Basra, Iraq
Incident Management (IcM)
All activities at Al-Hajjar are focused on identifying, analyzing, and correcting hazards in order to prevent future recurrence. Incidents are managed through a structured incident management framework and are typically handled by either an Incident Response Team (IRT) or an Incident Management Team (IMT). These teams are designated in advance or appointed during an incident and are granted the authority and responsibility to manage and control the incident until normal operations are safely restored.
In addition to IRTs and IMTs, Al-Hajjar adopts the Incident Command System (ICS) as an organized approach to incident management. While specific details may vary depending on regulatory requirements, the ICS structure generally consists of five core functions: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Where required by the nature or severity of the incident, specialized support roles—including Public Affairs, Safety, and Liaison—report directly to the Incident Commander (IC).
An incident is defined as any unplanned event that has the potential to cause loss, damage, or disruption to Al-Hajjar’s operations, services, or critical functions. If not effectively managed, such incidents may escalate into emergencies, crises, or disasters. Incident management is therefore the systematic process of minimizing the impact of incidents and ensuring a timely and controlled return to normal business operations.
Without an effective incident management system, incidents can quickly disrupt business continuity, information security, IT systems, employees, customers, and other essential organizational functions.
As part of Al-Hajjar’s overall management system, incident management is followed by a structured post-incident analysis. This process aims to identify root causes and determine why the incident occurred despite existing controls and preventive measures. The analysis is conducted under the oversight of Al-Hajjar’s leadership, with the objective of preventing recurrence through corrective and preventive actions, including improvements to policies, procedures, and operational controls. Lessons learned from incidents are used as feedback to strengthen the organization’s safety and security management systems.
In the United States, the National Incident Management System (NIMS), developed by the Department of Homeland Security, provides a comprehensive national framework that integrates proven emergency management practices. Adoption of such frameworks supports higher levels of contingency planning, training, exercises, and systematic evaluation of incident management effectiveness.
