First of all, congratulations on National Safety and Firefighting Day. Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your professional background, education, and how you entered the field of HSE?
Greetings and thank you. My name is Salman Khan-Mirzaei, and I have approximately 20 years of experience in Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) within the oil and gas industry. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in HSE Engineering.
My professional career in safety began in 2006 at the Borzouyeh Petrochemical Complex, where I worked in operational environments. It was there that I realized safety is not merely a set of written procedures; it is directly connected to human lives, operational continuity, and organizational credibility.
This hands-on experience became my primary motivation for pursuing a specialized career in HSE. Throughout the years, I have consistently sought to combine academic knowledge with practical operational experience.
When did you begin working with PEDEX, and how did your career progress toward your current position as HSE Manager?
I joined PEDEX in 2009 and have held various safety-related positions throughout my career with the company.
My journey at PEDEX began as a supervisor of a 3D seismic survey project in the Dehloran region. Following the completion of that project, I began working as a Safety Officer on drilling rigs in late 2010.
After approximately a decade, I was appointed Head of Safety and Occupational Health. Since April 2025, I have served as HSE Manager at the company's headquarters.
PEDEX represents much more than a workplace to me. A significant part of my professional identity has been shaped within this organization.
Over the years, I have worked alongside dedicated colleagues under challenging operational conditions, on drilling rigs, and across various geographical locations. These experiences have given me firsthand insight into the practical challenges of the drilling industry.
My journey toward HSE management was not an overnight achievement. Rather, it was the result of years of fieldwork, continuous learning, accountability, and a deep understanding of safety challenges.
I firmly believe that HSE management is truly effective only when managers understand operational realities and the concerns of frontline personnel.
What factors motivated you to choose safety and occupational health in the drilling industry as your primary professional career?
The drilling industry is one of the most complex and high-risk operational sectors within the oil and gas industry, where accurate decisions and timely actions can make the difference between safe operations and serious incidents.
My greatest motivation has always been the direct relationship between HSE activities and the protection of human lives.
Knowing that a training session, inspection, or timely intervention can safeguard a colleague's health and ensure their safe return home to their family is an invaluable responsibility.
This understanding has been the driving force behind my professional journey. Consequently, I have always regarded HSE as more than an organizational duty; I see it as both an ethical and professional responsibility.
Working for many years on rotational assignments and drilling rigs can be demanding. How have you managed these working conditions and time away from your family, and what role has your family played in your career?
Working on rotational assignments and in operational environments is undoubtedly challenging.
Separation from family, harsh climatic conditions, demanding workloads, and significant responsibilities are inseparable aspects of life in the drilling industry.
Throughout these years, my family has been my greatest source of support.
When an operational employee is working in the field, their family is also sharing the hardships and sacrifices associated with that responsibility.
My continued dedication to this profession and my professional achievements would not have been possible without my family's patience and unwavering support.
Their encouragement has consistently strengthened my motivation to fulfill my responsibilities carefully and return home safely.
Throughout your years of working in PEDEX's operational areas and projects, which incident or crisis management experience has remained the most memorable in your professional career?
Throughout my career, I have encountered numerous critical situations, each providing valuable lessons.
However, one particularly challenging operational experience that remains firmly in my memory is the control of the blowout at Dehloran Well No. 23 in 2011.
During this incident, Drilling Rig 203 encountered a high-pressure water and salt formation at a depth of approximately 2,000 meters, with a pressure of 5,000 PSI, creating extremely hazardous conditions.
Managing this crisis and the operational team's ability to bring the well under control was one of the most significant experiences of my career.
It clearly demonstrated the critical importance of preparedness, concentration, and coordinated teamwork during emergency situations.
As the person responsible for organizational safety, what are your most important expectations and recommendations for office personnel and, particularly, employees working on drilling rigs to protect their health and improve workplace safety?
My most important expectation is that safety should never be considered the exclusive responsibility of one individual or department.
HSE concerns every part of the organization, from management and office-based specialists to drillers, rig floor personnel, drivers, and support staff. Every employee plays a vital role in maintaining the safety chain.
My primary recommendation to colleagues working on the operational frontlines is that safety principles must never be compromised because of work pressure, tight schedules, or operational targets.
