Alba’s Line 5, which entailed the construction of the biggest potline for a smelter of its kind, demonstrated one of the world’s highest levels of safety.

The fine performance was no mere accident, as months of planning, training, co-ordination and supervision went into it.
It was also the culmination of a strategic initiative begun several years ago that declared safety as a key performance area (KPA).
If there was a single element that helped raise the safety performance it was training and this was conducted in collaboration with Bechtel, the engineering, procurement, construction and management (EPCM) contractor. It was by no means an easy task. Logistically it was challenging, with workers coming from a range of backgrounds including Bahrainis, other Gulf and Arab nationals, citizens from the Indian subcontinent, Far East workers, Africans and even Europeans.  “We had 7,500 at peak, but the total that worked on the project was just under 17,800. So you can understand the magnitude of the training with Bechtel,” said Wajd Salah Ali Al Madani, Alba’s acting general manager for administration.
The training was conducted in different languages just to make sure the workers understood the procedures and what they were supposed to do in the various aspects of their duties. After all, it was they who were in the nitty gritty of the construction and any slip-up, literally or figuratively, could prove disastrous. “We had a total of 28 million working hours during the project and the lost time incidence frequency rate (LTIFR) was 0.043, based on every 200,000 work hours,” revealed Al Madani. Just how good the performance was can be realised when the US construction industry’s level of 4 is put in juxtaposition. “Alba had six lost time incidents which is a record for the kind of construction it underwent,” said Al Madani. “We won the Bechtel safety award, and we are very proud of this achievement.”
Along with the training, it was the management systems rigorously enforced by Alba and Bechtel that kept the LTIFR down.
The project’s safety induction programme covered every single worker on site as well as contractors’ officials and Alba’s management who would be visiting the work area.
 In order to set the standards Alba expected, particular emphasis was placed at the supervisory level, as the supervisor is responsible for the men under his control. Alba made sure he provided the personal protective equipment (PPE) and understood the job safety practices.
“For any construction site with so many actively at work you have to have safety procedures that govern all aspects of activity including working at heights and on scaffolding and cranage, welding and electrical work to name but a few. Each of these aspects had safety procedures that were strictly enforced. Plus we had what we call the people-based (PB) system,” explained Al Madani.
Under people-based safety, some leaders among workers were selected and trained in safety observations. These leaders would observe their colleagues as they went about their duties. Actually a peer-to-peer system, it functioned without the involvement of any management staff. These group leaders had to check out such things as protective equipment, work methods, safety procedures and tools and submit their reports daily to Bechtel for analysis.
The reports indicated what areas needed greater attention, and if someone wasn’t performing he was sent back for training. The system provided an overall picture of how the site was working.
As part of the measures, workers did a five-minute drill at the start of each day during which they went through a series of steps on safety procedures.
In appreciation of work well done, Alba marked certain events such as the completion of three or four million man-hours without a lost time incident. The workforce would be rewarded with a free lunch. At higher landmarks the rewards would be greater.
“The idea behind the PB system is that safety is achieved through people. If you influence the behaviour of people in a positive manner on safety issues, you’ll be able to achieve an excellent safety record. Along with providing equipment and training, you work on the mindset,” commented Al Madani.
“The training in Alba for Potline 5 was different. If you compare with previous experiences, this time the safety performance was method-inspired and this was reflected in the LTIFR.”
The stress on safety was also different because of an important development at Alba. In 2001, the company established a five-year business plan that covered five main areas, namely safety, environment, people, cost and production. Safety was declared a Key Performance Area. “We introduced a new management style which focused on the behaviour side of the workers with the aim of restructuring unsafe activities and conditions.
“Under the new approach, much stress was laid on preventive conditions, so that one did not have to wait for an accident to trigger safety procedures. Accidents were anticipated and conditions were created that lowered the risks to the very minimum,” said Al Madani.
The approach helped Alba earn a four-star rating from the National Occupational Safety Association (NOSA), an internationally recognised safety standard that quantifies the safety performance by awarding a rating of up to five stars.
Alba’s safety performance was only 13 per cent short of a 100 per cent rating, enough to confirm that the company occupied a high spot in safety standards.
“As you can see, safety at Potline 5 did not come out of nothing. It stemmed from our philosophy of having it as a key performance area on which we measure our performance,” remarked Al Madani.