The current paper provides a narrative of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of a greenfield project located in a remote part of Papua New Guinea. HIA, in the context of this project, is presented as one of the processes that a company needs to go through in order to develop a site-specific Health Management System (HMS). The objective of a narrative is to tell a story; in this case the story describes how the HIA was carried out. Many guidelines on HIA exist and HIA reports are available. However, very little information is published and presented about the challenges encountered during the delivery, as well as about the management issues that need to be addressed in order to deliver an HIA in remote regions. Up to now we have focused on creating rules and structures for HIA; however, not enough attention has been given to their implementation, and even less to the consequences for not complying with the recommendations. Furthermore, impact assessments are usually described on their own or within the life cycle of the project. However, there is little information on how this process links with the other ones in the development of a site-specific Health Management System and which kind of choices are made in this regard. Projects always interact with the external environment where they are located. This environment poses health, safety and security risks for the project. At the same time this broadly defined environment, where the project is located, is altered and impacted by the project itself. Therefore, the “project” and “environment/context” are two essential parameters to understand the health challenges that a company need to manage when starting a greenfield project. The paper concludes systemizing the experience of this HIA in key practical tips for people implementing HIA of complex projects in remote locations

1. How Can You Manage Health?
SPE-157446-PP
Comprehensive HIA of greenfield gas project in
Papua New Guinea
Francesca Viliani, Peter Curtis, Philippe Guibert, Dick Hooper -
International SOS & Michael Martin - InterOil

2. HIA potentially powerful but still orphan process
Slide 2

3. InterOil Project - PNG
Slide 3

4. Project and context
Slide 4

5. Integrated Health Management System
Slide 5

6. Health Impact Assessment
Slide 6

7. Analyses and recommendations feed in overall HMS
Slide 7

8. Tips for successful HIA
At strategic Head Quarter (HQ) level
• Ensure there is a process owner
• Ensure that within the project life cycle there are
relevant and well placed triggers relative to HIA
Slide 8
• exploration seismic, site
surveys and exploration
drilling, construction,
expansions, etc…

9. • Develop internal HIA/ESHIA guidelines
based on international practice and
standards but also reflecting your
organisation
• Facilitate dialogue among company
departments on integrated management
plans - health and safety of the workforce
is strictly linked to that of communities
Tips for successful HIA
Unsure if your company’s internal requirements
are in line with the HPI industry standards?
Get advice from a HIA expert

10. Tips for successful HIA
At the project level
Complete HIA steps in order
1. Screening - clarify rational for HIA
2. Scoping - understand project and
context and begin to plan
3. Appraisal and report writing - engage, explain, implement
and supervise
4. Monitoring and evaluation - the HIA process should build on
foundations to help the project proponent implement and
monitor the recommendations
Slide 10

11. • Allocate and define HIA core roles during screening
• Have an information sharing system in place
• Consultation and data collection should be meaningful
for the company and local communities
• The HIA team should include at
least 1 person from the local
area and a public health expert
Tips for successful HIA

12. Resource challenge
The PNG Dept. Health is calling on resource companies
to undertake health impact assessments for new
projects
• PNG Health Secretary Pasco Kase said Dept. Health
wants to plan with the resource sector to mitigate negative
impacts and ensure positive benefits are realised
• The Dept. Health will call on the PNG
Government to amend the mining act to
ensure HIA’s are completed during the
licensing approval process
From: PNG Post-Courier September 4, 2012
Slide 12

13. Acknowledgements
The Purari River communities
PNG Medical Research Advisory Committee
The Provincial Health team
&
InterOil management team and staff
Slide 13