Safety in

July 2011 Loss Prevention Department

Saudi Aramcos design

standards are the
culmination of years of
experience and knowledge
gained and applied.

P 2 Heat Stress P 5 Flame-Resistant Clothing

P 6 Review Process
Design Standards
P 7 Safety Challenges
East-West Pipelines Department
 Basic Safety Rules
Saudi Aramco Safety Handbook
Rule #11
Eating or resting is permitted in
designated areas only. (Seeking
rest or shade in or near any part
of heavy equipment is not only
dangerous but it is not permitted.)
Distinguished Safety
Achievement Award
Ceremonies
Congratulations to the 239
employees, who in 2010 achieved
35 years of incident-free service.
These safety role models are being
recognized for their notable safety
achievement by the president
and CEO during ceremonies held
in conjunction with Executive
Management Safety Reviews
(EMSRs) in all major operating
areas throughout the year. So far
this year, 179 employees have
been recognized for their safety
achievement. The greatest number
of employees 72 Dhahran-based
employees were recognized
during the EMSR held in Dhahran
on June 13. Since the introduction
of the program in 1989, a total of
1,347 employees have earned this
recognition. The honored employees
are safety role models for all
employees because they remained
vigilant and focused on safety
throughout their long careers.
Safety in Focus July 2011
Heat Stress
By Steven R. Hemler and Subhi K. Abderrezaq, Planning and Technical Services
Division, Loss Prevention Department
Heat stress refers to the effect of heat that generates
stress on the human body and can lead to heat-
related illness. Working in high air temperatures,
high humidity, near radiant heat sources, or physical
activities in very hot outdoor or indoor environments
have a high potential to cause heat stress.
T he human body normally maintains
a healthy body temperature by
sweating to increase heat loss through
Symptoms: The symptoms of heat
cramps include painful cramping
of the muscles (e.g., arms, legs,
evaporation from the skin. However, or abdomen), hot, moist skin and
when the body is subjected to more a slightly elevated temperature.
heat than it can cope with, the body
Treatment:
cannot cool itself by sweating and the
Stop all activity.
temperature of the body continues
Rest in a cool, shaded area.
to rise, which can cause its cooling
Loosen clothing.
mechanism to fail. This happens when
Drink water.
too much sweat (water and salt) is lost
Seek medical assistance, if
and dehydration results. Several heat-
symptoms persist.
related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion
and the more severe heat stroke, can (2) Heat exhaustion Heat exhaustion
occur, which can result in death or is the bodys response to the excessive
permanent organ damage if treatment loss of water and salt by sweating.
is not given promptly. Each employee It poses a higher risk to older
should be aware of different types of employees or those with coronary
heat-related illnesses, their causes, artery disease or emphysema (a
symptoms and how to administer first lung condition causing breathing
aid treatment. impairment).
Heat-related illnesses Causes: Heat exhaustion can result
when the fluids and/or salts lost by
(1) Heat cramps Although heat sweating are not replaced or blood
cramps are not dangerous, they vessels on skins surface are enlarged.
are an early warning sign of heat
exhaustion and that the bodys Symptoms: The symptoms of
ability to cope with heat is being heat exhaustion can include heavy
exceeded. sweating, intense thirst, cool and
moist skin, weakness, dizziness,
Causes: Heat cramps can result headache, blurred vision, nausea
when the body loses too much salt vomiting, pale or flushed appearance,
by sweating or when there is an mood changes (e.g., irritability or
electrolyte imbalance. confusion), rapid pulse and fainting.
Page 2
 Treatment:
Move the victim immediately to
a cool, shaded area.
Call for medical assistance.
Loosen the victims clothing.
Remove unnecessary clothing.
Shower or sponge the victims
skin with cool water.
Ensure the victim drinks
water or sport drinks that have
electrolytes.
Heat exhaustion can rapidly progress
to heat stroke if not properly treated.
Because victims of heat exhaustion may
lack coordination and become confused,
they must not be expected to take care
of themselves. Heat exhaustion requires
a fast response to prevent worsening
heat stress problems.
(3) Heat stroke Heat stroke is
a medical emergency. Death or
permanent tissue damage may occur
if treatment is not given promptly.
Collapse is often misinterpreted
as a heart attack or head injury.
Heat stroke can occur after the
worker has already developed heat
exhaustion, but it can also strike
suddenly with little warning.
Causes: Heat stroke occurs when
the body no longer sweats and
retains so much heat that its
temperature regulation system fails
and when the body is depleted of
salt and water.
Symptoms: The symptoms of heat
stroke can include dry, hot skin with
Safety in Focus July 2011
no sweating; high body temperature Taking fast action for symptoms
(above 40 C [103 F]); strong, rapid of heat cramps, exhaustion and
pulse; chills; weakness; nausea; heat stroke.
vomiting; mental confusion; seizures Gradually adjusting (acclimatizing)
or convulsions; collapse and loss of to heat when new to a job or
consciousness. after a long absence.
Using general ventilation and
Treatment:
cooling fans whenever possible.
Call for medical assistance
Having shaded rest shelters
immediately.
with chairs or benches; air
Cool the person down as
conditioning is preferable.
much as possible while waiting
Blocking direct sunlight or other
for medical assistance:
heat sources as much as possible.
Move the victim to a cool,
Scheduling work for the cooler
shaded area.
times of the day, especially during
Loosen or remove heavy
the month of Ramadan if it falls in
clothing.
the summer.
Fan and mist the victims body
Wearing loose, lightweight,
with water.
light-colored clothes.
Monitor the victims breathing.
Wearing a hat when working in
Ensure the victim drinks
the sun.
water or sport drinks that
Drinking water before, and
have electrolytes, but do not
regularly during work in the heat.
give fluids if the victim is
Taking frequent rest breaks in
unconscious.
a cool, shaded area to cool down.
Preventing heat stress Heat index and related
An update of the Saudi Aramco precautions
Construction Safety Manual (CSM), to
The updated CSM will contain the
be issued in 2011, contains specific
following heat index table, which is
precautions to avoid heat-related
based on the air temperature and
illness when working in hot conditions,
relative humidity. The work/rest periods
including:
and minimum water intake per person
Knowing the signs/symptoms shown should be followed based on the
of heat-related illnesses and current heat index in the persons work
treatments. area.
Paying attention to how
you feel and to the appearance
and actions of your coworkers.
Page 3
 Heat Index
Danger Category Heat Index Heat Stress Illness/Symptoms Work:Rest Minimum Water
Periods (min.) Needed *

