Health and safety

Shell Bitumen is dedicated to maintaining excellent standards of health and safety

Shell Bitumen is dedicated to maintaining excellent standards of health and safety, specifically we are committed to: 

• pursue the goal of no harm to people
• protect the environment
• use material and energy efficiently to provide our products and services
• develop energy resources, products and services consistent with these aims
• share openly information on our HSE performance
• play a leading role in promoting best practice in our industry
• manage HSE matters as any other critical business activity
• promote a culture in which all Shell Bitumen employees share this commitment

In this way we aim to have an HSE performance we can be proud of, to earn the confidence of customers, shareholders and society at large, to be a good neighbour and to contribute to sustainable development.

Our Approach to HSE

Shell Bitumen:

• has a systematic approach to HSE management designed to ensure compliance with the law and to achieve continuous performance improvement
• sets targets for improvement and measures, appraises and reports performance
• requires contractors to manage HSE in line with this policy
• requires joint ventures under its operational control to apply this policy and uses its influence to promote it in its other ventures
• includes HSE performance in the appraisal of staff and rewards accordingly

REACH

Shell Bitumen follows the guidelines for recommended bitumen use as described in the Eurobitume REACH guidance table.

Over 50% of the bitumen related accidents and incidents, that result in lost working days, occur during the delivery of bitumen. Shell Bitumen has produced a training DVD that focuses on the Safe Delivery of Bitumen and in particular what customers and Shell Bitumen can do together to make the delivery process as safe as possible for both drivers and site staff.
 
The DVD features the practices recommended by the UK Refined Bitumen Association in their Code of Practice for the Safe Delivery of Bitumen Products, revised May 2006.

The DVD covers:

• Procedure of arrival at the customer site and weigh bridge
• Calculating and checking for safe available capacity at the tank
• Bitumen discharge operations
• Spill prevention - gauges, alarms and visual monitoring
• Completing the bitumen discharge
• Burns management

Nev Bleasdale, QHSSE Coordinator for Shell Bitumen in the UK, Ireland & Nordics explains, “Whilst we can train our bitumen delivery drivers in safe procedures, once they are on the customer site – their safety is reliant on the sound practices and set-up of the customers’ bitumen storage area. This Safe Delivery training DVD will be used to remind customers of their duty of care to drivers and walk them through the recommended guidelines.”
 
If you would like copies of this Training DVD, please contact Shell Bitumen on +44 (0)870 201 7777 or email Nev Bleasdale.

Shell Bitumen puts the health and safety of workers, suppliers and customers at the top of its agenda

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available to view or download via the Global Product Catalogue - opens in new window.
 
The MSDS contains the health, safety and environment information for each product. The information includes:

• Health and environment hazards
• Flammability and fire fighting requirements
• Safe handling and storage
• Protective Clothing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Exposure standards
• Conditions or applications to avoid with products
• First Aid information
• Spillage and disposal information
• Regulatory information including, Dangerous Good
• Poisons and Hazardous Substances regulations Safety
• Bitumen Operational Manual for LA

It is important to note that the MSDS focuses on product HSE hazards and NOT on risk. If exposures to the user and the environment are controlled the risk is minimised. Poor work practices and / or lack of engineering controls can cause over exposure and may lead to incidents with people, the environment and plant equipment.