Occupational health and safety

Human Health and Safety

 

Commitment

Thaioil Group is committed to building a strong foundation on our management systems for organizational personal safety and process safety. To that end, we have enacted a policy that covers quality, security, safety, occupational health, environment, energy management and corporate social responsibility in order to prevent, control, and mitigate impacts that may arise. The policy applies to normal operating conditions, abnormal operating conditions and emergency situations, and is relevant not only for current business conditions but also for future conditions that may change from business expansion. Furthermore, Thaioil remains committed to support our suppliers in maintaining their compliance from the potential regulatory risks associated with relevant laws, rules and regulations, while striving to operational goal of being an organization that is free of accidents (No Harm, No Leak, Goal Zero).

 

Targets

No Harm, No Leak, Goal Zero

Safety maturity Level

  Reach level 4 by 2022 and Level 4.5 by 2030

Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) for all workers (employees and contractors)

 • Maintain the top 10% in the oil and gas industry by 2022

 • Achieve the TRIR target at 0.10 cases per million hours worked by 2030

Process Safety Event (PSE)

 • Maintain Zero Process Safety Event incidents by 2022

 • Achieve the Zero Process Safety Event target by 2030

Management Approach

Safety, Occupational Health, and Working Environment Committee

    Thaioil Group has designated a team to oversee and drive implementation of the work plan, and established a Safety, Occupational Health, and Working Environment Committee. The Committee is required to maintain at least 50% representation from employees at the operational level out of all committee members (not including the committee chair), and must meet at least once a month to share updates, review implemented activities, and monitor progress of the work plan.

Role of Safety, Occupational Health, and Work Environment Committee

1. Review policies related to safety, occupational health and workplace environment.

2. Set challenge successful goal/target year 2022 related to safety, occupational health and workplace environment.

3. Establish 5-year master plan by prioritization and integration of action plans with challenge quantified targets to address those associated safety, occupational health and workplace environment risks

4. Performance monitoring, evaluating and reporting of progress in reducing/ preventing safety, health issues and associated risks related action items against targets.

5. Report and provide recommendations to improve performance and maintain compliance with occupational health and safety regulations and standards in order to ensure the safety of all employees, subcontractors, and any other individual visiting onsite.

6. Promote and support the organization of occupational health and safety-related activities.

7. Conduct audits of occupational health and safety at operation areas and inspect statistics related to incidents in the area of operations at least once every month.

Employee and Contractor Health and Safety Management 

   Thaioil Group’s occupational health and safety management system is governed by the Thaioil Group Policy on Quality, Security, Safety, Occupational Health, Environment, Energy, and CSR Policy (QSHE) and the TOP Group QSHE Excellence 2019 – 2023 strategy. Both the policy and strategy drive the Company in building organizational capacity to sustainably and continuously achieve excellence in QSHE.

   Thaioil currently follows the strategic plan for business excellence (House of Business Excellence: O2Bx) to prepare organizational readiness in becoming a world class refinery by 2022. Safety is one of the pillars of this strategy that has been prioritized for development and improvement.

   In addition, Thaioil Group takes a proactive strategy to promote safety. For example, building on the management walk and talk activity, Thaioil Group started organizing “GEMBA Walks”, which directly involve management executives. In this activity, management executives inspect operations through conversing with operational staff on their key activities with questions are designed to be specific and build understanding. For high risk activities, recommendations are shared on maintaining both personal and process safety. Moreover, Thaioil has also continued to implement the QSHE Roll Out activity, which focuses on engaging operators and instilling cautiousness regarding quality, security, safety, and environment. In this way, we ensure that we are involving all operators across every operational area. Thaioil Group has also applied appropriate management systems to sustainably develop our activities. Furthermore, the performance of such activities are regularly reported to the management and jointly discussed to identify corrective actions needed. In addition, a management review process is implemented on an annual basis to determine improvement areas and develop work plans for the following year. The process has been consistently communicated to employees to ensure effective practices.

 

OHS Programs in 2022

Operational Excellence to Business Excellence (O2Bx) Strategy

 • Adjusted the O2Bx strategy to become a world-class refinery after commissioning of the CFP project and reviewed the corporate safety targets to align with the new strategy – No Harm, No Leak, Goal Zero.

 • Revisited the 5-year Occupational Health, Safety, Emergency and Crisis Management Plan to align with the internal and external environments, risks, the new strategic plans, and corporate targets.

 • Assigned the management executives to present case studies and significant safety issues from both internal and external sources at the monthly Board Meeting to continuously develop and improve Company’s safety measures.

 • Organized an on-site visit with the CEO and President and the management executives during normal operations, maintenance downtime, and construction period to encourage the workers, demonstrate commitments on safe working conditions, and be the safety role model.

Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment

 • Reviewed the identification and assessment of risks and hazards that may cause severe incidents. The Company determined the control and prevention measures, with constant monitoring for effectiveness. This also involved safety inspection, performance analysis, and provision of the corrective and preventive actions to avoid recurrence for employees and contractors. The safety performance was monthly reviewed and monitored by the management executives.

 • Assessed risks and hazards with high severity and reviewed safety control and prevention measures. The proactive plans and measures on security and safety were established at different levels (defense in depth), covering all high severity risks and hazards, especially chemical spills. The emergency drill of each emergency level was conducted and further developed towards the crisis management level together with external parties and local governments. This helps in the prevention and mitigation of business impacts, as well as the ability of Thaioil Group to manage and maintain severe risks at acceptable levels at all times.

 • Reviewed the major accident event profiles to be aligned with the risks. The Company also reviewed and conducted a test on the emergency and crisis drills, and the emergency response plan according to the international best practices. Moreover, the Emergency Control Center was improved to be up-to-date and more efficient.  

 • Reviewed the practices on accident and incident management to cover every type of incidents; namely, work-related injuries, occupational illnesses, near-miss events, and other incidents including incidents in production processes. The Company also conducted severity and risk assessment through the Risk Assessment Matrix to select the appropriate investigating team and methods for the severity and risk level of each incident. To avoid recurrence, the root cause and appropriate preventative measures were identified. 

Safety Management Improvements

 • Reviewed Permit to Work System, especially the work permits related to heat and ignition (hot work). All relevant checklists were also reviewed to ensure alignment with the international best practices.

 • Conducted safety culture assessment. In 2022, the Company was rated at 4.13 out of 5.00 points. Thaioil Group has prepared the Safety Culture Development Plan to build awareness for employees and contractors towards the accident-free organization.

 • Reviewed Permit to Work Inspection by the Area Operation Officers and Safety Audit team to ensure that the practices are aligned with the requirements specified in the permits.

 • Developed a Simultaneous Operation Procedure for enhanced risk management in two or more overlapping tasks that occur at the same time and in the same area. The procedure was implemented to control the risks and hazards in the overlapping activities during normal operations, construction, and maintenance to maximize safety.

 • Conducted the evaluation of Health Performance Indicators based on the standards of International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP). In 2022, the Company scored 3.82 out of a total of 4.00 points. The Company commits to improve the development plan for management systems in line with criteria and requirements of the IOGP.

 • Enhanced contractor safety management to align with the international best practices and conducted annual contractor safety performance evaluation by the third party. The evaluation covered safety management system and operational performance to classify the contractor. The contractor banding can be categorized by color code, including green, yellow, and red, to be used as the criteria for deciding whether the Company should continue doing business with contractors or not. In the case that the contractors categorized in the low level (yellow and red), the Company will allow them to present plans and corrective actions to remedy the issues identified to comply with requirements within a specific timeframe.

 • Developed the Electronic Contractor Safety Passport to record individual and corporate contractor profiles and safety data. The data will be used for safety management and the annual performance evaluation of the contractors.

 • Reviewed safety practices for activities or tasks with accident risks, such as heavy lifting with crane, scaffolding, or electric device utilizing within the refinery area. The Company also conducted training and communicated to relevant employees and contractors to ensure compliance with the requirements.

 • Upgraded notification systems on abnormal or emergency situations for emergency personnel and relevant officers through SMS systems that will promptly notify relevant parties to provide the emergency response efficiently and on a timely manner.

 • Conducted ergonomic assessment for a sample group of employees and contractors working in the office areas, maintenance facilities, warehouse and supplies, and testing laboratories. This will assess health behaviors and threats for appropriate prevention measures determination for such activities and risks. 

 • Organized All SAFE White Green MTA (Major Turnaround) Project during an annual maintenance downtime in 2022 to build awareness for employees and contractors and to minimize risks in maintenance activities.

 • Reviewed Pre-Incident Plan at levels 1 and 2 to align with the international situations and standards, conducted drills as planned to prepare an effective response in emergency situations.

 • Provided Quick Attack Vehicle (QAV) fire trucks with a fire pump rate of 1,000 gallons per minute (GPM) for effective and safe preliminary responses.

 • Provided big gun with a fire pump rate of 6,000 GPM for extinguishing fires in large oil tanks with diameters greater than 60 inches.

Safety Knowledge Sharing and Engagement

 • Established a safety training center to provide knowledge on safety theory and practice to enhance knowledge, capability, and skills of employees and contractors.

 • Developed and assessed the capability of the employees and contractors who performed tasks related to safety and had a continuous Permit to Work System from the previous year. The emergency and crisis management based on the assigned roles were assessed through the Competency Assurance System.

 • Organized the “30-60-90 Days with No Harm No Leak” to strongly emphasize and simulate employees and contractors to raise awareness on safety in the workplace. The goal is to achieve zero Medical Treatment Case (MTC).

