EnergyFactor By ExxonMobil | Pespectives has a new home

Building a culture of safety

Today, the presidential commission investigating the tragic Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico convened for the second part of a two-day hearing in Washington, D.C.

As part of today’s hearings, the commission sought views on how companies have developed sustainable and effective approaches to safety.  Our chairman and CEO, Rex Tillerson, was invited to share ExxonMobil’s perspectives on this critical issue.

In his remarks before the commission, Rex talked about how safety systems and company culture must come together to drive excellence in safety performance.

He talked about how the Valdez incident caused ExxonMobil’s management to completely revaluate how the company understands and manages risks. Key to this approach is our Operations Integrity Management System, which provides a common global language for safety in ExxonMobil’s operations around the world. I’ve written about OIMS before on this blog, and we also have a website dedicated to explaining how OIMS works.

As Rex said today, the development of OIMS “was the beginning of a long journey for our company. And I should make it very clear: this is a journey we have not completed. We know that we cannot rest or waver from the goal of driving accidents and incidents to zero.”

Rex also made it clear that from our experience, there are several critical elements necessary to creating a corporate culture that values safety. Here’s what Rex said in his concluding remarks at the commission hearing:

“In closing, there are three points that I hope the Commission will consider in its deliberations:

First, a culture of safety has to be born within the organization.  You cannot buy culture.  You have to make it yourself.

Second, make no mistake: creating a strong, sustainable safety culture is a long process.  If an organization is truly going to overhaul its approach to safety, it has to be committed from day one.  But, you can’t start until you start – and you’re never going to finish.

Finally, I want to return to OIMS. I mentioned that there are eleven elements, all of which are fundamental to safe and responsible operations at ExxonMobil.  But the first and last elements – the bookends of OIMS – are the most critical. 

These are “Management Leadership and Accountability,” and “Operations Integrity Assessment and Improvement.”  Without leadership by example and without thoughtful, honest and objective self-assessment, no system is sustainable.

Our nation, and our world, continues to face challenges. Meeting the world’s growing demand for energy – safely, and with minimal impact on the environment – is one of our biggest.  In examining the causes of the Deepwater Horizon incident, this commission is helping advance our progress toward this goal.”

You can read Rex’s full remarks on exxonmobil.com, and I welcome your comments on safety and the energy industry.


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