Chevron’s global policy

Chevron’s global workforce is dedicated to the belief that all accidents are preventable and a zero-incidents goal is attainable. When it comes to achieving world-class health and safety performance, there is no room for compromise at Chevron. It is not about statistics, it is about people not getting hurt.

The company’s vision and values statement called The Chevron Way calls on every employee and contractor working for the company to strive for incident-free operations and to manage risks to prevent injuries, illnesses and accidents. Safety and health responsibilities come first, last and always.

There are many examples of good safety, health and environmental practice in the UK, below are just a couple of examples from the Pembroke refinery in south west Wales.

Case Study 1 – Effluent water quality

An on-going programme of water Management has seen significant improvements in a number of water-related fields. These include:

• A water minimisation and recycling study that has allowed re-use of water streams, reducing the overall water burden for the site.

• The introduction of a water management company to operate the water treatment cycle. This has resulted in tighter chemical usage, a programme of equipment cleaning and refurbishment, and identification of further improvement opportunities.

• Continued environmental awareness initiatives that, for instance, saw no environmental incidents during the major planned maintenance shutdown completed in the third quarter 2003

Case Study 2 – Biodiversity Management

In 2002, the Pembroke refinery implemented a biodiversity action plan (BAP) on farmland and other land outside the process area owned by Chevron, which sets out the aims and practices to maintain and enhance the local habitat. The BAP identifies a number of objectives, which include:

Skylarks – the skylark is a nationally declining species, and the grassland to the north west of the refinery is prime nesting habitat. The refinery has agreed with the tenant farmer that the designated land will be farmed using practices that will enhance the skylark’s habitat.

Hedgerows – hedgerows are an important resource for wild animals, providing food, shelter and communication corridors. A programme of surveying and repair has been instigated to maintain the hedgerows in optimum condition.

Woodland – a mature oak woodland has been put under a management plan, which involves fencing to exclude livestock, clearing of glades and planting of native species.

Marshland – a marsh area is being managed to preserve the nature of the area, and is also being developed as an environment for ecological studies by schools, with the construction of ponds and dipping stations, and the conversion of a deconsecrated church into a environmental centre.

All of the above involve the contribution of volunteers and charitable organisations, local experts and environmental organisations.