Overview

International SOS provided a site health risks assessment to a large Engineering and Construction organisation operating in Iraqi Kurdistan, and supported them in maintaining compliance standards and risk monitoring.

Problem

One of the renowned Engineering and Construction organisation from Europe was concerned about health risks for their staff who were going to initiate a project in the eastern part of Iraqi Kurdistan. They were keen to take steps towards mitigating these risks prior to commencing operations, as well as contingency planning.

Solution

International SOS, which has over a decade of experience and presence in Iraq, provided an initial brief to the organisation on the overall health risk factors to be considered when operating in the region.

After obtaining additional information, such as the specific areas of operation, duration, and their employee readiness schedule, it became evident that prompt planning was necessary to prevent any potential delays in starting the project.

We deployed our expert health and security consultants, who are responsible for Iraq and the Kurdistan region, to the site. They mapped key risks as well as available resources to manage those risks. Assessment of medical facilities, medical transport providers, security evacuation routes, etc. were conducted as well. Our team then prepared a detailed report with key recommendations and actionable items, for presentation to the organisation.

After receiving all the information first-hand, they became aware of the urgent need to make preparations and arrangements for the well-being and safety of their employees in order to avoid any delays in the project's completion.

Impact

The organisation confirmed that while they were aware of some of the health and security risks prevailing in Iraqi Kurdistan, they were unaware of several other factors which would have escalated the risks to medical and security emergencies, if they had gone to the site without proper risk mitigation measures.