RENAISSANCE DNA An Overview of our Vision and Values

ISSUE 11
April 2012
TOPAZWORLD
Topaz World is a digital internal
newsletter produced by the Topaz
Group which aims to reach every
employee in each country of our
worldwide operations. Please do
forward this to your colleagues and
thank you!
Print only if absolutely necessary.
Our planet, our responsibility.
HEADLINES
CONTENTS
TOPAZ TO THE TEE
02
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
03
TOPAZ EVENTS
04
TOPAZ EARTH
06
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
08
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
TOUCHED BY AN
ANGEL
09
PROFILE
Year 2011 achievements
of The Angel Appeal
10
OPERATION IN FOCUS
12
DID YOU KNOW?
13
TAKE FIVE
14
FUN PAGE
15
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Topaz Annual Golf 2012
The winners list and more...
TOPAZ JOINS EARTH
HOUR 2012
We give you tips on how to
go “Beyond the Hour”
INCINERATORS
TO VIBRATION
MONITORING
We can get it done!
TOPAZ INTRANET
Have you been introduced
yet?
Got a story to share?
Tel: +971 4 440 47 00
Email: topaz.communications@topazworld.com
Read the Renaissance Services newsletter
Editorial Team
Editor: Juanita Egginton
Assistant Editor: Degie Navarro
1
TOPAZ WORLD
TOPAZ EVENTS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
TOPAZ ANNUAL GOLF DAY 2012
New Year’s resolutions – who needs them? They seem to inevitably
lead to letdowns and guilt trips come spring, when we realize that
one (or all) of our resolutions went unfulfilled. So is it best to just avoid
them altogether?
I for one, every year without fail, buy a diary and a journal and I’m
confident that I will write my thoughts down, plan my year, remember
birthdays (which I surprisingly do) and also have all the good
intentions of writing that obligatory list of resolutions in order to be
a better me. I am still making excuses on weight loss, plan to clean
out the closet, sort through my digital photo albums, post last year’s
Christmas cards and learn Arabic among the many ambitious items I
listed that fateful December morning in 2011. So don’t expect to find
a solemn guide to personal growth within these pages (we’ll leave
that to the self-help books).
Rig Repair Services
The Rig Refurbishment arm of Adyard specializes in the execution of
rig repair, refurbishment and upgrade services to rig owners and/or
operators across the Middle East.
Based in Abu Dhabi and operating a 200-meter quayside with a
6-meter plus water depth, we offer services ranging from autonomous
fly away teams working on clients’ operational platforms to total rig or
platform upgrades and conversions in shipyards all while ensuring the
highest HSE standards.
KEY SERVICES AND CAPABILITIES
• Rig platform repair, maintenance and refurbishment
• Specialist jack up services (Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit - MODU):
• Leg repair and replacement.
• Drilling system repair and refurbishment.
• Mud system upgrade, HP well control, hoisting and pipe
handling, bulk chemical systems, diverter systems,
skidding systems, solids control systems, derrick tower
and accessories, instrumentation and drilling related
electrical systems.
• Power engines, fresh water makers, rig air compressors,
sewage units, various rotating pumps, main mud pumps,
oily water separators, cranes and winches.
• Safety and marine systems including lifeboats,
life rafts, towing arrangements and
anchoring systems.
One resolution that we did commit to was to enhance the look and
feel of Topaz World which has now evolved from a lovely magazine
to a more reader friendly newsletter. With only a few tweaks to the
existing deck, we hope to have more staff participation and interesting
reads in the coming issues.
We focus on the operations of our intranet and show you how this tool
can be better utilized. Getting to know our Head of IT and their latest
achievements whilst having valuable information on Earth Hour and
global warming should enlighten you on both subjects. It is certainly
no joke what seafarers are faced with daily – from depression to
isolation – these brave men go
through many discomforts in
order to transport necessities
that we take for granted. Do
pay attention and circulate
the article Getting to Grips to
those you deem fit.
A TOPAZ COMPANY
• Steel repair and preservation.
• Hull systems and equipment.
• Miscellaneous rig piping works
including marine, machinery
and rig systems.
P.O. Box 7604, Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Email: adyard.abudhabi@topaz-engineering.com
Tel: 02-5547722 Fax: 02-5546767 Web: www.topazworld.com
The Rig Repair ad for Upstream, issue 30 March 2012
Keep
those
wordsearch
entries coming to grab the
next prize! Should you have
any ‘office humour’ you’d like
to share with us do send it
along as well.
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Enjoy the weather while it lasts!
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter Issue 11
The BUE Caspian/Topaz Marine ad for the
commemorative 20th anniversary publication of
SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan
Republic).
THE WINNERS AND SPECIAL AWARDEES
The weather was warm but breezy and the
atmosphere was electric with 85 competitive
golfers in 22 teams eyeing for the trademark
crystal trophies and the special prizes. After
registration and morning networking, the
players (who join this event from all over
the world) sped off shotgun style to a Texas
Scramble tournament by 1pm.
Witnessing some professional strokes by
experienced low-handicap players, it was no
surprise when our very own Mrs. Margaret
Donaldson bagged the prize for nearest the pin
(hole #8) whilst Mr. Jason Grimley of Enermech
claimed the prize for the longest drive (hole
#10).
Grand prize winners from left to right:
Neil Graham, Kerry Fitzpatrick, Jeff Taylor
and George Gourlay (not in photo)
After a long afternoon on the greens, the
players cooled down at sunset with drinks,
a sumptuous buffet dinner, and networking
followed by the much anticipated awards
ceremony hosted by Roy Donaldson.
Well if you do have resolutions
for 2012, don’t forget to keep
us posted so that we track
you for our year end issue.
And if you don’t have any,
then I suppose you won’t be
breaking any!
Juanita
The Topaz Divisions (Marine, Oil and Gas and
Marine Engineering) yet again pulled off a
successful Golf Day on Thursday March 29th
2012 at The Montgomerie golf club in Dubai.
