizing the event. He thanked the speakers and sponsors—M/s Raja Trading Company, MSA – The Safety Company, and NESR—for their contributions.

He also commended the nearly 100 professionals from various sectors for their active participation. As a gesture of appreciation, mementos were presented to the speakers. The event concluded with a grand dinner sponsored by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).