13 July 2016 - 13:35
  • News ID: 264885
Shahdaie Asks Parliament to Fill Up Legal Vacuums

TEHRAN, July 13 (Shana) – Deputy Minister of Petroleum, Marzieh Shahdaie, on Wednesday called on Parliament to fill up legislation gaps regarding National Petrochemical Company's (NPC) necessary supervision over the HSE units of the private companies running the petrochemical facilities.

Shahdaie told Shana that before privatization of the petrochemical industry, the NPC had the mission to verify safety standards and fire immunity of projects and facilities, and identify shortcomings and specify points needing to undergo reforms. She said necessary guidelines to that effect used to be prepared and announced to the companies as a result.

Prior to privatization, the NPC was in charge and petrochemical facilities made necessary investment to remove the problems and apply the corrective measures in the safety and HSE units, said Shahdaie, adding that now, such an
exigency is overlooked by the private companies unfortunately.

Shahdaie said that unfortunately, the private sector is not much willing to invest in the so specified areas and definitely they are not well informed of the risk of investment avoidance.

The official went on to say that no facility would be ready to face the destiny of Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical Plant . "A big lesson of fire in Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical Plant  and crisis in the region was investment in the HSE. I hope directors will be concentrate on removing the shortcomings of the regions and facilities."

Elsewhere in her remarks, Shahdaie said per law, the NPC has the right to supervise and it is something falling within the zone of its duty.

"As the facilities are provided with feedstock, supervision over their operations, production and exports is among our inherent responsibility. The NPC is in charge of fire and safety management and related duties have also been specified.

The only part which needs to be done is adopting necessary measures for companies which refuse to take corrective measures in line with directives and reports."

Shahdaie asked for enacting necessary approvals and issuing guidelines to guarantee implementation of the issue by the companies.

She said necessary measures to fill up the vacuum have been taken at Ministry of Petroleum and the cabinet.

She said the HSE unit should be the heart of the operation units.

"The HSE unit in any facility can not be isolated from its operation unit. The units belong to the organization and they should be close to the facility both technically and operationally."

She complained that no clear-cut plan does exist to help achieve fire safety, industrial and environmental health.

She then focused on successful containment of fire in Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical Plant  and said it was due to collective efforts and cooperation of all companies, organs and establishments.

On report to parliament regarding the last weekend fire incident, she said a report regarding cause of the accident and measures taken to put the fire off have been prepared.

She emphasized that her company had taken all necessary measures as proof and evidence show.

She said management of the last week's fire had already been defined and petrochemical companies annually have exercises for coordination at the time of likely crises.

She said all measures taken to extinguish fire had been the best of their kind and the most correct decision had been made in that connection.

She added that the decision to clear the hydrocarbon substances inside the storage  tank in fire was the best such decision.

"The report Minister of Petroleum offered to the cabinet emphasizes the expert view that evacuation of substances inside the storage tank in fire had been the best possible option."

She said the fire inside the second storage tank was highly extensive and the petrochemical industry had less experience in that connection. "All directors were in consensus that management of the crisis in the storage tank be entrust to the HSE Director of the National Iranian South Oil Company Ali Safarkhani and we also supported the idea and all the forces in the area supported him so that the operations becomes successful."

Asked about current status of the Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical Plant , Shahdaie said it started work immediately the day after the incident and the staff were present at work.

She said reconstruction job is on agenda and environmental cleaning will also based on the schedule.

She noted that the main cause of the incident is not yet well clear.

"The cause is under investigation and necessary information will be announced after expert examination."

As for preventive measures, she said education of the crisis management and training of professional managers to check similar crisis should be taken into consideration.

She then said using sea water to put off fire will be on agenda.

To the end of remark, she pointed to job immunity of firefighters.

"All done in connection with fire extinguishing since the beginning to the end were all right and no mistake was commtted."












































 




































 













 
 

News ID 264885

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