The Adyard profile as printed on Oil and Gas
News, issue January 30 - February 5, 2012 Vol.
28 No. 5.
With our star players being part of the top three
teams we saw Roy Donaldson of Topaz Marine,
Loria Blin of Kempenski, Andy Simmons of
Tech Marine Services and David Lawson of
Ace Forwarding as 2nd runners-up (59 net) and
Michael Richard of Teignbridge Propellers, Ulf
Skovli of Jotun and Zhang GuoQing of Atlantis
as 1st runners-up (58.3 net CB) and Neil
Graham of Topaz Marine, George Gourlay of
Global Energy, Kerry Fitzpatrick and Jeff Taylor
of TSC Offshore FZE were the winners (58.3
net) of the 2012 tournament.
Much to everyone’s surprise a business
card lucky draw was held and John Thomas
of Chalmers and Kenneth Moore of Vela
International were drawn as the winners of 2
brand new golf clubs. We congratulate the
winners and thank all the participants for a
successful day of sportsmanship!
Nearest to the pin winner
Margaret Donaldson seen
here with Willie Jackson
Longest drive winner
Jason Grimley seen here
with Willie Jackson
1ST Runners-up from left to right: Michael Richard,
Zhang Guo Qing and Ulf Skovli (not in photo)
Raffle prize winner 1 John Thomas
(center) with Roy Donaldson (left)
and Willie Jackson (right)
2ND Runners-up from left to right:
Roy Donaldson, Loria Blin, Andy Simmons
and David Lawson (not in photo)
Raffle prize winner 2
Kenneth Moore (center) with
Roy Donaldson and Willie Jackson
3
TOPAZ EARTH
EARTH HOUR 2012
The Earth Hour Timeline
HOW TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING
GLOBAL WARMING
Earth Hour 2012 was held
on Saturday March 31 from
8.30pm-9.30pm wherever
you are in the world. Go to
earthhour.org to find out
what was achieved.
Earth Hour is a unique opportunity joining
millions all over the world to become more
sustainable and to do something positive
for the environment. It’s been the source
of inspiration for millions of people taking
steps towards a cleaner, safer future. It’s
not just about saving energy for one hour,
it’s about going Beyond the Hour with
lasting, behaviour-changing actions for a
sustainable planet.
There are lots of ways you can take action
for Earth Hour. Whether you’re a social
media fan or a hands-on organiser, you’re
sure to find some inspiration here
http://www.earthhour.org/page/get-involved
31 MARCH
1 TURN OFF APPLICANCES WHEN NOT IN USE
Turn off lights when not in use. You can save
400kg of CO2 emissions annually. Never
leave electrical appliances on standby mode.
Switch off to save 40% of energy consumed.
Disconnect your mobile chargers when not in
use. 90% of power is wasted when you leave
the charger connected to power.
2 USE ENERGY SAVING APPLIANCES AND
EQUIPMENT
Use low power consumption lamps such as
CFLs. By doing this you prevent 400kg CO2
emissions annually. Operate washing machines
or dishwashers when they are full and during off
peak hours (peak hours in the UAE are between
1pm and 5pm especially June - September).
Use fans instead of air conditioners as much as
possible. An average air conditioner releases
650g of CO2 emissions hourly.
3 USE ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY TRANSPORT
Use mass transport such as bus and metro
whenever possible. Wash your car manually
instead of using the auto-vehicle-wash stations.
This saves not only water but electricity as
well. Don’t leave your car running while parked.
This consumed more fuel and releases more
CO2 emissions. Ensure correct tire pressure,
as this saves fuel thereby releasing lesser CO2
emissions.
4 USE RENEWABLE ENERGY
Use wind, water and solar energy. These are
renewable sources of energy which don’t
release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
5 REDUCE THERMAL WASTAGE
Increase cooling temperature by 1OC and avoid
300kg of CO2 emissions.Replace single glass
windows with double-glazing. Install good
insulation throughout your home. This can
reduce CO2 emissions and save up to 40%
energy. Avoid placing the refrigerator close to
the oven or heater as it may consume more
power. Set water heater to less than 60OC to
save power.
6 INCREASE GREENERY
Planting trees will cool the atmosphere and
contribute in absorbing greenhouse gases.
7 WASTE RECYCLING
Sorting out and recycling:
• 1kg aluminum, saves 9kg of CO2 emissions
• 1kg of plastic, saves 1.5kg of CO2 emissions
• 1kg of glass, saves 300g of CO2 emissions
• 1kg of papers, saves 900g of CO2 emissions
• Reuse shopping bags and food containers
• Use products with less packaging
Global Warming is a gradual increase in earth’s surface temperature due to
an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
It occurs mainly from human activities like destruction of forests, excessive
burning of fossil fuels, desertification, pollution, urbanization etc. that lead
to excessive emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, water
vapour, nitrous oxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons etc.
APRIL
2007
29 MARCH
2008
28 MARCH
JULY
NOVEMBER
Earth Hour 2011 Photos
DECEMBER
2009
Sydney, Australia
27 MARCH
2010
26 MARCH
The Great Wall, China
Westminster, London, United Kingdom
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter Issue 11
2011
The inaugural Earth Hour is held in Sydney Australia
7.30pm - 8.30pm, 2.2 million Sydneysiders and 2,100
businesses participate.
Plans are developed to make Earth Hour a national
event in Australia, but international interest is high
and cities began signing up to the next Earth Hour
campaign.
Earth Hour is held in 371 cities and towns in more
than 35 countries globally at 8pm-9pm. A highly
conservative estimate concludes that 50 million (or
even as high as 100 million) people participated.
Earth Hour held on Saturday March 28 at 8.30pm9.30pm. More than 4,000 cities and towns across 88
countries switched off their lights for one hour.
