Research and Suggestions of Occupational Safety & Health Management System in China Petroleum Pipeline Enterprises


Fan Shenrong, Senior Engineer, China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau
Jiang Yaojian, Associate Professor, Daqing Petroleum College

Abstract: China Petroleum Pipeline Enterprises have established HSE Management System. Recently they are planning to establish ISO14000 and Occupational Security & Health Management System to improve their management and development and to participate in the international competition. In this paper the writers addressed the point to combine the EMS, HSE and OSHMS to form one system. And they also discussed the feasibility of the combination and provided the basic frame of the combined system.

HSE Management System combines the health, security and environment management together and provides a structural mechanism for the scientific, standardized management and the durative development of the enterprises. So it has been prevalent in international petroleum enterprises. The certification of HSE, however, is only an internal behavior in petroleum groups. After the entrance into WTO the environmental conditions and occupational, secure and healthy (OSH) conditions have been " green blocks" or " human rights blocks" for these enterprises into international markets. In present although the petroleum pipelines enterprises have established HSE management system and obtained the certification under the market economy, they are not in accordance with the international standards. Only by establishing ISO14000, OSH management systems and obtaining their certifications can they get the chance to participate in the international competition. So the research about how to combine the HSE Management System, Environment Management System and Occupational Security & Health Management System and get their certifications becomes an urgent question in China Petroleum Pipeline Enterprises.

1. The Feasibility of Combination

In 2002, No. 2 Security Science Researcher Xu Deshu, associate secretary-general of China Labor and Security Science Technology Association, published his paper, Research and Discussion about the Combination of Quality, Environment and OSH Management Systems. This paper gave us some inspiration. Due to the influence of national certification systems and the durative recombination of pipeline enterprises, now how to unite the Quality system and HSE system is still difficult. But the combination of HSE, Environmental and OSH Management Systems in petroleum and natural gas enterprises is feasible. This is because that while HSE, OSH and ISO14000 are made from different standard organizations, they all observe the principles of "PDCA" Circulation and Durative Improvement in Damien's Theory. And they all provide a systematical, structural and organic integer. Their many management elements are also same or similar. These can be seen from the following Table 1: Comparison of Management Elements in HSE, ISO14000 and OSH.

Table 1: Comparison of Management Elements in HSE, ISO14000 and OSH

Environmental Management Systems ISO14001-1996	HSE of Petroleum & Natural Gas SY/T6276-1997	OSH（2001）	Confo-rmity
4.2 Environmental Policy	5.1 Leadership and Promises		B
4.2 Environmental Policy		4.2 OSH Policy	C
	5.2 Policy and Objectives	4.2 OSH Policy	B
4.3.1 Environmental Aspects	5.4 Risk Assessment and Management		C
4.3.1 Environmental Aspects		4.3.1 Plan of Hazard Identification, Venture Assessment and Control	C
	5.4 Risk Assessment and Management	4.3.1 Plan of Hazard Identification, Venture Assessment and Control	B
4.3.2 Law and other Requirements		4.3.2 Law and other Requirements	C
4.3.3 Objectives and Targets	5.4.5 Objectives & Rules		B
4.3.3 Objectives and Targets		4.3.3 Objectives	C
	5.4.5 Objectives & Rules	4.3.3 Objectives	B
4.3.4 Environment Management Schemes		4.3.4 OSH Management Schemes	C
4.4 Implement and Running	5.5 Plan	4.4 Implement and Running	B
4.4.1 Organization and Duty	5.3 Organization Resources and Files	4.4.1 Organization and Duty	B
4.4.2 Training, Consciousness and Ability	5.3.4 Ability	4.4.2 Training, Consciousness and Ability	B
4.4.3 Communication	5.3.6 Communication	4.4.3 Conference and Communication	B
4.4.4 Environment Management System Documents	5.3.7 Documents and their Control（5.3.7.1 Documents）	4.4.4 Documents	B
4.4.5 Documents Management	55.3.7 Documents and their Control (5.3.7.2 Control)	4.4.5 Documents and Data Control	A
4.4.6 Running Control	5.5.3 Procedure and Work Guidelines	4.4.6 Running Control	B
4.4.7 Preparation and Response for Emergency	5.5.5 Plan of Response for Emergency	4.4.7 Preparation and Response for Emergency	B
4.5 Measures to Check-up and Correct	5.6 Implementing and Monitoring	4.5 Measures to Check-up and Correct	B
4.5.1 Measurement and Inspection	5.6.2 Monitoring	4.5.1 Performance Measurement and Inspection	B
4.5.2 Nonconformance, Correction and Prevention Measures	5.6.4 Nonconformance and Correction Measures	4.5.2 Accidents, Incidents, Nonconformance, Correction and Prevention Measures	A
4.5.3 Log	5.6.3 Log	4.5.3 Log and Log Management	A
4.5.4 Environment Management System Audit	5.7 Audit and Evaluation	4.5.4 Audit	A
4.6 Management Evaluation	5.7.2 Evaluation	4.6 Management Evaluation	A

