DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN BHP PETROLEUM

Abstract

BHP Petroleum Pty Ltd (BHPP) is subdivided, worldwide, into three 'regions'—Australia/Asia; Europe/Russia/Africa/Middle East; and Americas—each a self-contained, operating entity, each with its own system of management. The Australian/ Asian operations group within BHPP is implement­ing an integrated management system, of which the safety, occupational health and environmental ele­ments will form crucial components. The manage­ment system has been designed to provide manage­ment control of safety, health and environment issues for all of the BHPP producing operations in Australasia. The Safety, Health and Environment Department of BHPP provides a region-wide func­tion for Australasia, and the safety, health and environment portions of the management system, which the Department is helping to develop and implement, will document planned requirements at a number of levels: region-wide requirements for all departments (e.g. implementation of corporate policies, legislative compliance, emergency man­agement, auditing, permit-to-work, health promo­tion, incident investigation, environmental approv­als, etc), requirements specific to the Operations Department (e.g. safety/environmental auditing of plants and facilities, monitoring of oil spills/green­house gas emissions), and requirements specific to operational sites within the Operations Depart­ment. Responsibility for development, implemen­tation, and maintenance of the management sys­tem, and compliance with its provisions, rests with line management—a logical extension of the ac­countability and responsibility for safety, health and environment matters that rests squarely on the shoulders of all line managers within BHPP. The Safety, Health and Environment Department pro­vides expert advice, document control, training and auditing expertise, and offers a pool of experts available for participation in projects on a consulta­tive basis. For contractor management, the BHPP system mandates intensive scrutiny of contractor safety, health and environmental performance and the systems that the contractor has in place to manage that performance, beginning at the stage of contract prequalification. Failure to meet the mini­mum standards set by BHPP will disqualify a con­tractor from contract tendering unless and until remedial action is taken. The ultimate aim of the BHPP system is a level of safety, health and envi­ronmental performance which leads the world—no injuries, no workplace health or hygiene problems and no adverse effect on the environment.