ExxonMobil

Taking on the world's toughest energy challenges™

• Management Leadership, Commitment and Accountability
  Management provides policy, resources, visible commitment and personal accountability for successful operations

  It is significant that the first element of our Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) is management leadership and accountability. ExxonMobil managers don't just comply with the Elements laid out in OIMS; they are expected to lead the process by demonstrating a visible commitment to safety and operations integrity as an example to every single employee and contractor working for the company. Managers establish policy, provide perspective, set expectations and provide the resources for successful operations.

  At ExxonMobil, safety leadership starts at the top. As one example, in addition to daily stewardship of safety in their businesses, the presidents of each of our operating companies participate in an annual day-long review, held at the corporation's headquarters, specifically devoted to examining the safety, security, health and environmental performance of their businesses. And for ExxonMobil managers, compliance with OIMS requirements is a significant part of how their overall performance is evaluated. By doing this, ExxonMobil reinforces the importance of putting safety and operations integrity first.

• Risk Assessment and Management
  Comprehensive assessments reduce risks and mitigate consequences of incidents

  An important step in managing risk is identifying it. As part of our Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS), ExxonMobil identifies potential hazards to personnel, facilities, the public and the environment. We then design and implement steps to mitigate those risks and periodically reevaluate our actions. Decisions are clearly documented. This protocol extends to the full scope of our activities - be it a drilling platform, a chemical plant, or an office location. If we determine that we cannot adequately address the risks, ExxonMobil will scale back or stop the work, even if that decision carries a financial cost.

• Facilities Design and Construction
  Sound standards, procedures and systems enhance safety and security and minimize risk

  At the very foundation of safe operations is sound design and construction. All ExxonMobil facilities, new or modified, must meet or exceed applicable regulatory requirements.

  And before any operation gets underway, our Operations Integrity Management System requires that:

  • construction is in accordance with specifications;
  • operations integrity measures are in place;
  • emergency, operations and maintenance procedures are in place and adequate;
  • risk management recommendations have been addressed and required actions taken;
  • training of personnel has been accomplished; and
  • regulatory and permit requirements are met.
• Information & Documentation
  Accurate information is essential to assess and manage risk

  OIMS requires that ExxonMobil facilities maintain accurate and current information on their configuration and capabilities, as well as properties of products and materials handled, potential hazards, and regulatory requirements.

  For example, we assess and document the safety, health and environmental aspects of products from our upstream, downstream and chemicals operations, in addition to their compliance with product safety regulations. The result is called a “Safety Data Sheet,” which we transmit to our customers, as well as those who transport, use and/or dispose of our products. In 2009, we distributed more than 350,000 Safety Data Sheets in more than 80 languages to customers around the world.

• Personnel and training
  Control of operations depends upon people being trained

  ExxonMobil employees understand that Operations Integrity Management is part of their job. Not only are employees trained to identify hazards and assess risks, but we carefully screen their qualifications to make sure employees’ abilities and skills match their job requirements. This requirement also extends to third parties who work on our behalf. Most importantly, we want to ensure that ExxonMobil workers speak up about any safety issues they observe - be it operational or physical hazards, their own behaviors, or the behavior of their co-workers.

  For example, in order to reduce at-risk behaviors and strengthen our safety culture, workers at many ExxonMobil sites worldwide participate in behavior-based safety observations. Using a standard template, workers observe other workers and evaluate them on how well they incorporate safety and operations integrity into their actions. Results are documented, shared, and analyzed.

• Operations and maintenance
  Operating within established parameters and according to regulations is essential

  The Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) calls for key procedures to ensure ExxonMobil's facilities are operated within established parameters. In particular, these procedures address critical equipment, which must be properly tested, maintained and inspected on a highly structured basis by qualified personnel. Wherever we operate around the world, ExxonMobil undertakes a rigorous and documented process of planned testing of key equipment to ensure it is working properly and meets our standards for safe operation.

  We also track our operations based on their environmental performance. For example, ExxonMobil business units develop an Environmental Business Plan (EBP) as part of their ongoing business planning cycle. While traditional business planning typically focuses on metrics such as volumes, profits, budgets and expenses, the EBP builds in environmental objectives. The EBP is designed to address the environmental aspects of our operations - such as air, water or waste. The EBP identifies key environmental focus areas, then builds plans to address them.

• Management of change
  Changes must be evaluated and managed to minimize risk

  Many of ExxonMobil's projects can span decades. Maintaining safety and operations integrity over the life of a project requires having a system in place that allows for successfully managing change — in operations, procedures, standards, facilities, or organizations. As part of our OIMS Framework, any change — temporary or permanent — must be evaluated to ensure operations integrity risks arising from these changes are addressed.

