Safety is firmly in the spotlight after an explosion led to the loss of 13 lives and injured 66 workers.
Commenting on LinkedIn, safety professional John Kihanya said, “This is a tough one to reflect on. Working in Qatar, I’ve seen first hand that process safety standards are on another level. Systems like double barrier protection, structured safety briefings and daily safety moments are not just formalities – they are deeply embedded in operations.”
He added that not every incident is a systems failure, sometimes it can be a ‘technical glitch’ within an otherwise strong framework. “But in high-reliability environments, even a single deviation matters,” he said.
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Brady Gentry, an experienced process technology instructor, said the start-up phase is the most dangerous times of a unit’s operations.
The Barzan plant had been intentionally shut down since December 2025 for urgent maintenance and had only just begun its restart process two days prior to the blast.
The explosion was officially classified as a and not sabotage. Qatar’s Ministry of Interior verified that no hazardous gas leaks were detected.
Ashraf Selim, a specialist in LNG procurement structure and market participation in Bangladesh, said, “A truly devastating day for the entire industry … incidents like this serve as a sobering reminder of the risks carried out by workforces operating on the ground every single day.”
QatarEnergy had previously said it was . The cause will only emerge following thorough investigations, and it is unclear whether QatarEnergy will release their findings. The QatarEnergy LNG Safety, Health, and Environment Committee, chaired by the CEO, reflects on major incidents and lessons learned.
Rich Brook, CEO of Garrison Ventures, said the restart of helium plants 1 and 2 will likely be delayed for a full safety review and damage inspection.
