Health and Safety
Health and safety in all activities is the most important priority for the HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group. For this reason, all the necessary safety measures are taken for workers, associates and visitors in all workplaces.
The Group continuously invests in health and safety to ensure that it complies with the strictest criteria at both national and European levels. For example, approximately €9 million was invested in safety improvements in all of the Group’s installations both in Greece and abroad (excluding the supply of firefighting and other protective materials, as well as other consumables).
All of the Group’s plants set targets for health and safety performance control and improvement, which are all subject to regular periodic reviews.
Last year, all of the Group’s plants which are subject to the SEVESO III Directive (refineries and marketing facilities) submitted their files to the competent authorities.
In 2016, the Holistic Safety program was also launched at the Group’s three refineries.
In terms of quantitative performance data, out of a total of 8,461,862 man-hours, 20 work-related accidents were reported in HELLENIC PETROLEUM refineries, chemical units and EKO facilities. All safety indicators improved, compared to 2015.
It is worth noting that EKO and DIAXON successfully continued their operations without any accident – as has been the case for many years.
In particular:
- EKO completed 2,000,000 hours without an accident in December 2016.
- DIAXON completed 900,500 man-hours without any staff accident in November 2016.
1Lost workday injury frequency: Number of absences due to an accident (LWIs)/per 1 million man-hours
2Lost workday injury severity: Number of lost workdays result from an absence due to an accident
3All injury frequency: Sum of fatalities+LWI+limiting capacity+medical care/1 million man hours
4Process Safety Event Rate: Number of process safety events/1 million man hours
Environment
HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group faces major challenges in the field of energy and climate change. Through sustainable development, it seeks to achieve both short and long-term goals related to improving energy performance and reducing emissions.
The environmental dimension of the Group’s strategy is to continuously improve environmental performance (e.g. management of natural resources, air emissions, solid and liquid waste) as well as addressing the causes and impacts of climate change, while most importantly increasing energy efficiency.
With regards to the environment, the Group invests in preventing and minimizing its environmental impact by applying the appropriate measures and best available techniques, practices and technologies throughout the product cycle, from the production design and the possible application of antipollution technology, through to the final consumption of the products.
By continually improving operational parameters and reducing its environmental and carbon footprint, the Group constantly strives to achieve the goals it has set itself, these being:
- Continuous improvement of environmental performance to protect water, air and soil
- Increasing energy efficiency and the optimal use of natural resources, based on the principles of sustainable consumption and production
- Reducing greenhouse emissions to address climate change
In 2016, and despite the significant increase in operating levels at the group’s three domestic refineries, compared to 2015, the indicators for the most important air emissions for the sector (kg of emissions per ton throughput) showed an improvement, illustrated in the next diagram:
HELLENIC PETROLEUM unceasingly applies its environmental policy, which all of its staff are committed to and integrating this policy into each and every one of its activities.
The implementation of the Group’s environmental policy is achieved through: setting objectives for each activity, monitoring all environmental parameters - through European indicators, benchmarking with the performance of the industry in Europe, and continuously educating staff and social partners on environmental issues, along with the implementation and certification of environmental management systems across the broad range of the Group’s activities.
In addition, the Group regularly evaluates its compliance with the relevant environmental management procedures at each facility, either through internal inspections by trained and experienced personnel or through inspections conducted by independent accredited external certification bodies. At the same time, it monitors the development of environmental indicators (KPIs) which are included in the Group’s periodic reports and performance evaluation criteria for executives.
HELLENIC PETROLEUM aims to reduce CO2 emissions per ton of crude oil (CO2/tn) by 5% by 2020, as well as air emissions and generated waste, through specific actions such as improving energy efficiency, maximizing the use of gaseous fuels, using fuels with higher environmental standards and implementing advanced technologies in the production process.
The CO2/tn indicator continued to decline in 2016, exceeding the original target (-16% vs. the original target of -5% for 2020), reflecting the contribution that these major actions - energy saving projects and other optimization interventions have had at the Group’s refineries.
With regards to liquid and solid waste management, the primary objective is to reduce their production at source, maximize recycling and re-use in the production process, for as many waste streams as possible, and subsequently manage them in the best possible way for the benefit of both the environment and public health.
HELLENIC PETROLEUM has invested in modern waste treatment units, such as three-stage integrated wastewater treatment units and an oil-sludge treatment unit using the biodegradation technique at the Thessaloniki industrial plant.
Due to the nature of its activities, the Group faces a number of risks in its daily operations in relation to the use of hazardous and flammable substances as well as technical failures in production and logistics facilities. Failure to manage those risks could have a significant impact on the Group’s operation and financial position, including regulatory action, and disruption to business activities.
The Group has in place specific inspection and audit procedures to address any risks related to safety and the environment. In addition, it actively participates in international committees to measure and compare performance in the refining and petrochemical industries, using safety key performance indicators and share and implement best practices to improve its health, safety and environmental performance.
The financial impacts, as well as other potential risks to business activities due to climate change, are primary addressed in investment feasibility studies of the Group, with the strategic objective to address climate change with energy efficiency in both manufacturing and administrative functions.
Any financial implications are related to the costs associated with the projected GHG deficit, as the three Greek refineries participate in the European Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Given that the technical potential for a real reduction in CO2 emissions is limited in existing plants, since the refineries already have a high degree of energy optimization, having implemented energy saving projects for many years, there is a cost in purchasing the required allowances from 2013 onwards.
Other risks include increased costs related to compliance with European environmental requirements, as well as additional measures to control and limit GHGs, that have a particular impact on competitiveness, due to our proximity to neighboring areas that are not subject to EU legislation. HELLENIC PETROLEUM continuously evaluates opportunities in regards to natural gas and advanced biofuels, while investments are being made to improve energy efficiency, as well as in regards to Renewable Energy Sources (RES).
The Group adopted the Greek Sustainability Code in 2016 and is actively involved in the Sustainable Development Dialogue and the 17 goals set by the UN as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.