Davood Emadi, HSE and Passive Defense Director at the National
Petrochemical Company, told the third Process Safety Management Conference that
while notable achievements have been made, full implementation of PSM requires
coordinated commitment across all organizational units.
“The PSM system, like other management frameworks, succeeds only when
all parts of the organization align with it,” Emadi said, emphasizing
collaboration between operations, technical, maintenance, and engineering
units.
He outlined the historical evolution of PSM in Iran’s petrochemical
sector, noting that some companies voluntarily began implementation in 2009
based on OSHA models. In 2013, the National Petrochemical Company formally
recommended the CCPS/API model, and a major fire at Bu Ali Petrochemical in
2016 underscored the need for systematic safety management. By 2018,
specialized PSM units were established in many plants, and in 2023 the Ministry
of Petroleum mandated risk-based PSM as an official requirement.
Emadi said the industry’s progress over the past two years has
exceeded expectations, reflecting over a decade of cultural change, training,
and capacity-building. He noted that even newly established complexes are
integrating PSM from startup, demonstrating the system’s maturity across the
sector.
He also highlighted the role of major petrochemical holdings,
including Persian Gulf Petrochemical and Apadana, in advancing PSM through
strategic councils, and expressed hope that similar initiatives would expand
across other holdings.
The conference, held in Tehran, brought together industry
professionals to share operational experiences, practical models, and lessons
learned to support broader adoption of process safety practices.