Cover single - Santos

REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENT & SAFETY
22
TRCF (rate)
Safety Performance
20 19
18
16
14
12
10
10
8
8
6
4
2
0
1998 1999 2000
Environment
Santos operates in many varied
environmental settings throughout
Australia. The Company has a
long history of conducting its
activities in a way that avoids
and minimises potential impacts
on the environment.
Santos’ first environmental
professional was employed
in 1980. Since that time, the
Company has established a core
team of dedicated environmental
advisors as well as incorporating
environment into the line
management function. As
with safety, the environment is
everyone’s responsibility – be they
employee or contractor, operator
or manager.
The Company’s environmental
policy was updated in 1997
and it is used as the basis of a
comprehensive environmental
management system tailor-made
for Santos. The Corporate
component of the Santos
Australian Environmental
Management System
incorporates corporate
requirements which are reflected
in the more detailed Business Unit
sub-systems. This ensures that
the differing, specific regulatory
requirements of the various States
within which Santos operates can
be reflected in sufficient detail to
enable easy comprehension and
compliance with State and
Territory requirements.
Santos has achieved high
standards of environmental
performance – illustrated by
the many awards it has received.
Relationships with regulatory
bodies are robust and positive
and focussed on an evolving
process of co-regulation.
Emergency contingency plans
have been established for all key
operating areas. These are tested
and updated on a regular basis.
All environmental incidents are
reported and rectified. Issues
identified as causal factors are
incorporated into ongoing risk
management and modified
procedures aimed at preventing
reoccurrence in all similar
circumstances. During 2000
Santos was not fined or
prosecuted, nor did it receive any
notices of non-compliance.
This process of continual
improvement underlies the Santos
Environmental Management
System, which in itself is subject
to constant evolution, amendment
and change – reflecting both
external and in-company changes
over time. The ultimate aim is to
achieve a level of excellence by
constantly bridging the gap
between admirable rhetoric and
the realities of the harsh, remote
natural environmental in which
the majority of Santos’ operations
are located.
Safety
Santos investigates and reports
all accidents, near misses and
hazards. The measure of safety
performance used is the Total
Recordable Case Frequency rate
(TRCF) which is defined as the
number of Recordable Cases
(Medical Treatment and Lost
Time Injuries) per million hours
worked by Santos employees
and contractors.
In 2000, Santos recorded a
continued improvement in its
safety performance achieving
a further reduction of 20%,
following an almost 50%
reduction in 1999, in its
TRCF rate.
The Company strives for the
highest standard of occupational
health and safety (OH&S) and
is fully committed to a work
environment free of injuries. While
this has not yet been achieved,
the progress for the past two
years indicates continual
improvement and progress
toward this.
Under Santos’ OH&S policy,
all employees and contractors
have specific responsibilities for
observing and maintaining a
safe working environment. Of
particular emphasis for safety
programs has been the intent
that contractor safety
performance should match that
of Santos’ employees. Many
contractors now achieve safety
performance matching that of
Santos employees.