Earth Hour’s Vote Earth campaign releases the Vote
Earth symbol calling on citizens of the world to show
their Vote for Earth over Global Warming.
Earth Hour’s Vote Earth launches The People’s Orb, a
shimmering silver sphere encasing a 350 gigabyte hard
drive with video, images and documents representing
the hundreds of millions of people who Voted Earth to
call for action on climate change.
Global awareness of climate change soars to
unprecedented levels during an historic meeting of
192 nations at the UN Climate Change Conference
in Copenhagen, Denmark. Vote Earth campaign
culminates on 16th December with Earth Hour
Copenhagen.
Earth Hour is held on Saturday March 27 at 8.30pm9.30pm and succeeds in being a global call to action
to stand up, to take responsibility, and lead the global
journey to a sustainable future. A record 128 countries
and territories take part and iconic buildings and
landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to
the Americas stand in darkness.
Earth Hour is held on Saturday March 26 at
8.30pm-9.30pm and continues to break records for
participation with 135 countries taking part. Earth
Hour 2011 is the first Earth Hour to go beyond the
hour www.beyondthehour.org, by asking supporters
to think about what else they can do to make a
difference.
Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
HOW DOES GLOBAL WARMING OCCUR?
The Earth’s atmosphere allows a large portion of the sunlight to reach the
earth’s surface. The Earth absorbs most of this radiation and reflects part
of it back into space. Much of the infrared radiation reflected is however
absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gases. This
makes the earth’s surface warmer.
There is now clear scientific evidence that the average surface temperature
has risen by about 1OC over the last century. In the last 50 years, the
rate of global warming has been reported to be almost doubled than the
previous 50 years.
WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING?
At current rates, most projections estimate an increase in average earth’s
surface temperature by 1.1OC to 6.4OC by 2100. As the atmosphere gets
warmer, several global changes are expected to happen, with the impact
becoming more pronounced over time.
• Rise in sea levels due to melting of glaciers and polar ice caps leading
to submergence of coastal areas, disappearance of thousands of
islands, increase of salinity of estuaries and aquifers
• Increased extinction of flora and fauna, directly affecting agriculture,
biological diversity and natural habitats like coral reefs and tropical
woods
• Increase in diseases and epidemics such as malaria, typhoid, dengue
fever, cholera on account of conducive temperature, humidity and lack
of clean drinking water
• Acidification of oceans causing significant decline of marine resources.
• Climatic catastrophes ranging from hurricanes, droughts, forest fires,
floods to severe heat waves may lead to food and water shortages
Sea levels rise due to ice caps melting
Devastating hurricanes
Severe rainfall causing flooding
Forest fires
5
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
GETTING TO GRIPS
Statistics show that the rate of suicide
by seafarers is much higher than
other industry sectors with the causes
being depression, stress, loneliness,
separation from families, lack of shore
leave, short ship turnaround times, job
security, safety and cultural problems.
But what rights do seafarers have to
free and effective mental health care
and how keen are they to discuss their
condition with their employers?
A recent survey undertaken on behalf of
Seafarers’ Rights International paints a
grim picture about life at sea. It shows
that over 96% of seafarers interviewed
wanted more information about their
legal rights. Most of those questioned
were worried about unpaid wages,
personal injury and health as well as
contract disputes.
What the survey illustrates is the level
of concern seafarers have on issues
affecting their day-to-day existence.
And this is on top of the pressures
created by an ever-more regulated
sector that only adds to their daily
workload and stress. If these worries
and concerns are not tackled then
the question is how seriously can
they affect the mental wellbeing of
our seafarers? A greater obstacle to
seafarer’s maybe fear of being labeled
as a person with a mental illness and all
of its associated stereotypes. Seeking
mental health care can also have
consequences for a seafarers’ social
acceptance and self-esteem.
So worrying is the problem of seafarer
mental health that the Rotary Club of
Melbourne, South Australia together
with the International Committee
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter Issue 11
on Seafarers Welfare (ICSW) raised
the issue of depression through the
publication of booklets for Masters
and leaflets for non-officer seafarers
in four languages: English, Chinese,
Tagalog and Russian. Indeed,
according to Robert T. B. Iversen, from
the International Service Committee
at the Rotary Club of Melbourne, the
evidence that suicide among seafarers
is a serious problem is incontrovertible.
Suicide by seafarers is much higher
than suicides in general populations.
The causes of mental illness among
seafarers are well known. The
International Committee on Seafarers’
Welfare booklet “Guidelines for Mental
Care Onboard Merchant Ships” (ICSW
2009) cites stress, harassment and
bullying, anxiety, fatigue, disruptive
thinking and behavior and addiction to
alcohol and drugs. To these must be
added loneliness, short ship turnaround
times, lack of shore leave, separation
from spouses and families, job
retention, and long working hours.
back problems. Six key areas (or
risk factors) can be causes of workrelated stress onboard. These are: the
demands of the job; the level of control
seafarers have over their work; the
support received from management
and colleagues; relationships at work;
the seafarers’ role in the organisation;
change and how it is managed.
When under severe
stress, a seafarer
fails to take clear-cut
decisions, re-evaluate
and reassesses
priorities and lifestyles,
and ultimately tends to
fall into unproductive
distractions. This can
There is no doubt that separation
from loved ones creates problems for
seafarers, with the main psychological
problems primarily caused by long
periods away from home and social
isolation as well as the decreased
number of seafarers per ship and
increased automatisation. There are
two schools of thought on tackling
the issue - the industry is increasingly
turning to broadband communication
onboard ship in order to boost seafarer
communication with home via email or
social networks. Yet some owners still
believe that by limiting contact between
the seafarer and his loved ones at
home, it can reduce the element of
worry on the part of the seafarer; a case
of what the eye don’t see the heart
don’t grieve.
