Youm7-
As part of implementing the fifth pillar of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ work strategy—aimed at supporting safety, providing a secure working environment, and preserving and protecting the environment and the health and safety of workers and stakeholders in accordance with laws, regulations, and professional best practices—the Transport and Distribution Department, along with the Occupational Health, Safety, and Environmental Protection Department of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), held the quarterly regular meeting for petroleum product transport and distribution companies. The meeting discussed the companies' procedures for the continuous development of the health and safety system related to the transportation and handling of petroleum products via tanker trucks. This effort is part of a comprehensive plan to manage human, operational, and procedural elements with greater awareness.
Engineer Ayman Abdel Badi’, EGPC’s Executive Vice President for Transport and Distribution, highlighted the importance of continuous improvement and integration within the tanker truck transport system. He emphasized the need to learn from challenges to achieve necessary adjustments and development, given the economic significance of the system. Being a key component of the petroleum industry, tanker truck transport is essential for meeting local market needs for petroleum products. The more the system can prevent and reduce accidents, the more it positively contributes to market stability. He noted that the Ministry of Petroleum and EGPC give this system great attention and fully support efforts to enhance it.
Dr. Tamer Ayash, EGPC’s Assistant Executive President for Occupational Health, Safety, and Environmental Protection, emphasized the importance of continuous dialogue and idea-sharing among all system participants, as well as raising awareness among workers about the importance of health and safety as a core part of their daily behavior. He explained that, in line with the ministry’s strategy and EGPC’s goals—under the current phase's slogan “Goal Zero: No Harm – No Leaks”—a series of major initiatives and procedures have been adopted to enhance the safety system for transporting petroleum materials by road. These measures are aligned with the best global practices and aim to ensure the safety of individuals, assets, and facilities.
Major General Mohamed Farag, EGPC’s Assistant Executive President for Security, pointed out that ongoing communication between all system components—including contractors—is crucial for securing the entire system and reducing or avoiding accidents. He also stressed the importance of strict adherence to procedures, regulations, periodic analyses, and inspections.
The meeting was attended by Engineer Mohamed Magid, Chairman of Misr Petroleum Company; Engineer Ibrahim Mowafi, Chairman of Nile Petroleum Marketing Company; Accountant Mohamed Ibrahim Farhat, Chairman of Petrogas; and Engineer Mahmoud El-Qafas, Chairman of Saham Petroleum. During the meeting, tanker truck accidents that occurred during the first half of 2025 were reviewed, along with their direct and root causes and the necessary recommendations to prevent recurrence.
The meeting also included a review of achievements made during the past period, challenges that were addressed and overcome, and the upcoming work plan aimed at achieving a qualitative leap in the road transport safety system for petroleum products. The objective is to enhance resource sustainability and operational efficiency based on four key factors: the internal transport system within companies, drivers, the tanker trucks used, and the roads used for transporting petroleum products.
Regarding the internal transport system within companies, EGPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TotalEnergies to provide specialized consultancy services to improve safety and quality standards in the petroleum transport sector in line with global best practices. This project, titled “Development of the Heavy Transport Safety Management System,” includes a comprehensive framework based on seven main pillars aimed at significantly improving petroleum transport management. One outcome of this project was the completion of a gap analysis for the road transport safety system for petroleum products in the Mostorod area (Misr Petroleum) and the Cairo area (Cooperation Petroleum Company). An action plan was prepared and implementation has begun, with preparations currently underway to start a new phase for ensuring the execution of the action plan and conducting a gap analysis for another EGPC-affiliated company.
Regarding drivers, training programs are being implemented to provide continuous annual training for all drivers on safe and defensive driving, with the aim of improving their skills. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Petrosafe and the Egyptian Safe Driving Center to train drivers on defensive driving techniques. Additionally, Saham Petroleum Company has introduced an advanced simulation system using the latest scientific and practical methods to enhance driver performance. Monthly awareness campaigns are being conducted across EGPC-affiliated companies to promote safe and defensive driving and to improve response to emergencies.
For the tanker trucks used in petroleum transport, EGPC issued the unified guide for road safety in transporting petroleum products (EGPC-SF-TN-001), which sets out requirements and specifications for tanker trucks in accordance with the ADR (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road). EGPC also began studying the establishment of an internationally accredited inspection center for tanker trucks in collaboration with Saham Petroleum and a major company in Egypt’s petroleum sector to ensure the trucks' safety before operation. Coordination is ongoing with TotalEnergies to use its inspection center in Suez until the new centers are completed. EGPC has also set up monitoring rooms using GPS to track tanker trucks 24/7, enabling immediate intervention to address any violations.
As for the roads used for petroleum transport, a road assessment is currently underway in collaboration with Saham Petroleum and a specialized company. This assessment covers all roads used by EGPC-affiliated transport and distribution companies (Cooperation Petroleum, Misr Petroleum, Saham Petroleum, and Nile Petroleum Marketing) to identify risks and implement effective solutions. To support the safe journey management system, EGPC is coordinating with companies to ensure its effective implementation. A unified template has been issued and distributed to all affiliated companies to be adopted in daily operations, ensuring that each trip is pre-planned, risks are identified, and preventive measures are in place—contributing to accident prevention and the safety of people and property.