Total UK celebrates World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021

 

World Day for Safety 

Total is proud to be celebrating World Day for Safety and Health at Work on Monday, 26th April 2021. As Total’s 14th edition of this celebration, World Day for Safety is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our commitment to protecting people at work.

Created by The International Labour Organisation, World Day for Safety and Health at Work raises awareness and promotes the prevention of work-related accidents and injuries.

Safety is always at the core of Total’s operations, thanks to our thorough health and safety protocols and our Golden Rules. This year, with a theme of ‘Golden Rules; Safety at Work’, Total is providing our employees with the opportunity to revisit how the Golden Rules successfully manage risk and ensure teams always remain safe.

As a constant advocate for health, safety, and security, we believe every accident can be prevented by adhering to the Golden Rules. Safety is the cornerstone of Total’s operational excellence, and we’re constantly working to ensure our workforce operate in the safest possible environment.

To coincide with this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Total UK’s Bitumen Division have also launched a training platform, and a best practice guide, dedicated to range of health and safety topics.

Download the guide now to learn how to meet your bitumin health and safety needs.

Total’s Golden Rules

Using the results of our safety survey carried out in 2021, where 18,000 Total employees and partner companies were asked about their experiences, Total’s Golden Rules have been created and refined to ensure an outstanding safety culture.

Total’s Golden Rules are essential to preventing occupational accidents and protecting lives. The rules impact all elements of safety, such as high-risk situations, traffic safety, PPE and lifting operations. With 12 rules for all areas of work, our Golden Rules put safety at the forefront of all operations no matter what the job.

Using the Golden Rules, we must:

• Share the foundational guidelines that everyone should know and apply
• Strengthen prevention by encouraging people to step in whenever they see something being done unsafely
• Stop work if the risk is not being managed
• Report anomalies

In the event of unsafe actions, Total’s Stop Card initiative gives employees the authority to stop ongoing work in the name of safety. Launched in 2015, the Stop Card allows workers and contractors to easily speak up and take action if they deem situations to be unsafe. Promoting an open and honest work environment means that everyone is involved and engaged in workplace safety and can instigate a constructive conversation to resolve any problems when needed.

 

Company-wide awareness 

Health and safety drive our decisions and strategy on an ongoing basis. Total’s celebration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work will involve presentations, challenges, and a series of workshops to help review and optimise our policies. We will discuss:

 

• What would make the Golden Rule initiative and compliance easier
• How to overcome doubt and encourage people to speak up if a possible hazard is observed
• How to improve the Golden Rules and their adoption

By having an open conversation with our employees, we can share ideas as a community and guarantee the Golden Rules work as effectively and successfully as possible.

 

Bitumen health and safety portal 

The Total Work Well Bitumen Health and Safety Portal is designed to enable industry professionals to meet their health and safety obligations. The platform and best practice guide will help readers understand their health and safety responsibilities and implement processes and policies that protect people, production, and the environment.

As mentioned, health and safety working practices are extremely important to Total, and this remains true in any environment. Exercising caution and following the correct procedures for safely storing, handling, and transporting bitumen are essential to minimise the risk of burns, injury and damage to equipment and the environment.

The platform covers a range of bitumen health and safety topics and outlines the processes that should be followed for safe working, including:

• Bitumen Discharge Permits – a Permit to Work document to confirm authorisation of deliveries and that the grades and volumes are correct
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) – the importance of wearing the correct PPE to prevent contact burns
• Emergency shutdown procedure – essential guidance for shutting down a bitumen delivery vehicle in the event of an emergency
• Emergency shower specification – guidance on the installation and operation of this important equipment which can help treat burns
• Ground based pumps, which deliver bitumen at much lower pressure than pressure discharge – the design, installation and maintenance of this equipment is critical to safety
• Planned preventative maintenance – to ensure all appropriate risk assessments are complete and relevant site-specific procedures are followed

The Total Work Well Bitumen Health and Safety Guide can also be downloaded as a PDF from the platform; valuable resource for training teams on the appropriate procedures for handling and storing bitumen and what to do in an emergency situation.

View or download the Total Work Well Bitumen Health and Safety Guide here.