Doha-Qatar, 17th April, 2017 - Qatar Fuel "WOQOD" conducted an unannounced fire evacuation drill at WOQOD Tower in West Bay on 13th April, 2017 to ensure employee preparedness and test the adequacy of its emergency systems.
The drill was conducted by all WOQOD Tower tenants including WOQOD, Oryx GTL and contractors personnel. The entire drill was supervised by the WOQOD Building Management System and involved active participation of more than 570 employees and contractors and the entire 30 floors of WOQOD Tower.
The fire scenario took place on first floor of WOQOD Tower with an employee informing the concerned departments of fire sighting. The fire alarm was activated immediately and all WOQOD and ORYX staff and contractors responded and started the evacuation process through the staircases, where they gathered in the marked assembly points on the ground level, with security staff helping them to stand in safe locations until the building was marked safe to re-enter and the emergency situation was completely under control.
The evacuation was completed in 14 minutes from the time of sounding off the alarm, till the last employee exited the tower and gathered in marked locations. WOQOD organized the mock drill to ascertain the response of all employees to major incidents, and provide individuals within the organization with an opportunity to develop their roles in emergency situations. The drill helped test the effectiveness and practice the implementation of emergency procedures in order to confirm capabilities for responding effectively to a major incident.
During the exercise, employees had the chance to develop their skills appropriate to the role they may play in an emergency, identify areas for improvement and report on the effectiveness of the exercise as well as implementation of emergency procedures.
Mr. Yousef Khalid Al-Jaber, WOQOD HSSE Manager said, "The exercise was conducted to raise awareness on the importance of quick response to events or incidents that could potentially risk the safety and security of our employees. It's imperative for all employees to be aware of the key evacuation procedures they need to follow in an emergency situation. Such drills ensure that employees are informed of the safety measures and know their roles and responsibilities, which help in the rescue effort during an actual emergency. WOQOD adopts the highest levels of employee safety initiatives and strictly adheres to the guidelines of Qatar's Civil Defense to ensure protection of all of its employees and contractors."
WOQOD's management demonstrated leadership and commitment to employee welfare and safety by extending their continuous support through provision of resources and trainings that significantly contributed to a well-organized, safe and successful evacuation drill.
The exercise exhibited complete cooperation between all occupants of the tower including WOQOD's employees and management, staff of ORYX GTL and the Civil Defense for proper planning and execution of the safety program and the accurate functioning of the fire alarm and detection systems for emergency facilities installed within the tower.