Note: A – Same Element，B – Compatible Element, C – Individual Element

Generally, the similarity of them: Three system management theories and running modes are same; three continuous improvements, structure of system essentials and audit methods are also same.

Three systems' emphases: Environmental Management Systems mainly focus on the protection of environment, the prevention of pollution and the co-development of economic establishment and protection of environment. HSE management systems focus on the need for health, security and protection of environment from the workers, interested parties and society. OSH management systems emphasize particularly on the fields where we can protect the workers' security and health and the relevant measures in law, technology, equipments, organization rules and education.

Feasibility and reality: China Petroleum Corporation is considering revising SY/T6276 to OSH-MSD. At the same time in 2002 they drafted out " Technical Criteria for the Combination of ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems and HSE Management Systems". So the Combination of three systems in China pipeline enterprises is feasible.

2. The Advantage of Combination of Three Systems

First of all the pipeline enterprises have all passed the HSE Certification and built a set of Health, Security and Environment Documents Management System. And they also accumulated a lot of successful experience.

Secondly, HSE management system includes the contents of environmental management system and covers almost all elements in OSH management system. In the projects such as: the EPC contract of laying petroleum pipelines in Sudan, the gas pipelines in Sebei-Xining-Lanzhou and the finished product oil pipelines in Lanzhou-Chengdou-Chongqing, From the construction project departments to the construction teams all of them adopted HSE management systems with " two plans and one table" management method, Project HSE Plan, HSE Task Guide Plan and HSE Spot Check-up Table. They also put in effect Management Act of Protection of Environment in Construction Projects (Command No. 253, 1998, China State Department) and Management Methods for Check and Acceptance of Environment of Finished Construction Projects (.Command No. 13, 2001, China Environment Protection Bureau). Besides according to the management mode of environment protection in international petroleum corporations they listed environment protection, environment protection and cultural relics protection in their HSE Projection Plans had all their workers observe them actively.

Thirdly there is an atmosphere of safety in the pipeline enterprises have all along. They established the responsibility for the safety objectives, the HSE audit mechanism, the feedback for correction of hidden troubles and the responsibility mechanism. They reformed the mechanism of the safety and environmental protection management by consolidating the training education of HSE, carrying out the "safe production month" for continuous 15 years, revising and improving the rules and standards of safety and environment in their enterprises, participating in "speech of safety in my mind". With the campaign "Create New Advantages, New Business Chances and New Vigor" the pipeline enterprises united the value of production and the personal values to make them run smoothly. So they have been producing safely. This also made the guideline, "Safety and Prevention First" in everyone's mind. The culture made up of HSE ideas and values represents the enterprise spirit, "All Based on Men, Health, Safety and Prevention First, Better Environment, Continuous Improvement". Advanced equipment and protection techniques, better living environment and specific promises from leaders, all of these brought the acceptance of the staff with HSE Management System and the establishment of HSE culture in enterprises. Immersed in the safety culture backed up by the enterprises the staffs take on themselves, observe the disciplines, bear the risk and share the benefit together. At the same time they begin to accept the new things and new management methods more actively. This put a way for the combination of three systems and the combination become the new development of enterprise safety culture.

