When processes are safe, the risks are elsewhere
Work on the installations can be the cause of serious accidents, even fatal for those involved: Seqens makes work safety management a top priority.
In the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, thanks to all the preventive measures that are deployed, industrial accidents causing injury or death fortunately remain very rare events.
The most frequent serious accidents occur during maintenance work or work by external companies on installations that are at a standstill. Stoppage of equipment operation is not a guarantee of safety for those involved.
There are many hazards involved in working on a chemical plant.
- Fire start, explosion during hot work (welding, cutting, grinding)
- Spraying, exposure to dangerous fluids when opening pipes or equipment
- Explosion, anoxia or intoxication during interventions inside process equipment (tanks, reactors. )
- Electrification during electrical work
The fundamental safety principles associated with all these activities are the same:
- Analyze the risks / identify the hazards present.
- Physically isolate sources of danger (energy, product).
- Completely eliminate any energy or hazardous substances still present.
- Lockout and tagout to prevent untimely return to service.
- Verify the absence of danger and the proper implementation of the lockout devices.
- Put in place collective and individual protection measures
Seqens is structured
Since 2017, in an effort to eliminate serious work-related accidents, standards have been established to regulate high-risk activities. They are deployed uniformly across all Group entities.
Evaluation of the level of performance / accompaniment of the production sites
The strict application of the Group’s requirements at all our sites is regularly audited either by internal teams or by external experts appointed by the Corporate HSE department.
The high level of demand for the standards established has de facto imposed a change in culture and organization, particularly in the way maintenance work and contractors are managed.
Because nothing is possible without adequate support, training is provided to all those involved in the work processes (Lockout Tagout supervisors, works managers, maintenance teams, HSE departments, contractors).
Significant improvements are now visible and measurable through indicators and inspection visits. In safety nothing can ever be taken for granted, but the foundations are solid and we will continue our efforts to guarantee the safety of our operations.
