TBY talks to Khalig Ismayilov, President of Safe Life, on fire safety and industry challenges.

TBY What are the basic principles of Safe Life’s activities?

KHALIG ISMAYILOV The basic principle of the activity of Safe Life is to ensure the fire safety of citizens, to arrange training for fire prevention and emergency situations, and to avoid casualties and loss of material possessions. It is noteworthy that the goals we set during the establishment of the company have been achieved. However, it was not easy to manage because many citizens are inexperienced in this sphere, which complicates the situation considerably. The number of goals set by our specialists increases year by year, along with the expansion of the range of services we offer.

What are the main services that Safe Life offers?

We audit customer facilities and our specialists inspect all premises and territories listed in the application with special measuring and inspection equipment to find where they have not conformed to the adopted standards of fire safety, as well as highlighting potentially dangerous inflammable and explosive areas. After this, a customer is provided with a list of technological tools and measures necessary to prevent an emergency situation. This list is made in accordance with clearly defined technical specifications so that the facility can be accepted by the State Commission. Our company utilizes all existing techniques to conduct fire prevention monitoring right up to onsite surveillance. Surveillance is carried out by cameras connected to intelligent systems on acquisition and analysis of video images as well as by monitoring facilities through fire control panels. It is noteworthy that a necessary level of fire safety may always be established by various methods. Safe Life experts are always involved in solutions confirming to fire-prevention regulations through consultations. This provides an opportunity to choose a solution that is more optimal for a certain facility and perfectly meets the requirements of customers depending on their financial situation, employment of certain staff, aesthetic requirements, and so on. For example, it is more rational to apply technical tools at hazard-intensive facilities. In cases when 24-hour duty personnel are employed at a facility, there is an opportunity to apply a simplified automatic system or to offer a dual system of monitoring by using a scheme of connection to a panel of central surveillance. There are clients who prefer external wiring on steel pipes in order to save means, whereas others reject an import plastic duct and prefer to acquire wireless detectors

What challenges exist in putting out fires on oil and gas platforms?

Extinguishing a fire on an oil and gas platform is considered to be the most difficult. To prevent fire on oil and gas platforms, ordinary water is replaced by seawater. Water passes through a special sprinkler and is dispersed into millions of small droplets that later turn into a tight fog. Consequently, the oxygen entering a fire zone is blocked and the fire is put out. That is how our system works.

How many employees do you have and what range of skills are required?

We have approximately 100 employees. We look for our employees to be experienced, qualified, creative, punctual, intelligent, and good team players.

How have security regulations and fire standards evolved?

Safe Life maintains tight cooperation with government agencies and organizations by rendering them different services in the field of supply of fire extinguishing equipment and the conduction of training, and so forth. It is noteworthy that of late major importance has been attached to ensure the fire safety of public facilities. For this reason, most our company’s operations are in the installation of new or the renewal of old fire warning and safety alarm systems, supply of fire extinguishing equipment, installation of smoke removal and ventilation systems, fire proof doors, and fire alarm systems at strategically important state facilities.

Safe Life recently participated in the Seventh Caspian Energy Integration Award 2011 Ceremony and was awarded the prize of safety company of the year. What is the significance of such an award?

Winning such an award makes us more responsible in our business and pushes us to comply with the requirements of our customers completely in order to provide them with a high quality of innovative equipment and services.

How would you assess the security requirements in Azerbaijan as compared to the standards of neighboring countries and international standards?

Safe Life focuses on ensuring non-stop and efficient operation of a system of central surveillance over facilities located on the Absheron peninsula. Customer facilities remain under the surveillance of an operators’ monitoring system for 24 hours around the clock. Thus, the fire safety of the facility is under the responsibility of our company. In this way, a client ensures the safety of his facility. As far as the other services offered by our company are concerned, we receive requests from all regions of the country and successfully install the most complicated fire extinguishing systems. In the near future, we plan to expand the range of services on centralized monitoring and carry out surveillance in all the regions of the country. Also, we plan to expand to the international market and are working on entrance strategies.

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