 • Organized Thaioil Group QSHE Day 2022 to promote the safety culture for the employees and contractors by awarding and certifying those who have outstanding 2022 QSHE performance. The Company also organized exhibition booths to provide employees and contractors with safety knowledge and awareness.

 • Raised awareness of potential hazards such as the line of fire and ensure compliance with the 12 life-saving rules. The Company also encouraged workers to write Potential Incident Report (PIR), emphasizing the significance of unsafe act and condition as specified in the pre-incident prevention measure. 

 • Conducted training and knowledge sharing on safety, occupational health, and workplace environment for new employees and contractors. This aims to build awareness of basic risks and hazards in Thaioil Group’s operational areas, to recognize and understand the safety measures, and to mitigate risks in operations. This includes Basic Safety in Refinery, Basic Firefighting, Safety in Confined Space, and First Aid.

 • Conducted specific safety knowledge training for employees and contractors to improve operational effectiveness, ensure safety, and compliance with the requirements. For instance, Authorized Engineer/Authorized Gas Safety Inspector (AE/AGSI) course, Clearance Certificate Signatory course, Authorized Gas Tester course, and electric safety course.

Component of Occupational Health, Safety and Working Environment Committee

Thaioil committee of Occupational Safety, Health and Environment is responsible for the operation and management of all staff. People are safe in the workplace. With prescribed rules, regulations and procedures for the safe handling and with protective equipment as well as training provided to employees to have a better understanding of the work.  All performances are continuously monitored and there will be a review of the results.

The Safety Committee consists of the following members

1 Employer representative who is chairman of the board.

4 members of the Representative Commander.

1 Safety Officer as Director and Secretary.
5 Employee representatives (representing 50 percent of the board), handling the election of action.

Thaioil define the security policy as procedures and practice including the regulation of individuals (Blue Book, Section 11, which is a guide that was signed between the organization and the Department of Labor). This is a responsibility of all employees to follow procedures and guidelines set forth during work and to report to the commander for the event with the potential to cause an accident or harm or damage.

 

 

Promoting good health for employees
 

In order to promote good health among its employees, Thaioil puts an emphasis on being proactive by utilizing health risk assessment, which is part of the occupational health and safety standards. The process involves determining the consequences of being exposed to different substances, examining the risk factors, monitoring employees’ health conditions, and assessing their potential risks. Such an assessment should be conducted regularly so as to protect the company’s employees. In addition, monitoring of other contagious diseases, such as avian influenza, is vital. Information on how to protect oneself against such diseases should be provided to employees, especially those who have to work in an area where they may come into contact with certain diseases, for instance, employees who have to travel abroad.


Hearing Conservation Program

There has been no report on employees’ suffering from hearing loss resulting from work at the company.  Nonetheless, to preempt possible cases of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), the company has launched a campaign titled Hearing Conservation Program. This program comprises procedures to measure, analyze, and map the noise sources within the company (Noise Contour Map). Warning signs are posted in the areas with noises at the level below 80 dB (A), and employees and contractors are encouraged to wear hearing protection while working in those areas. Moreover, hearing tests are administered in order to detect any potential cases of hearing loss at an early stage, and this is believed to help reduce the risk of NIHL development in the future.


Office Ergonomic

Since the company’s staff members have to work in front of computers continuously for an extended period of time, their health conditions may be affected, which, in turn, may impact upon their performance. Risk assessment has been conducted with the help from health professionals, and their feedbacks regarding office equipment and break times have been incorporated into the company’s plan to create a safe work environment for its staff. With employees’ good physical and mental health, Thaioil can operate in an efficient manner. Because of this health assessment program, for 53 years, there have been no reported incidents of employees suffering from illnesses that result from the operation.

Fit for Work

Group recognizes the importance of preparing the body fitness for the workers so they are ready for operation (Fit for Work). Workers operated with risk, such as working on high places. Health care of employees include being given medical treatment, but without the need to look after diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, as well as employees who are obese or with high Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeding the standard from which their care can reduce the risk of accidents due to health problems.

Process safety

Process safety is very important for the operations. Therefore, all production functions of Thaioil Group are operated under effective management system and international standards in safety, occupational and environment. Thaioil Group has zero loss of primary containment (LOPC) Tier 1 target and appointed Safety Committee where at least half of the members must be employees’ representatives. The Committee is accountable for corporate safety management, monitoring and verifying performance against the Group’s standards and providing safety knowledge to all employees in order to enhance safety performance at the corporate level and achieve identified goals.

Transportation safety

Thaioil Group’s transportation is operated under PTT Group Road Safety Management System which comprises safety management, driver management, a safety checklist report prior product delivery, and monitoring system to ensure punctuality transportation time and regulations in order to reduce safety risk.