Activities

Official Project Launch

The official Project Launching Ceremony was held on February 26, 2009 at the New York Ballroom of the Conrad Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. HASLA President, Mr. Mahabir Koder, delivered the Welcome Remarks while Senior Project Manager-EU Partner, Ms. Sally Ananya Surangpimol, acted as the Master of Ceremonies as well as delivered the remarks from the EU Partner, Adelphi Research. The Project Overview was given by Mr. Mongkol Phanthumkomol, Senior Project Manager Applicant & Vice-President of HASLA. The ceremony was graced by dignitaries from the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand. Mr. Samuel Cantell, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Operations of the EC Delegation, delivered the Special Address. The Keynote Address was delivered by Mr. Rachada Singalavanij, Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry, Thailand.

The function brought together about 60 people from various stakeholders (industry, academia, government agencies, the media, other associations / interested parties) and helped create the initial exposure to SAFE THAI. The project was warmly welcomed by the Thai Ministry of Industry and other Thai government agencies. Members of HASLA, other industry associations and other industry sectors showed great interest in the Project. The Project Launch ended with a photo session, high tea and networking for all attendees.


Industry wide Survey

An industry-wide survey was conducted starting the end of February through March with the following objectives:

A simple questionnaire with 26 questions was designed and circulated initially to HASLA members through email and physical delivery. The target audience was chosen carefully to represent the various industries handling chemicals, transporting chemicals, storing chemicals, dealing with radioactive material / hazardous waste, packaging chemicals & exporting chemicals. The Project Team was able to elicit responses from 30 participants, representing mainly various groups within HASLA, during the first round of questionnaires. The second round of the survey brought up the total of respondents to 60. The survey results can be downloaded from the download section of this website

Focused group Discussion

After the industry survey, a focused group discussion was conducted on March 12, 2009. A group of 12 experts representing the chemical industry, logistics industry (transport as well as hazardous goods handling), other industry experts (on waste handling, industrial estate management) as well as local regulations experts (from the Ministry of Transport) convened. A four-hour discussion was carried out, moderated by Mr. Mongkol Phanthumkomol, Senior Project Manager Applicant and Ms. Sally Ananya Surangpimol, Senior Project Manager EU Partner.

The discussions of the FGD helped confirm the findings from the industry survey. The survey and the FGD were utilized to generate a Gap Assessment Report which, during the Second Quarter of the Project, will generate an Action and Rollout Strategy Plan that identifies the major training topics for which training material will be developed.

The findings of the Survey and FGD helped identify the gaps existing in the industry in both the understanding & practice of international regulations and industry best practices. Likewise, the gaps in existing Thai laws on hazardous substance handling, storage & transport were determined. The Survey and FGD results have been compiled as a Gap Assessment Report. This document can be downloaded from the download section of the SAFE THAI website.


Learning portal / Knowledge repository

A bilingual Learning Portal with training material on various topics,  such as Multilateral Environmental Agreements; EU Conventions; Industry Best Practices; Behavioural & Technical Training programs on handling,  storage & transportation; Train the Trainer material,  shall be developed. At least 500 individuals will benefit from the Learning Portal.


Training of Local Trainers (TOT)

The Project emphasis is on Knowledge Transfer and building the capacity of at least 15 local trainers  from industry through a 4-day TOT program. Trained local trainers would play a vital role in carrying forward the initiatives and in creating the multiplier effect to sustain the Project efforts.

EU Conference (September 7th and 8th, 2009)

A 2-day conference on the various EU conventions, including the Basel Convention, Rotterdam Convention and Stockholm Convention,  shall be delivered to industry personnel, primarily with the aim of disseminating all information and knowledge on the regulations and their applicability in the local setting.


Behavioural Training Programs

Three (3) days of intensive training shall be provided to operational and managerial personnel covering  behavioural aspects such as behaviour-based safety, defensive driving and other critical topics identified identified the FGD and the Gap Assessment phase.

Technical Training Programs

Nine (9) days of technical training covering a broad range of various topics in the three main areas of hazardous materials and chemicals management - handling, transportation, storage - shall be conducted. Over 50 SMEs stand to benefit from these training programs.