The authority to Stop Unsafe Work must become a shared organizational belief: first, we make the conditions safe, and only then do we continue operations.
No organizational achievement is worth endangering the health or lives of our colleagues.
What is the greatest challenge in establishing a strong HSE culture in demanding operational environments, and how can compliance with safety regulations become a deeply held personal commitment?
The greatest challenge is moving beyond the concept of organizational obligation and enforcement toward developing a genuine personal commitment to safety.
If employees follow HSE requirements only because an inspector is present or because they fear disciplinary action or negative reports, a true safety culture has not yet been established.
A genuine safety culture emerges when individuals voluntarily make safe decisions and demonstrate safe behavior, even in the absence of direct supervision.
To achieve this level of behavioral maturity, continuous training, establishing a blame-free reporting culture, actively involving employees in hazard identification, and, above all, ensuring that managers and supervisors lead by example are essential.
When management consistently demonstrates that safety is a priority through its actions, this commitment gradually becomes embedded throughout every level of the organization.
How do you evaluate the role of cooperation among different departments and the participation of individual employees in reducing incidents and improving PEDEX's safety performance indicators?
The HSE department cannot achieve its objectives without the cooperation and synergy of other organizational units, as safety is fundamentally an integrated, cross-functional process.
Operations, Engineering and Maintenance, Procurement and Materials, Human Resources, Training, and Support departments all form essential links in the workplace safety chain.
I have always believed that HSE achieves its greatest effectiveness when it operates as a partner supporting operational activities rather than as an opposing or restrictive function.
Our approach to HSE is preventive and protective, focusing on identifying and controlling hazards before incidents occur.
Accordingly, every employee who reports an unsafe condition or unsafe act makes a direct and valuable contribution to protecting the health and lives of their colleagues.
What are the most important plans and priorities of the HSE Department for improving standards and occupational health during the current year?
Our primary focus this year is on reviewing and strengthening the HSE Management System, improving safety performance indicators, expanding specialized training programs, enhancing hazard identification and risk assessment processes, and maintaining an effective field presence throughout operational activities.
Alongside safety, occupational health remains one of our most critical priorities.
We are actively pursuing comprehensive monitoring of workplace hazards, periodic employee health assessments, fatigue management under challenging climatic conditions, improvements to emergency equipment and medical services, and data-driven incident analysis.
Furthermore, transitioning toward Smart and Data-Driven HSE is one of our key strategic initiatives.
We believe effective management decisions require accurate, transparent, and timely information from frontline operations.
What is your vision for your professional future and the role of safety within the drilling industry?
Our vision is to develop PEDEX's HSE Management System into a comprehensive model of prevention, intelligent management, and employee participation, where controlling hazards before incidents occur becomes an uncompromising principle.
At the broader drilling industry level, I believe we must move beyond a narrow, inspection-oriented approach to HSE and establish it as a strategic partner in major organizational decision-making processes.
Safety must not be treated as the final consideration in the decision-making process.
Instead, it should play a decisive role from the earliest stages of operational planning, design, and engineering.
If you were to summarize the concept of "HSE and Safety at PEDEX" in one short message, what would you say?
"At PEDEX, safety means that no achievement is more important than ensuring every colleague returns home safely to their family.
Sustainable production and industrial development gain their true meaning and value only when human health and dignity remain at the heart of all activities."
Finally, what message would you like to share with PEDEX's dedicated employees, particularly the safety and firefighting personnel serving on the operational frontlines?
In closing, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on National Safety and Firefighting Day, observed on September 29, to all dedicated PEDEX employees, particularly our hardworking HSE and firefighting personnel serving on the operational frontlines and drilling rigs.
Our safety professionals perform their duties under demanding and challenging conditions, the full extent of which may not always be immediately apparent.
However, the true outcome of their dedication, personal sacrifice, and constant vigilance is the peace of mind and protection of the health and well-being of hundreds of colleagues.
I sincerely appreciate the commitment, responsibility, and tireless efforts of every member of our HSE and firefighting teams.
I am confident that by drawing upon our technical expertise, field experience, and organizational solidarity, we will continue to take meaningful steps toward creating a safer, more dynamic, and more resilient working environment for the entire PEDEX family.
Public Relations Department
Pars Energy Drilling and Exploration Company (PEDEX)