IV. Extreme 1 cup every

> 52 Heat stroke imminent. 20:10 10 minutes
Danger **

Heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke likely 30:10 1 cup every
III. Danger 3951
with prolonged exposure and physical activity. 15 minutes

II. Extreme 3038 Heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke possible 50:10 1 cup every
Caution with prolonged exposure and physical activity. 20 minutes

I. Caution 2529 Fatigue possible with prolonged exposure and/or 1 cup every
physical activity. Normal/scheduled 20 minutes

* 1 cup = 250 ml Take precautions as described on page 3

Relative Humidity
Heat Index
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
50 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
50 48 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
49 47 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
48 45 53** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
47 44 51 ** ** ** ** ** ** **
46 43 49 ** ** ** ** ** ** **
45 42 47 ** ** ** ** ** ** **
44 41 46 52** ** ** ** ** ** **
43 40 44 49 ** ** ** ** ** **
42 39 42 47 54** ** ** ** ** **
Air Temperature C

41 38 41 45 51 ** ** ** ** **
40 37 39 43 48 ** ** ** ** **
39 36 38 41 46 52** ** ** ** **
38 35 37 39 43 49 55** ** ** **
37 34 35 38 41 46 51 ** ** **
36 33 34 36 39 43 48 54** ** **
35 32 33 35 37 41 45 50 ** **
34 31 32 33 35 38 42 47 52** **
33 31 31 32 34 36 40 44 48 54**
32 30 30 31 32 34 37 40 44 49
31 29 29 30 31 33 35 38 41 45
30 28 28 29 30 31 33 35 38 41
29 27 27 28 29 30 31 33 35 37
28 27 27 27 28 28 29 31 32 34
27 26 26 26 27 27 28 29 30 31
26 25 25 26 26 27 27 27 28 28

