Occupational Health Program: Beyond the Law

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the results of Hocol's occupational health program which is implemented jointly with the company's contractors. Hocol, an oil exploration and production company based in Colombia, produces 35,000 bopd and is a member of the Nimir Petroleum Group. The company has 180 employees and nearly 800 permanent contractors. Even though Colombian Occupational Health laws are amongst the most stringent in the world, Hocol goes even beyond the legal requirements, making an emphasis on a healthy lifestyle, a good quality of life and a safe and healthy environment on which all of its employees work and live. The company's O.H policy and program performance have received both national and international recognition, as a result of the high level of commitment and motivation of all its employees and contractors. Having been a Shell Company before it was acquired by Nimir, it has maintained all of Shell's policies and procedures and has adapted them to the Colombian milieu. This has ensured Hocol's compliance with current legislation and a good performance record. Hocol has gone one step ahead with the establishment of a continuous improvement system and a quality assurance policy in Occupational Health, which contributes to the well-being of its employees, and at the same time, preserves the company's assets and the environment, making the company an efficient and competitive one and maintaining its leadership position in the oil market. In this paper, results are presented regarding some of the company's occupational health activities, including health promotion, risk assessment evaluations in company and contractor's operations, periodic audits regarding performance evaluation, preparation of management reports on findings and recommendations for further improvement in the occupational health arena. Our past and present experience in health protection and health promotion is also described.