Civil Defence equipment in operation at the Navigation Tower in West Bay
Qatargas’ Emergency Management Services and Security and Medical Divisions, in conjunction with the Qatar Civil Defence Directorate, successfully conducted a full scale evacuation exercise of Qatargas’ Doha headquarters in West Bay yesterday.
Navigation Tower is a 52 storey building which currently houses employees from both Qatargas and Qatar Petroleum. The exercise was, for Qatar, the first 52 storey building full evacuation.
Additional participating agencies and teams included Hamad Hospital and trained floor wardens from both QG and QP. The evacuation was successful and the building was evacuated within the planned time, with full follow-up checks successfully conducted.
Qatargas’ Chief Safety, Environment and Quality officer Toufik Benmosbah said: “Safety is a core value at Qatargas and our aim is to ensure that in the unlikely event of the need to evacuate our headquarter building, it can be done in a safe way and that everyone is competently trained in their respective roles and responsibilities.
“I was very pleased with the professionalism with which the Qatar Civil Defence Directorate had played in this exercise and the way in which the tower occupants responded.”
Civil Defence Operations Director Hamad al-Duhaimi added: “This was the most significant exercise we have conducted in terms of number of floors and personnel. We were delighted in the way the exercise was conducted and I would like to thank the management and staff of Qatargas and Qatar Petroleum for their commitment to this important activity.”
Qatargas’ EMS Manager and Chief Fire Officer Hassan Jassim Abu-Khamis said: “This was the first of what we plan to be routine testing of our emergency evacuation procedures. The objective is for all of the agencies here in Doha to work together as a team.”
In line with best practice, full internal communications were executed over a number of weeks in advance of the event. All staff was informed of procedures and processes through ‘lunch and learn’ sessions and through internal briefings, with flyers distributed throughout the internal e-mail system and building to ensure all staff were aware of their role and what was planned.