Safety in Focus July 2011 Page 4

 Flame-Resistant Clothing
By Anthony B. Martinez, Dhahran Area Loss Prevention
In addition to the unpredictability of knowing when fires can happen, they are also
unpredictable when it comes to measuring the time they last. Fires can last for less
than a second or can burn for several days. In all cases, being able to make a safe
escape from a fire in the workplace is essential. Wearing flame-resistant clothing
(FRC) can help you make this escape as well as significantly reduce burn injuries.
What is FRC?
F
lame-resistant clothing (FRC) is
personal protective clothing worn
over or instead of ordinary clothing to
reduce the severity of burns from flash
fires, jet fires, electrical flashovers or
other types of fires, and to provide
protection while the wearer escapes a
fire.
FRC is made from a variety of materials;
however, Saudi Aramco currently uses
FRC manufactured from NOMEX.
NOMEX dissipates static generated
from fabric-to-fabric and fabric-to-
surface rubbing. All FRC must have a
permanently attached label, stating that
it meets the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) 2112, Standard on
Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection
of Industrial Personnel against Flash
Fire requirements. NOMEX Comfort
garments are available through the
Saudi Aramco SAP B2B Materials System
in a range of sizes and colors.
Why is FRC worn?
FRC provides a barrier between a heat
source and the skin, and increases the
chance of survival in the event of a flash
fire. It does not ignite and continue
to burn nor does it melt to the skin.
Ordinary clothes can be worn under
FRC, but these should be made from
natural fibers like cotton, not of synthetic
material. FRC should be the outermost
layer of clothing. If jackets need to be
Safety in Focus July 2011
worn over FRC then the jackets must
also be made from flame-resistant
materials.
Who should wear FRC?
FRC is recommended in the following
areas:
Where there is the possibility of a
release of flammable material.
Where an open flame is being used.
FRC should also be worn when working
on live electrical systems that operate at
more than 220 volts or when working in
bulk plants.
FRC is the last line of defense
Arc-flash and fire hazards should be
eliminated, mitigated or controlled using
one or more of the following:
1. Engineering controls Risks are
avoided, eliminated or minimized
through good engineering design,
such as remote switching and
racking.
2. Administrative controls These
controls include operating and
maintenance (O&M) procedures,
training, certification and work
assignments.
3. Personal protective equipment
(PPE) controls FRC helps prevent
injury from flash fire and arc-flash
hazards for personnel working near
flammable liquids and gases, or on or
near energized electrical equipment.
This form of personal protection may
be an appropriate supplement to
engineering and administrative controls.
Proper fit, maintenance and
training
Proper size and fit of FRC is important.
FRC needs to be closed properly to
maintain an air gap between the body
and garment. It should fit comfortably,
but not be too tight or snug. Never roll
up FRC sleeves or cut them off. FRC
can only provide protection when it
separates the wearer from the flash fire.
Never home launder contaminated
garments. A fire can start in the dryer
if you attempt to dry FRC that is soiled
with hydrocarbons. FRC garments must
be laundered according to specific
washing and drying instructions listed
in NFPA 2112. Always follow your
departments established laundry and
repair procedures. Never patch, repair,
alter or cut FRC. It should be replaced
every two years or when no longer
serviceable.
All Saudi Aramco personnel who are
required to wear FRC should complete
the online Flame-Resistant Clothing
FRC training course.
FRC is the last line of defense against
burn injuries. It deserves proper care
and attention to keep workers safe
when working near fire and arc-flash
hazards.
Page 5
 Design Standards Review Process
By Ali M. Ghobari, Planning and Technical Services Division, Loss Prevention Department
Why review Saudi Aramco
design standards?
M andatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Standards (MSAERs)
are considered working documents that
need to be kept current and relevant
(evergreen). Therefore, they need to be
reviewed and maintained up-to-date
according to a specified review cycle
or when certain conditions or changes
occur. These can include:
1. A significant change in the
international standard(s) used as
the basis for the standard.
2. Lessons learned as a result of
incidents.