Chronic responsibility syndrome is a
kind of burnout where people get
mentally and physically exhausted from
their workload. The symptom is often
described as ‘there’s too much work to
do, and no one else can do it but me’.
Typically it will occur in hard working,
hard-driven people who become
emotionally, psychologically or
physically exhausted.
According to the ICSW, typical
symptoms of stress among seafarers
are insomnia, loss of mental
concentration, anxiety, substance
abuse, extreme anger and frustration,
family conflict and physical illnesses
such as heart disease, migraine
headaches, stomach problems and
Short ship turnaround times are a
problem. In most countries turnaround
times for container ships are not more
than three days and in most cases less
than that. However, bulk cargo ships or
combination container/bulk cargo ships
may be in port for somewhat longer
periods.
be described as a
classic case of ‘burn
out’.
Worries over job security are also an issue. Most non-rated
seafarers are employed on nine or ten month contracts and as
these contract end the seafarers are said to be very concerned
that their contract will not be renewed, thus ending a chance to
send money home. As a result of the 2008 financial crisis, the
shipping industry was severely affected with many ships unable
to obtain charters, causing seafarers to worry about job retention.
“Many ships were laid up and some anecdotal accounts said
newly constructed container ships were being used as temporary
storage warehouses for the surplus of empty containers that
accumulated because of the lack of business,” Iversen said.
A correlation between the work environment and mental illness
is reflected in the link between general health conditions and the
workplace. In its ‘Guide to Surviving Working Life’, the UK-based
mental health charity MIND describes how each year, millions
of work days are lost because individuals suffer from mental
illness caused or made worse by their working patterns. MIND
acknowledges that work can be a positive force in our lives by
providing structure, a sense of identity, contact and friendship
with others and the opportunity to meet goals and contribute.
However, work stress can provoke physical, psychological and
behavioural symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, tearfulness,
mood changes, indecision, loss of motivation, aggression and
withdrawal. There are some simple steps to improve mood and
maintain mental wellbeing – techniques which are “especially
important for anyone feeling isolated and remote, or working in
confined spaces,” so seafarers should take heed.
• Eating healthily and ensuring a good intake of fruit and
vegetables is important, while an excess of starchy foods
should be avoided
• Physical exercise has long been associated to increase
levels of the monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin – a
hormone widely considered to contribute to feelings of
wellbeing and happiness
During a recent study, 100 seafarers participated in regular
exercise regime while an equal number did not exercise at all.
Following extensive data collection, the results showed those who
took part in regular exercised were six times less likely to develop
mental health related problems than those who did.
Raising awareness through media and simply introducing sport
onboard can help reduce a lot of mental health related issues.
Sport is a great remedy for depression. It is also important to
make the seafarer understand how important he, and his role, is.
It is important the crew managers and ship owners reinforce the
value of each seafarer thereby boosting their morale and selfesteem.
During an average day shore side, a person can undertake as
many as 700 to 800 activities compared to 200 to 220 onboard a
ship. Seafarers need to be aware of ways to integrate themselves
within the team, setting their cultural differences aside and work
(and play) together to make their environment a healthy place to
work in.
ANGEL APPEAL
ACHIEVEMENTS 2011
• 25,740 seafarers were able to use the
facilities of the Flying Angel during 2011
• 1,640 vessels visited
• Over 15 cases dealt with, including piracy,
ship wreck, abandonment, repatriation and
negotiating back pay
• 8,000 gift parcels were wrapped and
distributed:
- 1,000 for Iranian New Year
- 1,000 for Ramadan
- 6,000 for Christmas
• Annual fund-raisers:
- Fujairah Marine Ball
- High Tea & Jazz at the British Embassy
Dubai
- RAK Half Marathon
- Nautical Institute Marine Ball
- The ‘Under The Sea’ Ball
• Other events included:
- Community Christmas Carols
- Private Art Exhibitions
- Christmas Wrapathon
• Annual results from sponsorships and
fund-raising initiatives:
- Flying Angel fully funded
- All welfare cases fully funded
- Sufficient residual funds to enable a
AED 1,000,000/- deposit into a
endowment fund
• Major challengers for 2012:
- Piracy – watch this youtube video to
understand this plight better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1-ZmG80pQk
- Negotiating back pay
- Abandoned seafarers
7
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
PROFILE
NICO WINS ADNATCO/NGSCO CONTRACT
SULFUR INCINERATOR DELIVERY
The Automation & Instrumentation division of Nico International
has recently won a three year service contract with ADNATCO
/ NGSCO to carry out vibration monitoring and data analysis to
eight LNG vessels.
Nico International has been providing vibration analysis services
to our customers for rotating machineries for both marine and
engineering industries for past several years using a conventional
analyzer type Entek IRD. Realizing the market trend and business
opportunities, Nico has significantly invested to upgrade its
vibration monitoring and data analyzer equipments with the state
of art Vibxpert Ex Version, Intrinsically Safe, Trending Package,
Dual Channels Mode, OMNITREND Software and Web Report
features. Additionally Nico has also acquired a Separate Octave
band sound analyzer to measure and determine the noise levels.
The main benefit of Vibxpert assisted vibration measurement
and data collection from identified measuring points of rotating
machineries would support software generated trend and
deviation reports.
We also upgraded the skills of the engineers by qualifying them
to Certified Level II vibration course and certified. With plans of
obtaining supplier approval certification for vibration analysis as
approved service provider, Nico approached GL who has taken
up the challenge to audit our capability as an approved vibration
measurement and data analyzing supplier and they have given
provisional qualification.
Adyard recently took delivery of the completed Sulfur
Unit Incinerator for client Technimont / JGC Joint
Venture. The carbon steel vessel is the first to be
completed out of four incinerators under construction
and has a diameter of 37 meters by 7 meters and
weighs 300 tonnes. It has complex SS Burner internals
and a special heat indicating finish external coating
which changes colour as its skin temprature rises.
