A commitment to protecting our workers and the environment is central to our philosophy and provides the foundation for the future development and success of our business.
In recognition that safe and environmentally secure manufacturing facilities are essential to building good relationships with our customers, neighbours, regulators and suppliers both our Halebank (a top tier COMAH) and Workington sites are accredited to the internationally acknowledged standard ISO 14001.
As part of our drive for continuous improvement in the area of health, safety and the environment Pentagon is a signatory to the Chemical Industries Association Responsible Care & Sustainable Development programmes as well as endorsing the Goals and Guiding Principles for Sustainable Business Practice.
Furthermore Pentagon has successfully implemented a group wide process safety plan to incorporate the lessons of the Baker Panel report within our workings. This is already delivering tangible improvements towards process safety excellence.
Risk assessment tools evolve over time as do design standards, therefore all processes at Pentagon are subjected to periodic process safety reviews. This helps us identify and implement further risk reduction measures. All levels in the organisation are involved in process safety awareness training. In particular, process operators and maintenance technicians are aware of hazards, what can happen if things go wrong and, most importantly, what controls they are responsible for to ensure there are no plant incidents.
Pentagon is also working with others within the Chemical Industries Association to help increase process safety leadership awareness throughout the chemicals sector. Pentagon is actively working under the auspices of the Chlorine Covenant. This is a new way for chlorine producers and users to work together with regulators to improve standards beyond legal compliance, share best practice, and reduce the risk of liquid chlorine leaks. Leading Process Safety Performance Indicators are in place and reviewed by the Board to evaluate progress.
Pentagon has a high visibility safety culture. Employees are actively engaged in safety meetings at all levels. This includes the Site EH&S Committees, which are attended by the CEO, other directors, general managers, department and shift managers, and employee safety representatives. Workplace inspections are carried out routinely and employees are involved in regular toolbox talks and safety briefings. Significant efforts are directed at maintaining a high level of hazard awareness through near miss reporting. A clear correlation exists between increased numbers of near miss reports and reduced injuries.