  For example, ExxonMobil’s crew working on our Blackbeard well in 2006 faced an operations integrity challenge. Blackbeard was a very deep, high-temperature, high-pressure well in the Gulf of Mexico. After drilling more than 30,000 feet, at a cost of $187 million, our instrumentation showed a high level of volatility in the well due to rising temperatures and pressures, and the potential for natural gas “kicks” that can pose well control issues. A detailed risk assessment had been done in the planning stage, which formed the basis of the well design and execution plan. The management of change process required the risk assessment to be updated during the drilling to incorporate actual well data. ExxonMobil’s drilling organization determined the well could not be safely continued based on what was being observed in the well and the uncertainties of what was ahead, so the well was plugged.

• Third-party services
  Third parties must adhere to the same safety standards we do

  Third-party contractors represent a significant part of ExxonMobil's global workforce, so it's important that they understand and meet the requirements established by our Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS). For this reason, ExxonMobil invests significant time and effort to ensure contractors understand expectations and are appropriately trained to carry out their responsibilities. The selection of third-party providers is heavily influenced by their ability to work in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Once contractors have been selected, their work is continuously monitored to ensure it conforms to ExxonMobil's standards and all regulatory requirements.

  At one of our newest projects in Singapore, the sheer number of contractors and subcontractors employed - reaching heights of about 20,000 personnel - made keeping track of safety performance measures a real challenge. To tackle this challenge, an on-site safety leadership team used the OIMS guidelines to create a program that tracks and measures leading safety indicators - including leadership in safety, job safety analyses, observations and interventions, and near-miss reporting. Routinely measuring and reporting on these leading indicators ensures that contractors remain focused on proactive incident prevention and continual improvement of their performance.

• Incident Investigation and Analysis
  Effective incident investigation, reporting and follow-up are necessary to achieve Operations Integrity

  One of the most important aspects of OIMS is the reporting and analysis of safety and operations integrity incidents and "near-misses." Any incident of significance — even one that may not result in harm or injury — is investigated and documented, and steps are taken to help ensure such an incident does not happen again. Findings are shared with workers who could benefit from them.

  Lessons learned from incidents outside the company can also play a major role in continuing to strengthen our safety management and performance. For example, a recent U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation following a refinery incident at another company revealed that worker fatigue could have contributed to the incident. ExxonMobil played a leadership role in assisting with the development of a comprehensive Fatigue Risk Management System within the American National Standards Institute, in addition to improving our own initiatives – such as training managers to recognize and mitigate fatigue.

• Community Awareness and Emergency Preparedness
  Planning and preparedness ensure the protection of the public, environment, company personnel and assets

  Our Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) requires a specific set of actions to ensure that, in case of emergency, all appropriate steps are taken to protect the communities in which we operate and the surrounding environment, as well as company personnel and assets. OIMS requires operations to have detailed plans in place to respond to incidents, which we test and continuously improve through simulations and drills.

  For example, ExxonMobil maintains extensive hurricane-preparedness plans to protect our workers and the community in the event of a severe storm. As many as 10 days before expected landfall, we initiate a multi-phase hurricane-response plan that can, depending on the forecast, involve pre-emptive inspections and preparations, as well as shutdowns and evacuations, at facilities in the path of the storm. During non-emergency situations, we regularly conduct community forums, site visits, and town meetings to not only let community members know what we’re doing, but also to find out what issues are important to them.

  In 2009, for example, ExxonMobil conducted more than seven large-scale emergency response drills worldwide in locations such as Australia, Canada, Italy, Malaysia, Qatar and the U.S. These drills were in addition to many other smaller-scale and local emergency response drills and training that take place each year in business units around the world.

• Operations Integrity Assessment and Improvements
  Assessment is essential to improve Operations Integrity and maintain accountability

  Evaluation: Operations Integrity Assessment and Improvements ExxonMobil operations are regularly assessed to see how well they satisfy OIMS expectations. The more complex or high-risk the operation, the more frequently it is assessed. Every assessable unit - such as a refinery, chemical plant, or production operation - performs an OIMS self-assessment each year. In addition, every 3 to 5 years, units undergo an "external" assessment performed by a team of employees from outside the unit.

  For example, the manager of an ExxonMobil refinery in one country or region might lead an assessment of a company refinery in another country. Findings from assessments are documented, assigned to a responsible party with target completion dates, and tracked until they are resolved. In an average year ExxonMobil performs 40 to 50 "external" OIMS assessments at its operations around the world.