Simian International Celebrates 5 years’ accident free in Iraq

Simian International has been working in Iraq since 2012 when the team was brought in to improve standards on a Basra oil field following an accident involving a scaffolding contractor who was using substandard equipment and untrained operatives. It was recognised at that time that health and safety standards on the site needed to improve significantly to avoid further accidents.

Experienced Simian scaffolders and instructors have since been involved in training, instructing and mentoring scaffolding staff on site in Iraq.

Iraq does not have a recognised scaffold training scheme so the Simian team implemented the International Scaffolder scheme and delivered onsite training to bring standards up to UK health and safety levels.

As a result, a number of local scaffolders have received professional training which has given them internationally recognised scaffolding qualifications. Safety standards on location at the Manjoon oil field near Basra, in Southern Iraq, have improved dramatically and workers have a better awareness of the importance of health and safety, particularly when working at height.

We’re pleased to be able to report that since our involvement began at the site just over five years ago, there hasn’t been a single Lost Time Incident. Five years accident-free is a great achievement and a testament to the hard work of the Simian team as well as all the local scaffolders onsite.

This project is a great example of the type of work that Simian International do around the world to improve standards within the industry and help scaffolders to access professional training which enables them to carry out their work effectively and safely.