The exercise, name coded TAKREER, lasted for three hours and involved fighting a simulated fire in one of the crude units in the Refinery. Bahrain Civil Defence participated in TAKREER and more than 100 Bapco and contractor employees were involved.
A similar exercise was held on 21 December, 2011 in marketing terminal in Sitra. “The more we practice, the more confident we become in managing emergencies,” Hafedh Al-Qassab, General Manager Refining and TAKREER director, said. “We have learnt a lot in this exercise and will certainly utilize the learning in improving our procedures and resources,” he added.
The exercise observers, some of whom were non-Bapco employees, were pleased with the outcomes of TAKREER and praised the effective and efficient command of the exercise. “The adverse impact of a major incident can be minimized if the incident is managed well at its initial stages,” Ebrahim Talib, acting Chief Executive of Bapco, said.
“On behalf of Bapco Management, I thank all those involved in the preparation and implementation of the exercise. The present resources and organizational structure make us confident to manage any emergency, and we intend to further improve our processes and practices in this critical area.”