We work throughout our organization and with all our partners and affiliates to make sure the highest safety standards are maintained. From the start, all our facilities have been built to comply with the strictest international environmental and safety standards.

Workplace safety

SABIC addresses issues of safety in the workplace by providing training and appropriate equipment as well as by carrying out regular investigations. Thanks to our program of Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) awards (see the Responsible Care page for more information), and also to initiatives such as lecture courses and staff training, our safety record is always improving. We are proud that our affiliates have achieved more than 106 million man-hours without injury or loss of time. Our contractors have also recorded over 38 million man-hours without injury.

SABIC affiliates have also made their mark in the Safety, Health and Environmental Performance Index (SHEPI). Their combined accident rate score is as low as 0.35, and continues to improve, making SABIC a world leader in this regard.

SABIC and community safety

SABIC is also active in promoting safety in the communities surrounding our facilities. We organize safety awareness events such as Safety Day, Traffic Safety and a Safe Children’s drawing competition. We also print and distribute safety awareness pamphlets in neighboring communities.

International awards

SABIC affiliates are recognized internationally for their exceptional safety record. In 2005, the Eastern Petrochemical Company (SHARQ) received a prestigious award from the British Safety Council for top performance in the field of industrial and environmental safety.

Also in 2005, the Saudi Iron and Steel Company (HADEED) won the Gold Award of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) for the second year in a row, once again proving HADEED’s commitment to safety. The importance of the award can be gauged from the fact that the 80-year-old society awards it only to those companies that meet stringent health and safety requirements for four consecutive years.

The Saudi European Petrochemical Company (IBN ZAHR) has also won international safety prizes from the British Safety Council and RoSPA

Emergency response

SABIC’s commitment to industrial safety has also led it to become a regional leader in the field of emergency response. The SABIC Fire Training Center is the only certified fire and rescue training center outside the USA that provides training programs internationally accredited by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These programs include fire fighting, rescue, handling hazardous material and first aid. In 2003, our employees undertook over 4 million man-hours of training, and in 2005, the center trained 1,782 staff from SABIC affiliates and other companies in the Middle East.