We get to know Sanjay Joglekar,
who heads the Topaz IT department
NICO PARTNERS WITH MASSON FRANCE
Nico International recently signed an agreement with the Sales
and Service Agency of MASSON Marine of France for the
Propulsion System for workboat application which includes:
(i) Marine Gearboxes both reversing and non-reversing
(ii) Marine Propellors both CP & FP
The agreement entitles Nico for the sales & services of the
Masson Marine products in all the MENA countries.
The client trailer arrived at the
Adyard gate at 1015 hours
Toolbox Talks were conducted by
Adyard and client staff
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter Issue 11
team means confidence in team leadership
and in its vision as well as direction.
I was born and brought up in India and
have worked in the US, UK, Europe, Qatar,
India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and of course
now in Dubai. The diversity and richness of
these countries social, cultural and natural
landscapes keep me continuously exploring,
mingling, and recreating, many things.
Embracing an open identity has allowed me
to appreciate different perspectives, values,
and meanings.
We have overcome our challenges by
getting engaged with various business
units to understand the difficult areas
and functions where IT can give effective
solutions that improve processes, work
efficiently and saves cost. By sharing
best practices it helped our divisional
IT Administrators to resolve problems
efficiently. We also focused on conducting
regular trainings to explain the new
functionalities and features of JDE,
COGNOS and the latest do’s and don’ts of
IT infrastructures.
I’m happily married to Swapna, who is a
lecturer in Physics at Mumbai University,
and we have two sons, Saurabha and
Shantanu.
What brought you to the Middle East?
The trailer being carefully
positioned below the incinerator
The trailer now positioned and
ready to transport the incinerator
My rich experience of working in Oil & Gas
across the value chain and in the software
consulting environment attracted me to
the Middle East. As it is one of the most
“happening” places for Oil & Gas across the
globe, it is the ideal place to be.
What is a typical day at work for you?
The client banner attached to the
side of the incinerator
The trailer started moving out
towards the gate at 1515 hours
The trailer was fully out of Adyard
premises at 1615 hours
Saying bye bye to a successful
project
TOPAZ MARINE ENGINEERING DIVISION SECURES GAC CONTRACT
Topaz’s NicoCraft shipyard in Abu Dhabi has been awarded
a contract from GAC Group to provide completion services
for two crew/cargo vessels. The contract was awarded
based on the shipyard’s capabilities and established track
record. The construction and engineering works that will
be undertaken by the Topaz Marine Engineering Division as
part of the contract include structural works, outfitting and
equipment installation. Upon delivery, the vessels will be
approximately 22 metres long, will carry 24 passengers plus
7 crew, as well as up to 15 tonnes of cargo.
Johan Fulke, Managing Director - Marine Services of GAC
Marine LLC, said, “NicoCraft has all the specifications we
were looking for in a GCC-based company; they are industry
professionals who know how to deliver the right end-product
on time and within budget. This contract marks the start of
an exciting new relationship for both our companies.”
Tell us a little about yourself and your
family.
GAC is a global provider of integrated shipping, logistics,
marine and related services with operations in over 300
offices worldwide.
Thomas Bower, Managing Director of the Topaz Marine
Engineering Division, commented, “Our first contract win
with GAC is further recognition that our combined expertise
in the construction and repair of aluminium and steel
vessels are truly world class. The shipyard has successfully
delivered over 20 vessels in the last 3 years, and has gained
international recognition as an efficient and safety conscious
operation.”
Bower added, “This contract also reaffirms NicoCraft’s ability
to grow and leverage its credentials beyond regional players,
attracting global companies such as GAC to come and build
at its shipyard. We look forward to a long-term, collaborative
partnership between the two companies.”
While traveling to office I normally prioritize
and plan my activities for the day. After
going through emails I plan my day at a
more detailed level, such as managing
resources, resolving specific system
problems or establishing processes.
Normally, my activities are more strategic
than technical and tactical. I also get
involved in discussions with infrastructure
and business application teams and
department heads on various projects,
initiatives and day-to-day issues which
clarify areas that need improvement and
help them to find and implement solutions.
I normally spend at least 1 hour reading on
the latest happenings in technology which is
relevant to our business goals and vision.
What challenges do you face at work and
how do you overcome them?
One of the main challenges we face in
the organization is recognizing that the IT
function is not only for support, reactive
and functional purposes but it should be
more towards strategic and proactive
functions to work with the business. As
individual members of a team bring different
perspectives, skills, opinions and ideas it is
important at the same time to align them in
a way so that IT enables the business.
Making the team understand how to foster
open communication within the group has
also been a challenge. Building trust in a
The IT team recently launched
‘Straight2Bank Access: Oracle Connect’.
Can you tell us a little more about this
project?
This project is one of its kind in the region
and SCB selected Topaz as one of its
privileged customers to implement the
same free of cost. The project has been
implemented by Hitachi Consulting on
behalf of SCB with Topaz IT and our finance
team.
The project is exactly what the title says –
Straight2Bank Access where it eliminates
manual transactions and operating costs
among many other functions. Currently,
majority of our bank accounts are with SCB,
this integration can reduce the time to do
bank reconciliations, updating customer and
supplier ledgers etc.
“We are one of the first
companies in this region
who has implemented
this successfully within 4
weeks against the usual
implementation window of 6
weeks; Kudos to the IT and
Finance teams for its smooth
transition without time lost.”
What are or should be the 5 major
strengths of an ‘IT’ team?
I am proud of my team as we table
extensive and varied experiences which
compliments in efficiently managing and
implementing the future of IT as well
as existing technologies and business
applications in line with Topaz’s vision and
mission.
“One touch of nature makes
the whole world kin.” by
William Shakespeare is my
favourite quote.
What is your favourite...?
