45 Kosmos’ top priority is ensuring the safety of our workers and the integrity of our operations. Nothing is more important to us, and we strive to eliminate incidents and injuries. When Staatsolie let us know that there had been a fatality at Natuurtechnisch Instituut (NATIN), a lower technical school in Paramaribo, we started thinking about how we could use our expertise to help build a safety culture at the technical school. In 2016, Kosmos launched a multi-year safety culture program at the NATIN campus with the goal of establishing a safe learning and working environment for all students and staff members. The NATIN campus also houses two other schools, Surinaamse Technische School 2 (STS2) and Avond Middelbare Technish Opleiding (AMTO). The program was developed through consultation with the staff at NATIN, STS2 and AMTO, as well as the Ministry of Education and Staatsolie. The project steering team evaluated several options for safety course providers against the criteria of applicability, scalability, and level of time and resources required for sustainability. The team selected a combination of training providers to teach both practical and theoretical safety concepts: •  SafeStart is a global “train the trainer” program that teaches behavioral based safety techniques. Participants learn to recognize the state-to-error patterns that cause most injuries in the classroom, workplace, on the road, and at home. •  The “Health and Safety Foundations at Work” course from the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, or NEBOSH, is an accredited program that teaches practical skills in risk identification and risk reduction. The SafeStart program includes instruction to certify teachers at the NATIN campus to become SafeStart trainers. Safety experts worked with the teachers to administer the SafeStart program, thus ensuring ongoing reinforcement of safety concepts. The NEBOSH program is an intensive program offered to staff at the technical schools to help them identify and control potential hazards on campus in order to reduce accidents and injuries. The program launch in late 2016 was met with enthusiasm from students and teachers alike. The kick-off event was held at the National Indoor Stadium to accommodate all 2,325 student participants at once. Participants shared stories of how they were able to take what they had learned and apply the safety concepts not only at school, but also with their families at home. Although Kosmos will continue to play a supportive role, teachers at the NATIN campus have now developed their own Health and Safety Committee to oversee and ensure the sustainability of the safety programs. It is critical for students at NATIN, STS2 and AMTO to internalize and practice skills and attitudinal shifts around safety before graduating and entering the workforce. As Suriname’s extractive industries continue to grow, it is our goal that safety be fully integrated into the country’s vocational technical education, which will help build the safety culture of the Suriname workforce for years to come. Kosmos Energy Suriname Country Manager and Vice President Tom Fauria presents on the importance of a strong safety culture. BUILDING A SAFETY CULTURE AT TECHNICAL SCHOOLS IN SURINAME “Approximately 2,500 students and 300 teachers from NATIN, LTS2 and AMTO are visiting the NATIN campus at J. Lachmonstraat every day. The high number of people using heavy machinery in the practical facilities increases the risk of accidents. NATIN aims to implement internationally known and accepted safety standards. Kosmos Energy has international experience in implementing and maintaining safety standards, and NATIN is benefitting from this experience through our current Safety Culture Project in partnership with Kosmos. This project will make our trained students more employable because they will be more capable of creating safe workplaces.” C. Y. GRÜNBERG – WIJNGAARDE Director NATIN-MBO (Suriname Institute for Natural Resource and Engineering Studies)