Fire Safety: On Time; on Budget and on Spec

The Energy Reform brought relatively rapid changes to the oil and gas industry but one lagging area is the implementation of technology, particularly with regards to safety. Budget restraints at PEMEX, for example, are keeping the NOC from turning its words on safety into action, says Horacio Fajer, General Manager of KDM Fire Systems.

“The adoption of new technology in Mexico is very slow, especially with gas compression systems,” Fajer says. This lack of speed is contributing to PEMEX’s lack of investment in fire safety, which is also a result of the NOC’s stringent budget cuts. Fajer says KDM, which is a partner to PEMEX, has not provided the state company’s offshore rigs with maintenance work for at least two years and for this reason the status of the NOC’s fire systems remains unknown to KDM.

Safety is a main topic of sector discussion as Mexico’s oil and gas industry opens up to international players and Fajer knows all too well the importance of fire safety on offshore rigs, drawing on the two deadly fires at PEMEX’s Abkatún platform in past years as a stark reminder. “The top management at PEMEX tells us that fire safety is a priority but unfortunately we do not see this translated into action.” Fire safety programs are approved at all levels until they hit the last hurdle, namely budget approval, he says.

Problems arise when companies stop counting nearmisses. Recording near-miss accidents is key to preventing further incidents and when this proactive approach is lacking it is a big red flag for safety, Fajer says. “When a near-miss is considered equal to an accident, the analysis allows prevention of future accidents,” he says. Oil rig workers are concerned because this potentially lifesaving approach is not being implemented, he says.

This is exactly where KDM Fire Systems can come into play to help its clients. “We want to become the partner of choice and take care of a company’s entire fire safety needs,” Fajer adds. Oil and gas companies can rely on KDM’s extensive experience in the Mexican market, new innovation-focused strategy and dedication to the highest international safety standards, he says.

KDM Fire Systems, formerly Kidde de México, has transformed beyond a new name. “Whereas before we were a product-driven company, now we assess the risks a company faces, engineer tailored solutions and offer installation and maintenance services too,” Fajer says

Bought in 2016 by Mexican private equity fund EMX Capital, the firm originally provided fire protection products such as flame and gas detection units and suppression systems but has now adopted a more integrated service model. “Kidde has not disappeared,” Fajer says. “We changed but the same brain-power is behind our new model.”

Fajer highlights that KDM is fully involved in the many aspects of a project rather than simply providing products. The change has altered much of the firm’s strategy and he is optimistic that it can offer its clients a better service than ever. “KDM can now assess risk, determine the best way to deal with it, engineer a solution, then install and maintain that solution,” he says. “Our mantra is on time, on budget and on specification.”

The company continues to provide its core product line and will retain the rights for the products, which according to Fajer made them a “partner of choice” for PEMEX. As well as KDM’s success with the NOC, the company supplied the fire suppression systems for the El EncinoTopolobampo pipeline.

KDM’s new structure has not only helped its clients but also allowed the firm to introduce novel technologies into the Mexican market. Since its transition from being a product mover to a fire safety-service provider, KDM can offer its clients certain technologies that Fajer says are not always locally available. Those include an innovative explosion-protection technology, which mitigates the danger of combustible dust causing fires, and foam fireprotection systems.