3. A waiver condition or repetitive
waivers of a particular
requirement.
4. Changes in technology or
improvements in equipment or
construction methods.
Safety in Focus July 2011
Saudi Aramcos design standards are
the culmination of years of experience
and knowledge gained and applied.
These working documents are generally
referred to as Mandatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Requirements (MSAERs).
They include reference documents,
such as engineering standards, material
specifications, procedures and drawings
that are developed for uniformity and
applied companywide. But to keep
MSAERs up-to-date with current advances
in the industry or other changes, design
standards must be regularly reviewed.
5. Periodic review of contents and standards based on extensive
requirements against company experience as well as research and
needs. development. When significant
6. Other changing conditions that
may impact MSAERs.
changes or advancements are made
to an international or industry
standard, a review of Saudi Aramco
The following is a brief description of
related standards is conducted to
each of these conditions:
determine if and where changes and
1. A significant change in the revisions are necessary.
international standard(s).
2. Lessons learned as a result of
Many Saudi Aramco design standards incidents.
are based on related international
When incidents occur, an
standards, such as the Institute of
investigation is launched to take an
Electrical and Electronic Engineers
in-depth look at what happened
(IEEE), American Petroleum Institute
and determine the root causes and
(API), National Fire Protection
what specific corrective actions can
Association (NFPA), American Society
be taken to prevent a recurrence.
of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Occasionally, corrective actions
and American National Standards
would include an assessment of one
Institute (ANSI). The organizations
or more of Saudi Aramcos design
developing these standards are
standards. A recent example is the
usually industry-supported entities
review of a number of Saudi Aramco
that develop and maintain their
industrial drainage design standards
Page 6
 following a series of incidents
involving drainage sump pits.
3. A waiver condition or repetitive
waivers of a particular requirement.
In rare cases, certain MSAERs need
to be waived and compensated for
with alternative mitigation measures.
For example, if a waiver cites that
a specific requirement may need to
be revised or that a particular design
standard requirement receives a
noticeably high number of waivers,
then that standard would be subject
to a review. The review is needed to
evaluate whether the requirement in
question can be removed or replaced
with more applicable alternatives,
and to ensure the integrity of
the waiver process and that the
requirements in each of the Saudi
Aramco design standards do add
value.
4. Changes in technology or
improvements in equipment or
construction methods.
Over time, developments and
improvements emerge in our
industry with respect to construction
materials, materials used to fabricate
pieces of equipment as well as
new technologies to monitor and
East-West Pipelines Department
Safety Challenges
The East-West Pipelines Department (EWPD) is responsible for operating and maintaining the
East-West pipeline network a total of more then 1,350 kilometers of oil, natural gas and
natural gas liquids (NGL) that runs from Abqaiq to Yanbu. The pipeline network supplies
energy for many industrial projects and facilitate the export of these energy products from the
Red Sea coast. There are many associated plants and facilities as well, including 11 active pump
stations, six crude surge relief stations and an Arabian Super Light (ASL) stabilizer plant.
Safety in Focus July 2011
control process facilities. In some
cases, methods used to construct
facilities and upgrade existing ones
also change and improve. To keep
up-to-date with these changes, Saudi
Aramco design standards must be
re-evaluated to ensure the company
reaps the full benefit from these
advancements.
5. Periodic reviews of contents and
requirements against company
needs.
Even if there are no major changes to
be made to a Saudi Aramco design
standard, it is always prudent to
review and re-issue design standards
when they are due for such a
review (usually every three to five
years). This provides users with the
assurance that each design standard
receives the attention required and
that requirements included in it are
still valid and add value.
6. Other changing conditions that may
impact MSAERs.
In addition to the above, other
