We protect people’s safety

At every level, we contribute daily to maintaining safety standards at any stage of the life cycle of products and assets. The organisation and risk management models that analyse dangers and identify measures to avoid them are fundamental. Accident data is collected in databases and studied in an increasingly precise way in order to act preventively on potentially risky situations, also using the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, we promote new tools to reduce injuries. In this regard, we have created:  

• a methodology for analysing behaviour and the Human Factor in relation to safety, based on the study of human reliability (THEME-The Human Error Model for Eni) in order to identify action strategies to strengthen human barriers and safe behaviour

• a tool for investigating the root causes of accidents (RC-Eni). 
  

A five-year protocol is currently in force, signed with Inail for the dissemination of the culture of prevention in the energy chain, in order to avoid accidents and occupational diseases, through communication initiatives and personnel training programmes.

The value of safety is shared with suppliers and contractors. In addition to raising awareness and assessing companies on Health Safety and Environment management, we have set up the Eni Safety Competence Centre (SCC), a competence centre that provides services in the field of safety management and control at construction sites and for contract works, at our industrial sites both in Italy and abroad. Through the Safety Competence Centre we monitor and support the improvement process of companies, offering a standard methodology for managing activities and the use of tools that combine commitment and involvement, both technical and cultural, contained in the “Pact for Safety” and an Internet portal for managing the safety of contract workers. 

Innovation is the basis for our personal and corporate growth. An important contribution to maintaining high levels of safety comes from new, increasingly digital-intensive technologies and the latest generation of equipment that increase the safety level of operators, such as:

• Smart Safety, the digital system involving the use of wearable devices to alert workers in hazardous and emergency situations;

• HSEni app, a mobile digital tool to report unsafe acts and conditions, fill in safety checklists and consult Eni’s Safety and Environmental Golden Rules and Process Safety Fundamentals;

• Electronic Work Permit (e-WP), an application to support the process of compiling, managing and archiving work permits;

• Safety Presense, an artificial intelligence tool that can predict recurring dangerous situations from weak signals recorded in security databases;

• Digital HSE Risk Assessment, the digital tool supporting the risk analysis, assessment, compilation and reporting phases of our operating sites.

With regard to process safety, we have developed and adopted a Management System to prevent and mitigate risks associated with uncontrolled releases of hazardous substances that may evolve into major accidents, with the aim of safeguarding the safety of people, the environment and assets. The widespread dissemination of process safety fundamentals, the process safety principles to be followed during on-site activities, and the development of a training course to disseminate the fundamental elements defined in the process safety management system, aimed at all technical/operational and HSEQ area personnel, continued.  To minimise accidents and improve our performance, we have also addressed safety issues in fluid handling for new energy supply chains by revising process safety standards to include specific design requirements for hydrogen, CO₂  and other substances from new supply chains.

In terms of product safety, we are committed to managing risks associated with chemicals in purchase and sale, in line with European and non-European regulatory developments. To this end, we have also developed a tool for managing documentation and hazard characteristics and making Safety Data Sheets available to all stakeholders, in addition to launching a system to assess the ability to generate circular value in products and services through the value chains of chemical and petrochemical products.

With regard to industrial hygiene, we carry out activities to strengthen the monitoring and control of risk agents in the workplace, also through the implementation of targeted training programmes and through participation in working groups with national bodies for the preparation of reference guidelines on the subject.

Emergency management is first and foremost about preparation. At the operational level, we have plans and procedures that define everyone's tasks, and we prepare appropriate means of response. At the central level, on the other hand, we provide support tools and structures, including the Eni Crisis Unit , which, through its transversal expertise, can provide a flexible contribution according to the specifics of the emergency. Emergency preparedness is regularly tested in exercises in which the ability to respond is assessed.  

Our procedures are integrated with national Civil Protection planning, with which we signed a four-year Memorandum of Understanding in November 2021. In particular, in Italy we have long participated in the activities of the Operational Committee for Civil Protection on the prevention, planning and management of emergencies arising from natural hazards, having adhered in 2008 to the Directive "Operational Guidelines for Emergency Management".