Critical Incident Risk Management
-
70
drills to deal with emergency situations (major accident, marine pollution, etc.) in all installations -
Annual cooperation/training
with the Fire Academy and the Armed Forces -
ZERO
Major Industrial Accidents -
ZERO
Environmental incidents with major impacts
Risk Management
The Group’s objective is to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the facilities and, when this is not possible, to respond immediately to emergencies, in order to mitigate and effectively manage the potential impacts, and to secure the resources to implement all of the above.
The Group has a Crisis Management and Business Continuity Plan, appropriate for its size and complexity, with clear roles and responsibilities, which ensures business continuity capability. In addition, each Group facility has Internal Emergency Plans linked to the Crisis Management and Business Continuity Plan. The Internal Emergency Plans are kept up-to-date and are in accordance with national legislation, international Codes and the conclusions of drills of preparedness performed periodically or on an ad hoc basis.
The Group shall ensure that the necessary resources are available in all its facilities and activities to adequately manage potential safety or environmental incidents. In addition, responding promptly to emergencies, ensuring continuity of operations and/or returning to normal operations as quickly as possible effectively limits their potential impact on employees and the local community, the environment, reputation and financial results. Therefore, business continuity is linked to the sustainability of the company.
It is acknowledged that, in the event of a safety or environmental incident, timely and effective information of all stakeholders (such as local authorities) is essential to deal with emergencies.
The Plans developed by the Group include strategies for responding to emergency scenarios, both internal and external. Apart from them, there are additional procedures for:
- Internal and external communications (provide for periodic testing for emergency calls).
- Access to human resources and equipment.
- Access to useful information (e.g. Safety Data Sheets, Plans, etc.).
- Communication with other companies and emergency response agencies (include compatibility and integration of plans when appropriate).
- Management of third-party assistance.
The Group’s Crisis Management and Business Continuity Plan additionally includes:
- Mechanisms to assess the operational impact of business interruption and the risks that threaten its overall operations
- Business continuity plans
Processes and Plans are reviewed annually to check the ability to respond against the initial planning and the readiness/effectiveness of resources, infrastructure and equipment. Any observations/suggestions arising from drill evaluation and incident analysis are recorded, monitored and resolved, and plans are revised accordingly.
Performance
The management of emergencies (e.g. Major Industrial Accidents and/or Environmental Incidents with major impacts) is of the highest priority for the Group and this is reflected in its performance, as the target for zero Major Industrial Accidents and zero Environmental Incidents with major impacts was achieved in 2021.
The following chart shows the evolution of the Group’s (HELPE & EKO) process safety event rate (PSER) index, compared to those of CONCAWE 1 for the last 6 years. The process safety event rate index remained at the same level as in 2020, but there was an 11% decrease in process incidents.
1Conservation of Clear Air and Water in Europe (European Organisation for Health, Safety and the Environment in the petroleum sector).
Note: CONCAWE 2021 data will be available in July 2022
All incidents are treated as likely to result in Major Industrial Accidents or Environmental Incidents with a major impact that could damage a company’s reputation or financial position. Emergency plans (such as fires/marine pollution/malicious acts etc.) are reviewed and revised annually with the aim of continuous improvement, and are inextricably linked to the Operational Safety Management System whic is the framework for operating and managing the integrity of systems and processes.
In 2021, planned drills on preparedness and implementation of Internal Emergency Plans (IEPs) were implemented in all industrial facilities (refineries- marketing), to the extent that this was feasible, as part of the emergency prevention measures due to the pandemic.
Finally, in the context of strengthening cooperation with the relevant government agencies and exchanging experience and know-how, training sessions are held on an annual basis in the training field of the facilities and in foreign institutions (Falck Risk), in which active members from the local Fire Services, the Fire Brigade and the Fire Academy participate.
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Preparedness drills, on an annual basis,
jointly with the Fire Service and Authorities to ensure that cooperation and efficiency are maintained at a high level
-
Technology support
for the continuous improvement and development of critical systems/equipment and emergency plans. Use of new technologies.
Next steps
- Continued renewal of equipment and infrastructure/facilities to support the activities required for emergency response. These include warning, notification, communication, containment, personnel protection and guarding systems, depending on the type of emergency, and are compatible with the respective resources of external agencies/authorities.
- Periodic independent assessment (e.g. inspection by an external consultant) of fire protection and risk mitigation measures and implementation of recommendations/proposals.
- Improvement of strategies and response times to emergencies, if this results from the findings of the drills.Improvement of strategies and response times to emergencies, if this results from the findings of the drills.