Sport - Billiards, table tennis & golf
Cuisine - Mharashtrian food
Movie - Lagan (Hindi movie)
My team has demonstrated time and again
the following strengths:
• Team spirit to achieve the results and
focused on the goal
• Being open to the ideas of others and
share information
• Hardworking and responsive to resolve
the reported issues quickly for all 24/7,
365 days
• Willing to listen without prejudice and
contribute positively to the problemsolving process
• Value and respect each other
professionally
What do you do in your spare time?
I am a fun loving person and I enjoy working
with different types of people. I like a good
challenge to improve at everything I do.
Who is Sanjay outside his profesional life?
I love teaching and am attached to a local
NGO in India which allows me to give back
to the society that has given me so much.
I go trekking and hiking which allows me to
be near to nature. I enjoy photography, travel
to nature reserves, watching team games
which are exciting as well as educational. I
love spending time with my family and close
friends.
If you were not in ‘IT’, what would have
been your choice profession and why?
Most probably a teacher or in Research
and Development. I believe in continuous
learning and sharing the knowledge with
those around me.
9
OPERATION IN FOCUS
THE TOPAZ INTRANET PORTAL
An intranet portal is a tool that unifies access to all company
information and applications into a single, easy-to-access
gateway. It allows users to create customized sites and put
desired content in a site, page or collection of sites and pages.
In the past, intranets are often static sites, essentially serving as
a portable shared drive, serving up centrally stored documents
alongside articles or communications. Today, intranets are
able to provide more value-added capabilities that most
organizations devote considerable resources into its planning
and implementation.
THE TOPAZ PORTAL
The Topaz intranet portal is built on Sharepoint, a web
application platform developed by Microsoft. While intranet
portals are arguably its most common business application,
Sharepoint as a platform is also commonly used to develop
extranets, websites, document & file management, collaboration
spaces, social tools, enterprise search and business intelligence.
The intranet is supported by a Sharepoint server, a specialized
computer that manages access to the intranet’s centralized
resources and services.
INTRODUCING THE TOGD
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Department Info
Topaz Oil and Gas Division recently launched their
new integrated business management system, the
TOGD BMS, developed from within the Topaz intranet
portal.
Management by
Web Administrator
Surveys and Tools
Upload / Edit
Upload
Documents
Download
View
TOPAZ PORTAL
Alerts and
Anouncements
(SHAREPOINT)
TOGD staff can access the BMS here:
The Topaz portal came about as a by-product of the
re-organization efforts conducted in late 2008, Project New
Horizons. During the course of the project, a need for a central
repository was identified. Now the Topaz intranet is available in
all offices connected to the Topaz network.
The Topaz intranet portal’s general structure follows our business
structure. Each division has their own page on the intranet and
subsequently the business units also have their own sub-pages
and so on. The Topaz intranet portal aims to make all Topaz
information such as policies, procedures, announcements, etc
available to all employees regardless of which office they may be
sitting at.
http://topaz-portal/sites/Topaz/TOGD/BMSv0/default.aspx
While how the profile page looks can be pre-determined on the
system by default, you can decide whether to add more detail.
Go on, access your My Site and play around with it!
From the Topaz portal home page, http://topaz-sites/Topaz/
default.aspx, upper right hand corner, you will find a link called
‘My Site’. Click on it and you will be taken to your ‘My Home’
page.
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter Issue 11
Project Updates
Calendars
Got questions or need help with the BMS? Contact:
Ms Karin Lugnegård
Assistant Controls & Reporting Manager
Topaz Oil & Gas
Mobile +971 56 683 1897
karin.lugnegard@topaz-engineering.com
Make the intranet your home page!
MY SITE
A very cool feature of the Topaz portal is ‘My Site’. My Site is a
personal site that gives you a central location to manage and
store your documents, content, links, and contacts.
My Site serves as a point of contact for other users in to find
information about you and your skills and interests.
By default, your My Site includes two parts: a personal site
called ‘My Home’ and a public profile page called My Profile.
You are the administrator of the personal site, which starts
with a private home page. My Site is similar to having your
own personal site on the intranet — you can create document
libraries and picture libraries, calendars, surveys, tasks, and
other SharePoint lists.
The BMS aims to provide a one-stop-site for all TOGD
approved information and standardized documents
such as procedures, manuals, forms, business plans,
newsletters and updates, HSE bulletins, and other
TOGD elevant announcements and notifications. In
the future, the BMS will be the one and only manual
for how business is done in TOGD and the leading
guide for every function and project. In some cases,
the BMS will also serve as the only approved and upto-date source of all documentation to be provided to
clients during projects as well as to auditors and other
external stakeholders.
1) In your brower, type
http://topaz-portal/sites/Topaz/default.aspx
Performance Data
2) Click on the Tools icon on the upper right hand
corner of your browser and select ‘Internet Options’
3) Under the General tab in the Home page section,
click on the ‘Use current’ button and click OK
SHARE PERSONAL INFO
My Site
VIEW COLLEAGUE PROFILES
UPLOAD PHOTOS / ALBUMS
CREATE SURVEYS
PUBLISH A BLOG
SHARE DOCUMENTS
TRACK TASKS
JOIN DISCUSSIONS
That’s it! The next time you start your browser, you will
be taken immediately to the Topaz intranet portal.
Got questions or need help with anything Topaz
intranet or Topaz website related? Want to submit
information?
Contact:
Degie Navarro
Web Administrator
Direct: +971 4 440 47 40
Email: degie.navarro@topazworld.com
11
DID YOU KNOW?
TAKE FIVE
THE WORLD’S CRAZIEST COMMUTES
So you’re stuck on Sheik Zayed Road during the morning rush hour traffic and you’re ten minutes late for work? It could be
worse—as these mind-boggling journeys demonstrate…
5 minutes with Simon Tawro,
our longest-serving Office Assistant
How would your colleagues describe you?
My colleagues and friends would describe me as honest, reliable,
organized and opinionated. I always say what I believe.
