Case Studies

Ameen, you have worked for FieldCore since 2019. Can you tell us a little bit about the organisation?
Fieldcore® (a GE Company) is a global industrial field services company which has offices on five continents. It operates in more than 100 countries and has over 12,000 employees who provide regional solutions with global standards and expertise. The company offers a comprehensive set of services designed to support the installation, maintenance, repair, and upgrade of all types of power plant. It is the main contractor of the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and Construction and supports electrical substations and the wider electrical network in Iraq, where I am based.

Your role with the company is Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Engineer. What does this entail?
I support contractors during the construction and commissioning stage. I conduct reviews of risk assessments and identify control measures, share health and safety requirements, and inspect sites to ensure compliance. I also help my colleagues by providing training on different topics such as manual handling and chemical substances. It is a relatively new safety precaution here in Iraq to use the COSHH assessment for hazardous substances. As many liquid chemicals are used during the construction phase, it is vital that I consider this aspect as part of my role. Taking my NEBOSH qualifications helped me to be more aware of and achieve compliance with hazardous substance regulations and my company’s policy in relation to this.

I understand you studied engineering at university. Can you tell us how your interest in health and safety came about?
After I graduated from university, I secured a job with an Iraqi company as a civil engineer in the oil and gas field. At first, I didn’t give much thought to safety rules because I was concentrating on getting the job done on time. Then I was given a critical job, which I felt was riskier and more complex than I had experienced previously. Before I started work, I sought the advice of the safety supervisor who highlighted what I should do to ensure the work was carried out safely. When I look back, this was when my interest in health and safety began.

I started by researching the safe working methods that civil engineers should follow myself, before going back to the safety supervisor to seek his advice on how I could learn more. He recommended I take some safety courses that were being offered locally that were relevant to my job. These included manual handling, working in confined spaces, and the safe use of equipment. I really enjoyed these courses, and they just made me want to keep learning. What I had done up to that point had helped keep me safe, the next step was to learn how to protect the health and safety of others by encouraging colleagues to adopt safer working practices. So, I researched internationally recognised safety qualifications that would help me achieve this and would help me make health and safety my career.

Which qualification did you research point to?
The NEBOSH International General Certificate! It came up in my searches a great deal and what made it an even better option for me, was I could study and complete my assessments in Arabic. I found a course provider who could provide remote support to help me prepare while in Iraq. I worked hard and focused on my studies to ensure I was ready for the assessment when I travelled overseas to take them in 2017. The resources and support I obtained from my course provider really helped and I was very proud to pass and become one of the first people in Iraq to achieve this prestigious qualification.

How did achieving the NEBOSH General Certificate help you?
The NEBOSH International General Certificate gave me more options it is as simple as that. Many international companies, particularly here in the Middle East, specify NEBOSH qualifications in their job adverts for health and safety professionals.

Having the NEBOSH International General Certificate helped me secure my Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Engineer position with my current employer.

Since joining FieldCore you have gone on to complete four other NEBOSH qualifications - the NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Health and Safety Leadership Excellence, the NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation, the NEBOSH IIRSM Certificate in Managing Risk, and the NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Process Safety Management. Can you explain why you decided to take these additional qualifications.
I enjoyed my International General Certificate studies and the knowledge I gained has really helped me. By 2022 I had been in post at FieldCore for three years and felt ready for a new challenge study wise.

I took the Incident Investigation qualification because I felt it would improve my accident reporting skills. I found a course provider who was delivering it here in Iraq and I really enjoyed it. The content increased my confidence and improved my interviewing skills. I also feel my analysis and approach to report writing improved after taking this qualification.

I signed up for the leadership excellence course to improve my leadership style and communication skills. I feel this one-day course has helped me understand how to be an example by making my actions more visible to all my colleagues. I really enjoyed the four qualifications I completed in 2022 and feel they have further improved my effectiveness.

What do you enjoy most about being a health, safety, and environmental professional?
Becoming a HSE professional has meant that I can save lives, safeguard processes and equipment, and add value. It is such a rewarding career that has given me a real sense of accomplishment because I know that I make a difference to my workplace and most importantly to peoples’ lives.

As HSE professionals we help to ensure work happens safely and compliantly and by doing this we help ensure operations run smoothly.

It’s a profession that encourages you to strive for continuous improvement and this is why we are always learning, which I love. As HSE professionals we look after people, assets, and processes and by doing this we also help to protect the image and reputation of our employers. Its hard work but so rewarding.

What would your advice be to anyone at the start of their health and safety career?
My advice to anyone who is fresh into HSE is to familiarise yourself with all aspects of the work being undertaken in your workplace. Embrace teamwork, be patient, work on your people skills, stand your ground, and expand your horizons.

I would also encourage you to study as this will enhance your knowledge and credibility. Taking the NEBOSH International General Certificate really helped me and gave me clarity. I feel it offers the perfect mix of technical knowledge and soft skills to help ensure you make a positive contribution to the health and safety provision in your workplace.