Objective 1

A safe workplace is among the top priorities in the oil and gas industry. Accordingly, the Group strives to eliminate potential threats and perfect safety processes on an ongoing basis.

PGNiG SA strives to meet all applicable standards relating to health and safety at work, and takes preventive steps, including employee education and implementation of best practices and policies providing for increased employee awareness of near misses.

Implementation of new safety systems applied by trading partners all over the world

PGNiG NAFTA S.A. of Piła implemented the ‘STOP’ Safety Training Observation Program developed by the American company DuPont. The STOP programme supports the prevention of accidents and injuries, as well as monitoring of workplace safety. The company’s management personnel and system leaders all participated in the training. The system leaders were responsible for propagating the system throughout the company’s entire workforce, and in particular the drilling crews. The backbone of the system is the observation cycle: decide – stop – observe – act – report. Following an observation, a STOP Observation Card is filled in to record dangerous incidents or behaviour, as well as positive actions increasing employee safety. The employee submitting the card deemed best is then awarded.

Poszukiwania Nafty i Gazu Jasło S.A. implemented the HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) Management System with a view to harmonising the system of work at drilling rigs with international standards. This required a thorough reconstruction of individual management areas in the company, with areas requiring changes identified, required steps determined, and benefits defined. Consequently, the organisational structure was changed, resulting in improved coordination and efficiency of safety-related activities. At each drilling rig, employees were appointed and trained as HSE Inspectors, whose responsibilities include the support and supervision of proper operation of all components of the HSE Management System at the rig. The rig’s complete documentation was updated and consolidated, serving as a basis for the implementation of new standards by HSE Inspectors. Development commenced on a Risk Assessment and Safety Analysis system, with respect to drilling rig operations, and the Observation System and Lock Out/Tag Out System were also implemented. The steps taken bore fruit in the form of enhanced occupational safety awareness and awareness of environmental issues, as well as the implementation of new, safer technological solutions which led to an increased number of observations and remedial actions. The HSE Management System is also in place at the PGNiG Odolanów Branch, PGNiG Kraków and the PGNiG Zielona Góra Branch.

Analysis of accidents and near misses, as well as an increase in the number thereof at Geofizyka Toruń, especially during the execution of seismic projects, urged the company to launch the MISSION ZERO – zero accidents, zero near misses, zero alcohol in the workplace employee campaign. The implementation of Mission ZERO includes numerous actions focusing on occupational safety, first aid, employee motivation and safety leader training for management personnel. From among the employees qualified in HSE issues, a mentor was selected and made responsible for the training of seismic teams and assessment of HSE Inspectors. Line managers, seismic team leaders and HSE Inspectors received guidelines and for applying disciplinary measures supporting the creation of a safe workplace. They also received documentation on the Restricted Work Programme, under which the scope of an employee’s responsibilities may be restricted to enable an employee who suffered a minor injury to continue their work for the company. Mission ZERO also includes the Medical Programme for Seismic Teams, tailored to the location of the team’s workplace (Europe or Africa).