Los Pinos zip wire, Columbia
Yakutsk, Russia
Beijing, China
Forget the perils of bullies on the school
bus—for the children of Los Pinos, a
village in the Colombian jungle, the trip
to and from class holds rather more
dramatic dangers. With their settlement
cut off from neighbouring communities by
a 1,200-foot-deep gorge that takes two
hours to walk around, the kids get across
using 1,300-foot zip wires.
When it’s -2°C outside, the thought of leaving
your warm bed and waiting on a frigid train
platform can fill even the hardiest worker with
dread. So spare a thought for commuters in the
eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk—they regularly
have to brave temperatures below -45°C.
Singer Katie Melua claims that there are “nine
million bicycles in Beijing”, but it’s the five million
cars she wants to worry about.
Every morning, around a dozen of them
arrive at the launch pad, armed with their
own pulley, rope and—crucially—a piece
of wood to use as a brake so they don’t
slam into the tyres on the other side at
40mph. Smaller pupils are bundled into
hessian sacks and tied to older children.
Some 60 adults brave the trip daily, too,
often transporting supplies. Nobody
knows what the zips’ weight limits are,
but locals have carried animals, large food
parcels and even furniture across, and the
steel cables haven’t broken. Yet.
Just starting a car in such conditions can, of
course, prove impossible (wealthier residents
use heated garages that cost £20,000—some
four times the average annual salary). But if
travellers manage that, they then have to brave
roads that are so thickly coated in ice that
winter tyres are little help. There are dozens
of accidents each week, as cars skate across
junctions and career off roads.
Waiting too long at the bus stop can be fatal,
too—especially for older people, who can
quickly develop respiratory problems. And
permafrost means an underground tube system
is out. The city will finally be linked to Russia’s
over-ground rail network late this year, though,
so at least residents will find it easier to get away.
Even in London, where rush-hour traffic crawls
along at under 10mph, there are just three million
cars-or 432 cars per square mile. In Beijing, that
figure is 1,226 and, though Beijing is half the size
of London, the average commuting time is around
12 minutes longer at 52 minutes.
The Chinese capital’s economic growth over
the last decade or so has resulted in 1,900 new
vehicles on the road each day, and poor public
transport doesn’t provide much of an alternative.
What’s more, you don’ t get ahead in a country
of 1.3 billion people by waiting your turn, so a
traffic jam on a two-lane highway can quickly turn
into four-lane gridlock as drivers nose into gaps.
Last August, a jam starting in Beijing grew into
a 60-mile tailback that stretched all the way to
Inner Mongolia and lasted nine days. For now,
investing in a pair of trainers and walking to work
is probably the best option.
Tokyo Rail System
You know a city’s got transport issues when it’s coined a
specific phrase, tsukin jigoku, to describe “commuter hell”.
And Tokyo’s commuter lingo doesn’t stop there—or get
much cheerier. White-gloved train pushers, known as Oshiya,
are employed to cram the rail network’s 8.7 million daily
passengers into carriages. The fact that there are plans to
reduce Tokyo’s train capacity to 150 per cent in the next two
years demonstrates the extent of the city’s problem. The Tozai
Metro line frequently operates at 199 per cent capacity.
If there’s one thing worse than navigating a rickety wooden
suspension bridge, it’s having to do so while looking at its
broken predecessor dangling alongside (out of shot). But
that’s the routine of villagers in Hussaini, northern Pakistan,
who need to cart firewood, crops and livestock across the
635-foot-long structure to reach their farmland.
Hussaini Bridge,
Pakistan
A strong gust of wind lifted up the old bridge a couple of
years ago, then smashed it back down, dislodging most of
the slats and rendering it useless. But the new bridge hasn’t
had an easy time of it, either. A recent landslide caused the
water levels of the Hunza River below to rise so much that
the bridge was submerged for weeks. Indeed, even under
normal conditions, the Hunza is no gentle stream. To put it
bluntly, if you fell off the bridge into the rapid-riddled torrent,
you wouldn’t be sculling to safety. Locals try to keep the bridge
patched up as best they can, relying on bits of wood, twine—
and hope.
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter Issue 11
What has kept you with Topaz for so long?
I am happy working for Topaz. I am familiar with all the executives
especially the Chairman who has been very nice to me. A simple
thank you from him makes my day.
What is a typical day at work for you like?
I go to work usually at 7 AM, keep meeting rooms ready and
make sure that everything is organized before the staff arrives.
Then in the evening once everybody has left, I supervise the
cleaners making sure that everything is clean, organized and
working properly before I leave at around 9:30 PM.
What do you like to do in your leisure time?
I make sure I go to church. My week is not complete if I don’t
attend mass. I also do my weekly laundry and cleaning and then I
relax afterwards.
Tell us a little about your family…
I have a small family. My wife Benedicta and I have been married 21
years now and we have been blessed by a son named Kevin who
is currently in college in India.
What would you have liked to do if you were not in your current
career?
I previously trained as an eletrician so that would have been what
I could be doing.
Tell us something we don’t know about you...
I am a nature lover and I enjoy gardening.
Yungas Road, Bolivia
This mountain pass is also known as El Camino de la
Muerte, or “the Road of Death” - and the nickname’s
not a jokey exaggeration. Up to 250 people a year
have been killed on this 38-mile-long stretch since it
was carved into the mountainside in the 1930s and
became a key route for trucks travelling from Bolivia’s
capital La Paz to rainforest settlements in the north.
The road is about as wide as a dining table is long-not
ideal when you’re trying to creep a lorry round a hairpin
bend with a 3,000-foot sheer drop on one side. Add
a smattering of landslides, torrential rain and another
lorry coming in the other direction (even if there is the
occasional narrow passing place), and suddenly the
M25 seems much more palatable. Since 2006, a lessdangerous bypass has provided an alternative to the
worst parts of the route. But, even so, the memorial
crosses and floral tributes that appear at regular
intervals along the Yungas Road show that it remains
far from accident free.
