GE CitizenshipMiddle East EHS Summits
GE’s EHS department hosts EHS Summits around the world to develop working relationships with the EHS resources within our customers’ organizations. The goal of these summits is to serve as informational sessions where customers and contractors can learn about how GE Energy manages EHS while working on customer sites. In addition, GE wants to provide regulatory agencies and customers to share information on key regulations or best practices.
EHS Summit in Doha Qatar
GE invited various customers to attend the first EHS Summit held in Doha Qatar. There were 44 attendees representing 10 customers. The presentation highlighted GE’s EHS programs and included videos in which CEO Jeff Immelt and other leaders commented on the value of EHS excellence to our employees, communities and customers around the globe.
Customers then had an opportunity to present to the group. RasGas Company Limited, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) producing company located in Qatar, was one of the companies that chose to share some of their best practices during the session. RasGas shared their behavior based safety program, sustainability and also the RasGas Elements for Excellence (RGEE) Program.
We also had several presentations from the GE team in the Middle East. Velavan Kandasamy, the region EHS manager for the Parts & Repair Services business in the Middle East, gave a presentation on Ergonomic Projects completed at the Parts & Repair Services Abu Dhabi Service Center. We also had a Contractor Roundtable Discussion that was given by Amr Sonbol, the Contractual Services Region EHS manager for the Middle East.
The customers who attended this summit were pleased to have the opportunity to share and learn from the various businesses in the region.
EHS Summit in Dammam Qatar
The GE EHS Team continues to hold several EHS Outreach activities in Saudi Arabia, an area in which GE is experiencing growth. GE invited various customers to attend the third EHS Summit held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, which was attended by 77 people representing 14 customers.
What was unique about the summit in Saudi Arabia was the focus on environmental issues. The Royal Commission, which is the regulatory agency in Saudi Arabia, delivered a presentation on waste management. Many of the attendees appreciated learning more about some of the key rules and regulations on how waste is to be managed.
These summits are critical to understanding the requirements and expectations of the customers and regulators that attend them. It creates an open environment to share ideas on how we can collectively improve the EHS performance of the companies that attend. These sessions have significantly improved the working relationships with our key customers. In 2009, the EHS team plans to have additional summits in other regions.