Safety
Along with working conditions, TenneT has also placed safety high on its agenda. We reached a new milestone in 2005 by obtaining the SCC certificate for our Transmission Operations business unit. The SCC standard addresses safety, health and the environment and also defines requirements for policy and organisational matters. It is a checklist drawn up by SSVV (an independent foundation dedicated to cooperation in the interests of safety). The purpose of the checklist is to make sure that organisations ensure that proper attention is paid to safety, health and the environment. Many companies involved in high?risk activities hold the SCC certificate or are in the process of setting up the required safety system. The SCC system creates uniformity and transparency and increases safety awareness.
By May, just five months after the start of the SCC project, all employees of the Transmission Operations business unit were in possession of the SCC certificate for operational supervisors. Representatives of a specialised company, RICAS, had by then already visited all the substations to gather information in order to draw up emergency plans. These (updated) plans were made available to all substations at the end of the second quarter of the year.
Another step towards improving safety was preparation of a risk analysis and evaluation by KEMA/Marsh. The results provided a basis for various procedures and methods prescribed by the SCC standard. We also began holding ‘toolbox meetings’ at operational departments. These monthly meetings discuss a different safety subject each time.
The official SCC Manual was completed in summer 2005. It describes all the relevant procedures and working practices in detail. The agreed procedures and working practices are intended to help employees perform their day?to?day work in a safer and healthier manner.
In the second half of the year, we tested all work equipment, identified all items of personal protective equipment and inspected all work areas. We also checked whether all employees had attended the prescribed number of toolbox meetings. After these matters were found to be in order, DNV, the certificating body, performed a three?day audit towards the end of the year. The Transmission Operations business unit passed the audit with flying colours and received the SCC certificate. In the interests of universal safety awareness, we have since our certification also required many subcontractors to apply this same safety protection system.
Accidents and safety measures
No fatal accidents or accidents that resulted in sick leave occurred at TenneT in 2005. However, there were some minor accidents (solely with material damage or minor injuries) and reports of near‑accidents [number of accidents]. As part of the SCC programme, we worked hard in 2005 on improving the workforce’s reporting of accidents and hazardous situations. This effort resulted in a significant increase in the number of reports, i.e. from two (in 2004) to 46 (in 2005). Among other things, it has become clear to us that safe working practices require good communication between the parties who work together. We will devote extra attention to this matter in 2006.
