What does safety mean for a company like Total?

Industrial safety can be defined as our ability to manage the risks inherent in our operations or related to our business environment. Industrial safety isn't about avoiding risks, rather it's a commitment to clearly identifying risks in our production operations, assessing and, if possible, quantifying them, and then managing them. That means that we regularly look at how risks in our facilities are changing and how much progress we've made in our action plans to reduce them.

What are the risks that Total is exposed to today? How do you determine whether a risk is acceptable?

Total is exposed to three types of risk: risks related to the products that we use or make, risks related to the processes and equipment used in our operations, and risks related to the transportation of goods and people in our operations.
Risk is never acceptable in itself. A risk is acceptable or unacceptable in a given environment at a given time. A risk may be considered to be less serious when the environment isn't very sensitive, but is assessed more critically when the same operations are conducted in a more sensitive environment. The degree of acceptability is determined through ongoing dialogue and cooperation between the company and its stakeholders throughout a facility's lifetime. In the past, dialogue didn't seem as necessary as it is today, particularly in France. After the Toulouse disaster, a wide-ranging national debate revealed the increased importance of cooperation among stakeholders. We're aware of the need to broaden dialogue and are actively participating in the process.

Tell us more about the progress made in industrial safety in recent years.

We’ve made substantial progress in recent years thanks to the 2002-2005 safety plan. First, we’ve reduced the number of workplace accidents among our own and contractor employees by 59% in four years. Second, we allocated substantial resources to preventing major risks, particularly through safety-related spending at our facilities and by strengthening safety management systems and checking their effectiveness through audits.

We all know that when it comes to safety you can never drop your guard. That's why in 2006 we launched a new four-year plan, with the same dual focus on reducing the number of workplace accidents and preventing technological risks. The plan consists of a set of structured measures for achieving our objectives, including the deployment of a three-tiered process for managing technological risks and the implementation of safe behavior initiatives in all businesses. Every aspect of the plan is designed to instill a shared safety culture across the organization.

The results after the first year are positive. We continued to steadily improve safety management systems at sites presenting technological risks and to perform audits, with a target of virtually 100% coverage in 2009. At year-end 2006, the total recordable injury rate (TRIR) was down 19% as reported, or 14% when the Arkema spin-off last year is taken into account. This compares with a target of 10%.

These quantified safety targets continue to send a strong message, and since the indicator covered results both for our own and for contractor employees, it shows that we are equally concerned about the safety of everyone working for us.

Are there any areas in which you think we need to make a special effort?

While we’re extremely pleased with our safety performance in recent years, we are well aware that every year, despite all our efforts, there are still a number of fatal accidents among Total and contractor employees. Obviously, our target in this area is zero accidents. Each of these personal tragedies, which painfully affect all of us in the Group, is thoroughly investigated to clearly identify the cause. For example, we know that transportation-related and driving accidents are responsible for two-thirds of the fatalities. That’s why we continue to emphasize the prevention of travel and traffic risks.

What are some of the practical actions that illustrate our accident prevention initiatives?

A lot of different actions are being implemented in all of our units. I'll just mention a few that will be deployed across the Group. Under a wide-ranging initiative initially deployed across Europe and gradually being extended worldwide, Marketing Europe encourages carriers to introduce auditable safety management systems that will clearly strengthen transportation safety.

In another example, Refining & Marketing introduced the PATROM road transportation improvement program in the Africa, Pacific and Caribbean regions. Based on driver training, vehicle inspection and carrier vetting, PATROM continues to be very effective. It is now also being deployed in Latin America and, since April 2007, Asia. This worldwide initiative has been enhanced by a partnership with the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), an international organization that brings together governments and government agencies, businesses and associations. The agreement enables the Group, and especially our units in Africa, Asia, South America and Eastern Europe, to help improve road safety in host countries.

As well, each unit worldwide has appointed a driving safety correspondent responsible for cascading Group policies in all our businesses and subsidiaries. This network is efficiently relaying a safe driving policy that is effectively addressing our challenges in this area.

The Group has launched an ambitious plan to reduce industrial risks. Where do things stand today?

Technological risks are potential causes of industrial accidents and continue to be a core focus of our policy. Under the 2002-2005 plan, we invested significantly in this area, while at the same time improving the organization of our prevention initiatives with the introduction of a single, shared risk analysis method. This was a key step, because we now have a unified process used Group-wide to analyze and rank industrial risks. Now we have to emphasize overall consistency, harmonization of technical standards and, most importantly, rigorous application.

How do you plan to continue to reduce risks? Could you give us a real-world example?

One of the most effective ways to improve safety performance is to increase feedback on accidents both inside and outside the Group, and then share the lessons learned. That was the case, for example, when we analyzed accidents that happened outside the Group, on a pipeline in Ghislenghien, Belgium in 2004 and in a refinery in Texas City in the United States in 2005. They provided any number of lessons for our own operations, leading in particular to the publication of two Group Safety Guidelines, one on pipeline surveillance and the other on managing safety-critical operations. More generally, we apply this same, systematic analytical process to most of the accidents or near-misses occurring in our own facilities.

Our ability to identify near-misses and to learn the relevant lessons is the main improvement driver. Information must be continually checked for accuracy and shared.

What lessons have you learned from the accident at the Buncefield terminal in the U.K.?

In December 2005, several explosions, followed by a major fire, occurred at the Buncefield oil storage terminal in the United Kingdom, which is operated by HOSL, in which we have an interest alongside another oil company. There were no serious injuries or impact on the environment, although there was a lot of property damage. After the incident, the relevant U.K. authorities issued several investigation reports. The report dated July 13, 2006 states that the incident was probably caused by a cloud of explosive gas that formed as a result of overflow from a gasoline storage tank, following the failure of the tank's level gauge and alarms during a delivery by pipeline.

HOSL worked closely with the authorities to identify the root causes of the accident, and with them and the industry as a whole to determine appropriate corrective measures.

At the same time, our logistics teams prepared an action plan in 2006 to review the reliability of level gauges and alarm systems, the appropriateness of organizational measures, and procedures for receiving products. The audit program covering all Total depots has also been reviewed accordingly.

What do you want to achieve in the area of safety in the future?

We want to be an industry benchmark for industrial safety. Today, just a few oil and chemical companies have an internationally recognized safety reputation. We want to join their ranks, but that means instilling a Group-wide safety culture that informs our decisions and behavior. Everyone at Total has to share this commitment to making safety a core value that is reflected in attitudes and mindsets on the ground.