In the modern business world the abbreviation HSE stands for Health, Safety and Environment. In practice this means that any business has legal responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of employees and other people affected by their business activities while operating in an extremely friendly manner towards the environment.
If you happened to be present at any meeting in a western oil company the first thing you would notice is that the meeting starts with a brief safety introduction, that is to say an action plan that you have to follow in case of emergency. Another example of how seriously HSE is taken is that at every operational meeting or meeting related to the general company performance one of the first indicators to be discussed is performance in HSE. The lower the number of incidents or accidents, the better it is for the company.
Oil companies put HSE first amongst their priorities because the stock market and the shareholders consider the HSE performance of companies to be a main indicator of the professionalism of the company. Everybody who works in companies like these, anywhere, is responsible for getting HSE right. Good HSE performance and the health, safety and security of everyone who works for the Company arc critical to the success of its business.
Goals can be simply stated: no accidents, no harm to people, no damage to the environment. Under these circumstances companies continue to improve the environmental and health impact of their operations by reducing waste, 50 emissions and discharges, and using energy efficiently. They will produce quality products that can be used safely by their customers. leaders within companies are held accountable for accomplishing the HSE goals by demonstrating correct HSE behaviors, by clearly defining HSE roles and responsibilities and by providing needed resources and by measuring, reviewing and continuously improving HSE performance. In many companies the yearly bonus is not paid, if the HSE targets are not achieved.
The leadership is responsible for the HSE performance of its workforce. They should do this by personal example, by developing employee's positive attitude towards HSE, setting clear goals and objectives, and creating an environment where employees understand it is all right for them to stop the work if they think HSE rules are not being followed.
All accidents, incidents or any other event causing danger to health safety or environment (including near misses an accident that nearly happens), no matter how severe, need to be reported. Once reported they should be investigated and analyzed to develop learnings which can be used to prevent the same accident from occurring again. These learnings are distributed throughout the company.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) provides the last line of defense in protecting employees from injury and illness in the workplace. It docs not replace prevention of an accident in the first place but it is an essential part of the HSE management system.
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Alcohol and drug use is not permitted by the company and leaders shall ensure people under the influence of alcohol or drugs are not permitted to work on any company location. Storage or distribution of alcohol is not permitted anywhere under the company control. The company will carry out random testing for alcohol and searches for drugs and alcohol. If an employee is found to be addicted to drugs or alcohol the company will contribute to medical treatment.
No work shall commence until the number of HSE conditions are met. Risk and safety assessment have been done. All personnel are appropriately trained to do the work. The correct PPE is being worn. An escape plan form the place of work is in place. A permit to work for hazardous areas has been obtained. If any changes are made to the work conditions after the relevant permissions are obtained then work will stop.
When work is to be carried out at less than 2 m from the edge at a height of 1.3 m or more the following HSE rules must be followed: a fixed platform with hand rails shall be used; a preventer (safety line) shall be used that can bear the weight of at least 700 kg per person attached; special instructions and training for persons working at height shall be given.
Lifting operations utilizing cranes, hoists, or other mechanical devices can be carried out under the following conditions: risk assessment has been carried out prior to the work starting; all involved staff (crane operators, assistants etc) have been trained and certified (and carry the certificates) to operate the lifting machinery. The lifting equipment should have an up to date technical inspection certificate.
Vehicle Requirements: all vehicles must be fit for the purpose and be maintained and in a safe condition; scat belts must be present and functional and the vehicles should be fitted with a fire extinguisher and first aid kit; the number of passengers and loads should not exceed the manufactures specifications.
Drivers Requirements: seat belt must be worn by all the occupants at all times, whenever a vehicle is in motion; drivers must hold the appropriate licenses; drivers must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol; headlights are to be used day and night during the winter; mobile phones arc not to be used when the vehicle is on motion.
Contractors are one of the key factors in the company's HSE performance. Contractors are expected to follow the same HSE requirements as the employees; therefore contracts will contain an HSE section. The company will use contractors that meet the standards of HSE required and will work with other contractors to help them improve. The company will also continuously monitor the contracts HSE performance and demand improvements when identified.
The crisis and emergency management system is a system of interaction between various company units to manage the company's activities in the event that various incidents, accidents and other emergencies arise.
In the air protection area the company will monitor all polluting emissions including green house gas emission, eliminate continuous flaring of associated gas, strive to avoid working in environmentally protected or sensitive areas, strive to avoid installing impassable obstacles that may prevent migration of animals, minimize the impact on wildlife, minimize the consumption of fresh water; not discharge waste water into the water table, carry out its operations in a manner that doesn't contaminate water sources, continuously monitor its water usage and discharge, optimize land usage to minimize the industrially effected area, avoid operating in native habitation areas or sites of archeological or cultural value, minimize soil erosion.
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(www.tnk-bp.com)
The words to be memorized:
abuse
to accomplish HSE goals ,
accident
associated gas flaring
backfilling
to be addicted to smth (v) -. ( )
to be certified (v)
to be held accountable
to be under the influence of smth -.
biodiversity preservation
contractor
damage to (v)
discharge ( )
to eliminate (v) ,
emergency ,
emissions ( )
to ensure (v) - ,
an escape plan
to exceed
fire extinguisher
first aid kit
to follow the rules
greenhouse gas
hand rails
harm to (v)
hazardous
headlights
HSE(Health, Safety and Environment) (), () ()
impassible obstacles
incident investigation
injury ,
learnings
leadership
legal responsibility
license
lifting operations
to meet the standards
near misses
operational meeting
performance
to permit (v) ,
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ()
to prevent (v) ,
preventer/safety line
to report ,
risk assessment
seat belts
security
severe ( )
up to date ,
water table