changes, such as legislation,
government directives, aging
facilities or reservoirs and population
encroachment, would necessitate a
re-evaluation of relevant standards.
The review process
Once a standard is selected for revision,
there are specific steps that are followed
to ensure that the revision, including
any resultant changes, is completed
properly and effectively. The Saudi
Aramco Engineering Procedure SAEP-
301, Instructions for Establishing and
Maintaining Mandatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Requirements, sets out the
requirements for maintaining MSAERs.
The review process is initiated when
the Standards Coordinator sends all
proposed major revisions and new
MSAER documents to all Board of
Engineer (BOE) members for review. A
specific time frame is established for
reviewers to respond to the Standards
Coordinator. Once all review comments
are resolved, the final document is
routed for approval. Once approved, the
document is posted for all users to view,
use and apply.
Consistently keeping Saudi Aramcos
design standards up-to-date is not only
a business expectation to be met, but
also a value-added activity that ensures
our companys strategic direction to
maximize the value of our business is
achieved in a cost-effective and safe
manner.
Page 7
Safety challenges
Implementing and continually
maintaining the Safety Management
System (SMS) is one of the initial
challenges East-West Pipelines
Department (EWPD) faces, but there are
many others as well.
A major safety challenge at EWPD is
the constant risk involved with driving.
EWPD has 159 vehicles and more than
640 employees, off-road driving and
the large distances covered are some of
the road hazards faced daily by EWPD
employees.
Another safety challenge is the
distribution and awareness of safety
recommendations.
Many new expansion projects and
upgrades over recent years have also
added major safety challenges with
thousands of contractor employees
working in different areas within EWPD.
Meeting the challenges
The department established a
designated team, led by management,
to work on developing and
implementing a focused SMS to
address expectations framed by the
corporate SMS. The driving force of
the departments SMS became the
Quality Safety Processes (QSPs), which
are assessed every year to focus on the
right processes. As part of its Safety
Action Plan, each year EWPD nominates
different process owners to modify,
develop, implement and monitor ten
quality safety processes across their
facilities that have been individually
reviewed and approved by the Safe
Operations Committee (SOC).
For example, a safe driving initiative in
early 2010 required all superintendents
and supervisors to meet with their
authorized drivers and get them to
buy-in to, and promote safe driving
behaviors. The following points were
emphasized:
Reduce speed when off-road
driving on the right-of-way.
Do not drive when tired.
Avoid cities at peak traffic times.
Allow enough time to do the job
and return safely.
This initiative helped to focus and
improve driver behaviors, which
contributed to the reduction in motor
vehicle accidents (MVAs) reported by
EWPD in 2010.
To ensure that all safety
recommendations are understood,
EWPD has established a procedure
in partnership with Abqaiq Area
Loss Prevention to track open
items to closure and acted upon.
Saudi Aramco Major Incident
recommendations (SAMIRs) and Loss
Prevention Compliance Review (LPCRs)
Recommendations are subject to field
verification. EWPD maintains an open
recommendations report and conducts
a monthly open recommendations
conference call to keep management
continually updated as actions progress
toward closure.
In line with SMS Element 7,
Contractors, Suppliers and Others,
the department revised its safety
orientation process for contractor
employees. This program became
mandatory for all contractors working
in EWPD facilities. Everyone received
an orientation book, an Emergency
Response Safety Pocket Card and the
Safety Handbook.
EWPD employees continue to work
to deliver energy products around the
Kingdom safely and reliably.

The editorial staff welcomes readers comments and ideas. Please email your suggestions to
SafetyinFocus@aramco.com or mail them to Safety in Focus, Saudi Aramco Loss Prevention
Department, A-117, Building 3150, LIP, Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabia or call 872-8868.
Safety in Focus (ISSN 1319-1802) is produced by the Support Services Unit of Saudi Aramcos Loss
Prevention Department and focuses on operational and on-job safety.

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