Interview10 with Muhammad UmEr

HSE Proffesional at KAUST via Saudi Oger Ltd

 

1. Starting from HSE Officer, then Junior Manager SHE and now HSE Professional. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Ans : Well in next five year I’d like to be seen as someone with deep expertise in the HSE. Designations doesn’t matter the things which matters is knowledge and off course remuneration. I have been part of different sectors didn’t get a chance of oil and gas sector so my next motive is to be part of oil and gas sector.

2. KAUST is a highly recognized university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and abroad. How do you feel to be a major contributor towards the development of a healthy and safe environment at KAUST?

Ans : It feel great to be part of multicultural environment . That’s also lead towards challenge to develop a system which is easy accessible to everyone. KAUST is just been five years old so we are in the stage of developing systems and getting certification like ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001.

3. An industry is a totally different field than a University. What challenges do you face in implementing HSE at a University?

Ans : In my view its little harder from any other industries. Because of the size of university plus a large number of contractor and community involved. So to take everybody on board is tough thing. When you are working with so many contractors with multi-cultural workforce it tough to take all of them on single line.

4. How important is the role of your certifications in shaping your career?

Ans : Today is a new world you can’t get a good job offers without these certifications. In my view certifications just shape up your qualities. So in my career its played a role of ladder to me.

5. There is a global rise in the demand of competent HSE Professionals like you. What according to you is the primary reason – increased awareness or increased number of accidents?

Ans : Yes off course due to awareness in the industries management plus there are legal obligations now to have a proper safety management system. Some of companies have SOP’s to have business when only those companies who have HSE system are in place. So in my view that’s the main reason.

6. How does your career affect your approach towards daily social life?

Ans : Indeed it has been great impact on my life as I always see things from the risk they contain. Always evaluating the risks involved. It wasn’t before I joined HSE field. Plus I feel privileged to be part of field which is saving mankind from incident. Training them on how they can perform their duties without getting any injuries. saving environment for next generation. As it say’s in Quran. “If you save one human being you have saved the whole humanity”.

7. It is not an easy task to train and educate a stubborn character about HSE. How do you rate your success around such kind of people?

Ans : Yes it’s a tough task but I don’t think anybody will not want themselves to be save while working. It’s just a matter of how to teach them. Behavioral safety is now tools for these kinds of people which we can use. I think there is reason behind their attitude which can be with the company or family issues.

8. How different do you feel is your role in KSA from your peers in the same role back in Pakistan?

Ans: As here in KSA I am having more learning as we are developing the systems. While in Pakistan I was working with one of the global leaders in safety where systems are well develop and we were just coordinating.

9. Please give us few useful HSE tips?

Ans: Safety Contact tool: It’s a tool where you allow every employee to interact with anyone while they are not working safely. And tell them how this work will be safe and then there should be system where all safety contacts should be recorded.

10. How do you feel to be interviewed by Interview10?

Ans: Its unique experience for me to answer these questions before that it used to be the interviewer. So it was quite a good experience.