This Day in History (1984): Refinery safety record set; 5 million man-hour mark falls

From the Sept. 19, 1984, edition of The Arabian Sun, P. 1, P. 2

Ras Tanura Refinery management had good reason for celebrating at a luncheon held recently at the Najmah Pilot House. They and invited guests were on hand to commemorate a new safety record achieved on Aug. 25 when refinery employees worked some 5 million man hours on the job without any lost-time industrial disabling injuries.

Guests at the luncheon also witnessed the presentation of a plague, noting the outstanding achievement, to R.J. Hudache, general manager of the Ras Tanura Refinery, by Y.A. Slail, manager of the Loss Prevention Department.

The refinery now has the second-best record for occupation injuries or illnesses among all petroleum industry companies, according to U.S. National Safety council figures.

The new record was achieved during an 11-month period when several major -- and potentially hazardous -- activities were being carried on, including the biggest simultaneous test-and-inspection in Aramco history on three major plants (11, 139, 488), the rebuilding/retubing of a steam boiler solely by plant personnel, the dismantling of Plants 9 and 16 by refinery trainees, as well as plant upgrades.

In presenting the plaque, Slail complimented all refinery employees for accomplishing their work in a hazardous environment safely. "To do all these jobs without a lost-time injury," he said, "you must have men who are dedicated to safety. They must be working safely, using the right equipment, avoiding unsafe acts and reporting unsafe conditions. Each employee is responsible for achieving these 5 million injury-free marks."

Caption for top photo: High point of the luncheon honoring the Ras Tanura Refinery's record 5 million injury-free man-hours was the presentation of a plaque to R. J. Hudachek, left, general manager of the refinery, by Y.A. Slail, manager of the Loss Prevention Department.

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