3.The Disadvantages of Three Individual Systems and the Advantages of Combination

If HSE, OSH and ISO14000 are established and certificated respectively in pipeline enterprises, there must be overlaps of elements and resource waste.

The Disadvantages of Three Individual Systems: (1) To make the safety, environment and sanitation departments of the pipeline enterprises overlap their management. (2) To make the documents reduplicate, the grass roots' carryout complicate, and reduce the self-consciousness of the staff and their efficiency. (3) To make the internal audit and certification audit done respective, grass root's receipt and the economic burden heavier. (4) To make the same element have three different control procedures and audit organizations, give a serious impact on the HSE management ideas and common running modes of the enterprises.

The Advantages of Combination: (1) To make the every department change its function to set up an organization, cultivate comprehensive managers for them and increase their management efficiency. (2) To be propitious to spread and running. (3) To make the staff carry out and run more easily. (4) To improve the diatheses of their decision-makers, managers and.

Building a management system covering occupational security, environmental protection and health will help the pipeline enterprises improve their levels of management, realize scientific management, handle easily and fulfill the requirements of other enterprises, society, contractors, staff and interested parties. It also got the backup and active participation from staff. Finally it will result in more advantage and rigor to develop, find and take the markets.

4. The Basic Schemes for The Combination of Management Systems in Pipeline Enterprises

HSE management systems of pipeline enterprises are based on the schemes of SY/T6276, the standards of health, security and environment management systems in petroleum industry (including 7 first-class elements and 26 second-class elements). SY/T6276 is a trade standard transformed from the standard draft released by SC6 branch of ISO/TC67D in 1996 and has not become a formal international standard. Because the ISO14001 issued by international standardization organization is compatible with SY/T6276 and OSH-MS we suggest that you adopt it as the basic structural scheme to make the combination easier. And for the certification and the publication of the new system we also suggest that when you compile the documents you make three sets of handbooks, one set of procedure and task files (its document structure as fellows).

● We suggest compiling three handbooks of three systems to summarize them respectively, especially give characteristic and general files for the descriptions of relative elements and the schemes and principles for the formation of procedure. On the other hand the handbooks are also the need to get the certification. Building three handbooks and publishing promises of leaders in three systems will help make clear environmental guidelines, HSE guidelines and OSH guidelines. They also help make clear the principles and intent of the systems built in enterprises, and objectives and emphases to be realized. Besides handbooks make clear the functions and rights of every layer, every department and every position to provide necessary organization guarantee, and help inquire the sources of relative files.

● The procedure files of combination include three kinds: same elements, compatible elements and personal elements. The management procedure is universal for same elements. And for compatible elements you need supplement and perfect the procedure according to the requirements of united elements. However the personal elements, mainly in hazard identification, laws and rules and management plans, must be dealt with individually.

● The files of environmental task and OSH task accord to the "Two plans and one table" of HSE management system. "Two plans and one table", as basic management task files, both shows the complicacy of risk management, requires the science of risk management and emphasize the certainty of position responsibility. In China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) it has been the basic mode of HSE management system. But during the combination we may write the special task files of environment management system and OSH task files to control the important environmental factors and OSH factors.

5. Conclusion

When China pipeline enterprises establish modern corporation institution, continuously reform and recombine, the functions of their professional departments may change. But CNPC demanded to strengthen, not weaken security, environment and health management however they changed. So establishing effective HSE management mechanism is imperative, and pipeline enterprises need to build the organization suited for the combination of three systems. We should also know the "Security, Health And Environment" image has been an important criterion for their existence and entrance into the international market. To extract experience from the existence and development of international petroleum corporations, and the security, health and environment management, to establish system management and participation ideas of the staff, to pay attention to safe production, protection of environment, people's health and all the reasonable interests of interested parties are the basic stand for managing enterprises. To take the chances and face the challenges China pipeline should united the HSE, ISO14000 and OSH into one management system. This will enhance their abilities of existence, competence and development in national and international markets.