G4S has been recognised for its outstanding commitment to safe driving practices in Iraq by Basrah Gas Company (BGC), after reaching a key milestone of 20 million kilometres driven with no major incidents. 

Over the past five years, G4S has provided close protection and secure, safe transport for more than 405,000 clients employed on the BGC Project, the largest gas project ever undertaken in Iraq. 

“G4S continues to do an outstanding job in supporting BGC in providing safe security support operations to our staff.” said Chris van den Berg - BGC HSE Director. 

“When considering the recent milestone of 20 million km’s travelled and how safe the operations have been over the years in the challenging road safety environment of Iraq, that makes the milestone all the more a major achievement. We sincerely appreciate the partnership provided to make that happen.”

G4S has provided mobile security services for BGC, a joint venture between Iraq’s South Gas Company (SGC), Shell, and Mitsubishi Corporation, since January 2016. BGC requires stringent international standards and, as such, safety and compliance has remained a top focus area. 

Over the course of the contract so far, the G4S BGC Project team has carried out over 49,000 journeys. On average, the G4S teams currently transport up to 100 BGC employees a day across an 8000 square kilometre area, often in extremely difficult conditions with temperatures over 50C in summer. The major safety threat is the road network, with road traffic accidents posing the biggest risk. Despite fewer people owning cars, drivers are, according to the World Health Organization, more than six times more likely to die in Iraq than the UK. 

“This record shows the dedication of our staff” said Nicholas Fornier, Managing Director G4S Secure Solutions Iraq, Managing Director. 

“It is a fantastic achievement, but it is not surprising. Our employees are highly-trained to ensure that they are prepared for any risks they might face, and we use intelligence and analysis to plan our journeys so that they are as safe as possible. We are very proud of all our employees for reaching this impressive milestone.”

John Nestor-Bergmann, G4S Project Manager said: “Each G4S employee is put through intensive security, road safety and continued defensive driving training to ensure the safety and satisfaction of our clients.

“We currently transport over 3,000 clients every month, using a fleet of 60 armoured vehicles. Our number one priority is the safety and security of our clients, their assets, our own employees and the communities living around them”.

During the coronavirus pandemic period, G4S has continued to operate and support BGC in their business operations completing more than 100 journeys every day.

Additional control measures were implemented to ensure the safety of staff and client, including screens between the G4S Team and clients, provision of hand sanitising gel, regular temperature screening using portable handheld thermo-readers, wearing of mask and social distancing as a routine practise.

Click here to learn more about G4S in Iraq and enquire about our services.