Health and Safety
i) Objective
Our principal health and safety objective is to provide an impeccable standard of safe working environment for employees, contract personnel and members of the general public.
We have in place a formal Safety Management System overseen by specially designated managers who ensure all of our operations adhere to strict safety standards and government policy.
As well as being subject to regular internal reviews and audits, all our operations are also monitored and controlled by the Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Health and Safety Executive.
ii) Gas Storage
While it is crucial to develop gas storage facilities to accommodate the increasing volumes of gas that Britain will import over the coming years, there are legitimate safety concerns attached to such operations. Particular concerns have been raised in the wake of major accidents in China and the US in 2003 and 2004. So just how safe are Star Energy’s gas storage facilities? Sections iii) and iv) below attempt to answer this question.
iii) Natural Stores for Natural Gas
There are a number of methods of storing gas underground. As highlighted on the gas storage page, we are utilising depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs which have naturally stored gas over millions of years. We are essentially re-using the Earth’s own gas containment units to store the new, imported gas. The proven structural integrity of these reservoirs, which have held gas over geological time, makes this the safest method for storing gas underground.
iv) National Regulations
Our facilities are designed to adhere to a strict safety code known as the Borehole Regulations. As well as this, our designs are thoroughly vetted by the Health and Safety Executive, whose regulations and guidelines on safety can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/supply/information.htm.
v) RoSPA Awards
We are very pleased to announce that for the third year running, Star Energy has been awarded the prestigious Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Gold Award 2009 for Occupational Health and Safety.
Star Energy's excellent safety record in both 2005 and 2006 was recognised through the RoSPA Silver Award.
The RoSPA awards are aimed at companies wishing to prove that they can demonstrate an effective and systematic approach to managing behavioural aspects of health and safety.
David Rawlins, RoSPA Awards Manager, said that Star Energy "have demonstrated how seriously they take health and safety management and are a fine example to many other companies. We would like to see more organisations following their lead."
The RoSPA Awards are not just about reducing the number of accidents and cases of ill-health at work; they are also about ensuring that organisations have good health and safety management systems in place. They help to reinforce the message that good health and safety is good business and clearly demonstrate an organisation's commitment to the achievement of high levels of performance in this crucial area.