What is your favourite...?
Movie - Adventure movies
Food - Biryani, fish and vegetables
Sport - Cricket
Holiday destination - I would love to go to
Rome one day.
We welcome new members to our great Topaz family.
Chandrashekhar
Pandey
Production Planner
TOGD Abu Dhabi
Mithlesh Pawan
Piping Supervisor
TOGD Fujairah
Soman
Karuppaiah
Structural Draftsman
TOGD Abu Dhabi
Kaja Mohideen
E&I QC Inspector
TFC Fujairah
Narsimha Raju
Painting Supervisor
TOGD Fujairah
Syed Umar
QC Engineer
TOGD Fujairah
Kishor Rana
Project Engineer
TFC Fujairah
Purushotham
Verra
Document Controller
TOGD Fujairah
Waqas Mughal
Mechanical Engineer
TFC Abu Dhabi
Madhan Kumar
Asst Account Manager
TOGD Fujairah
Ranjit Menon
Internal Audit Manager
Corporate Office
Yawar Ali Khan
HSE Advisor
TFC Abu Dhabi
13
CEO
message
from the
FUN PAGE
Wordsearch previous answers
1. CASPIANPROVIDER 2. DOSTLUG 3. SAFETY&QUALITY 4. OCTOBER
5. SPARK 6. PINK 7. WORKBOATS 8. MARINE 9. OILGAS 10. THIRTYONE
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C
RENAISSANCE DNA
An Overview of our Vision and Values
Wordsearch winner for Topaz World Issue 10 was
Karthi Kumar, Mechanical Engineer in Adyard, Mussafah;
seen here receiving his prize from Nikhil Shahane.
5. Which unit recently signed an agreement with Masson of
France?
QUOTABLE QUOTES
6. The term given to the earth’s surface temperature rising
“A successful man is one who can lay a firm
foundation with the bricks others have thrown
at him.”
~David Brinkley
10. Going to and coming back from work
*Remember some answers can be found backwards. Type “Wordsearch”
in the subject and email us at topaz.communications@topazworld.com.
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter Issue 11
•Ethics
•Courage
•People
•Integrity
•Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
•Rewards
•Growth
•Customers •Efficiency & Productivity
•Merit
•Social Responsibility
•Quality
•Profit
•Transparency
10 Growth
We commit to expand our existing businesses and enter
new activity whenever the undertaking appears wise and the
investment sound in relation to the financial condition of the
company.
11 Merit
We commit to apply a policy of nondiscrimination in employment
and promotion. Merit and experience alone should govern, and all
should have equal opportunity irrespective of race, colour, gender
or creed.
5 Health, Safety & Environment
We commit to lend our best efforts to improve and assist the
communities in which we serve and the countries and markets
in which we operate. We commit to provide employment
opportunities to local workforces. We must not reap where we
have not sown.
We commit to conduct all phases of our business under the
highest standards of ethics and morality.
7 Reward
We commit to foster harmony throughout our organisation,
provide satisfactory working conditions; properly reward our
employees by adequate compensation, and to implement reward
schemes. We commit to make Renaissance a place not only
where people want to work, but where they will be happy in their
work, and seek to do their best in the common interest of all
stakeholders. We commit to generate shareholder reward and
enduring share holder value.
14
We commit to serve our customers so well that we will merit a
volume of business from them relatively as great or greater than
that enjoyed by our competitors. To give our customers what
they want, not what we think they want or would prefer them to
want. To deliver projects, products and services on time, in cost
and in compliance with customer specification. To foster nonconfrontational contract relations with customers. We commit to
exceed customer expectations, safely, efficiently and profitably.
We commit to endeavor constantly to improve the caliber of our
people at all levels of our organisation with the objective of having
the best team in each field of the business. This can only be done
by employing the most careful methods of selection, training and
promotion. Without attaining this goal most of the others can
never be reached. With it, they are all possible.
6 Integrity
“By faithfully working eight hours a day you
may get to be boss and work twelve hours a
day.”
~Robert Frost
9 Customers
4 People
We commit to drive and foster a strong Health, Safety and
Environment (HSE) culture throughout our organisation. To
protect the health and safety of our people and all those affected
by our activities. To protect the environment, minimize wastage
and pollution, and ensure efficient use of natural resources. To
provide a safe and healthy work place for our employees and
contractors.
Laughter the Best Medicine
4. IT stands for Information __________
9. Over 80 players participated in this Topaz annual event
•Reality
3 Values
2. The portal in which everything Topaz is available
8. The platform on which the intranet is built
We commit to continually improve our systems, our methods
and our facilities so that our costs will be as low or lower and our
quality as good or better than our competitors.
•Vision
1. What did we observe last 31 March 2012?
7. The computer that manages access to a centralized resource or
service in a network
8 Efficiency & Productivity
We want Renaissance to be recognized as a world class,
internationally competitive, premier services company. This
shall be achieved through the quality of our customer service;
good governance; outstanding HSE, Quality and MIS systems;
a sustained growth and profit record; and a proven ability
to improve the economic well-being and quality of life of all
stakeholders; Customers, Employees, Shareholders, Suppliers
and the Communities in which we serve.
2 4 Dimensions of Renaissance Leadership
Word Search
3. A common reason affecting a seafarer’s mental health
1 VISION
TOPAZWORLD Newsletter
12 Social Responsibility
13 Transparency
We commit to apply the highest standards of good governance.
To inform our employees, shareholders, customers and the public
fully and regularly regarding our plans, our progress and our
problems.
14 Quality
We commit to embrace a Quality Assurance culture. To drive and
foster a “continuous improvement” credo in everything we do.
Never satisfied, always innovative.
15 Profit
We commit to make an annual return on our sales and our
invested capital as good or better than any other company in
each business area, ensuring each business entity achieves and
exceeds agreed business plans.
15