The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Osayande Igiehon has announced a major operational safety achievement, reporting that the company has reached 10 million man-hours without a Lost Time Injury (LTI) across its operations at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 17 in Nigeria.
In a statement reflecting on the milestone, Igiehon described the achievement as more than a statistical record, emphasizing that it represents sustained protection of workers’ lives, preservation of families, and the strengthening of a safety-first corporate culture within the organization.
Five years of injury-free major operations
According to the company leadership, it has been over five years since Heirs Energies assumed operatorship of OML 17 without recording any fatality or LTI linked to its operations. The company says this outcome reflects consistent adherence to safety protocols across one of Nigeria’s most active onshore oil and gas assets.
Igiehon noted that the milestone carries personal significance, stating that throughout the period, there had been no need to visit families to report work-related fatalities — a reflection, he said, of the organization’s emphasis on prevention and accountability.
Safety culture driven by employee ownership
Central to the company’s safety performance is its “Empowerment-Based Safety Model,” built on the principle that “Everyone is a Safety Officer.” The approach decentralizes safety responsibility across all levels of the organization, encouraging employees—from engineers to finance and legal teams—to actively identify and address risks in real time.
Management explained that the model moves beyond traditional compliance-based safety systems by embedding safety awareness into daily operational behavior rather than confining it to a specific department.
Performance under pressure in a high-risk sector
Operating in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector, particularly in onshore assets like OML 17, is widely regarded as high-risk due to complex infrastructure, field operations, and environmental conditions. Despite these challenges, the company says it has maintained continuous production alongside its safety record, demonstrating that operational efficiency and workforce protection can coexist.
Igiehon described safety discipline as a “fragile achievement,” noting that it must be continuously maintained and improved, as any lapse could reverse years of progress.
Leadership perspective
The CEO expressed appreciation to staff across the organization, crediting collective discipline and shared accountability for the milestone. He framed the achievement as evidence that strong corporate culture, when consistently applied, can produce both safe and productive operations in demanding industrial environments.
The milestone positions Heirs Energies as one of the operators highlighting safety performance as a core metric alongside production efficiency in Nigeria’s energy sector.