In a message
marking National Firefighting and Safety Day, observed on Sept. 29, Paknejad
emphasized the role of human resources in maintaining the stability of the oil
industry.
“Sept. 29,
National Firefighting and Safety Day, commemorates the heroic efforts of Abadan
Refinery firefighters and all the esteemed martyrs of the oil industry,” he
said. “These men stood on the front lines of protecting facilities and serving
the country at some of its most critical historical moments, securing their
place in the proud history of this industry.”
The oil industry
had faced difficult circumstances over the past year, Paknejad said, adding
that employees had continued working around the clock despite threats to
facilities and the deaths of colleagues in enemy attacks.
“With a sense of
responsibility, commitment and round-the-clock efforts, they remained at their
posts and continued fulfilling their mission of ensuring the country’s stable
energy supply,” he said.
The experience,
he added, had once again demonstrated that the oil industry’s sustainability
depended above all on the capabilities and preparedness of its workforce.
Paknejad said
recent crises had further highlighted the close link between safety and
resilience, which begins with prevention and risk reduction, continues through
coordination, preparedness and effective emergency response, and is completed
by a rapid and safe return to stable operations.
He described
strengthening risk prevention and management systems, training and empowering
employees, developing modern equipment and technologies, and improving
operational readiness as strategic necessities for the oil industry.
Firefighters,
given their critical responsibilities in emergency management, are among the
principal components of this resilience chain, he said.
The minister also
stressed that the oil industry’s strategic role in supplying energy, its
extensive geographical reach, operational complexity and inherent hazards made
the establishment and strengthening of health, safety, security and environment
(HSSE) management systems indispensable.
Achieving this,
he said, required making safety culture a shared responsibility across the
industry.
“Managers and
employees at every organizational level must consider themselves an effective
part of the risk-management chain and base their daily decisions and actions on
this principle,” Paknejad said, adding that no achievement was more valuable
than protecting human life, the environment, facilities and national assets.
Concluding his
message, the minister paid tribute to oil industry and firefighter martyrs and
expressed appreciation for the dedication of firefighting personnel, HSSE
workers and their families.
He wished them
continued success in serving the country, safeguarding national assets, and
sustaining production and energy supplies.