Process Safety Management Standard
OMV’s Process Safety Management Standard serves as a framework and reference for the implementation and maintenance of effective process safety regulations by defining the minimum requirements and providing guidance on how process safety is integrated into the management of health, safety, security, and environment (HSSE). The Process Safety Management Standard focuses on minimizing risks associated with handling hazardous substances in oil, gas, energy, and chemical activities to prevent accidents that could harm humans, the environment, assets, and OMV’s reputation. The framework involves proactive risk identification and management through the analysis and evaluation of hazards to control risks within acceptable limits. It promotes a strong safety culture through leadership commitment, employee participation, and continuous learning. By integrating the Standard into the HSSE management system, OMV ensures compliance with legal and industry standards. The framework provides clear guidelines on the mitigation of and emergency response mechanisms to handle accidents.
The Process Safety Management Standard, HSSE Directive, and all the additional relevant standards mentioned in this section apply to OMV globally, with specific provisions for local legal compliance taken into consideration. This includes OMV Aktiengesellschaft and all its subsidiaries, Borealis AG, and OMV Petrom S.A., along with their respective subsidiaries, but excludes SapuraOMV Upstream Sdn. Bhd. and its subsidiaries. Minor exclusions apply, for instance within Borealis, where separate guidelines that cover entity-specific operational incidents are provided. As there is a high degree of interdependence between the policies that govern the material topic Process Safety and other material environmental topics, please refer to Pollution for details on our overarching commitments in the Code of Conduct and the scope of our Environmental Management Standard, and to S1 Health, Safety & Well-Being for details on our HSSE Strategy.
All the policies that govern process safety management within OMV are approved by the Executive Board. Responsibility for implementing these policies lies with the respective business units or the respective members of the board of directors. The corporate functions are responsible for supporting the implementation and, to a certain degree, overseeing their governance and monitoring. The HSSE Directive and related corporate policies are made available to all OMV employees via OMV’s Regulations Alignment Platform on the OMV Intranet.
To mitigate the negative impact of unplanned releases from process safety incidents, which can lead to property damage and pollution in the vicinity of our operations, OMV adheres to the Process Safety Management Standard. This standard provides comprehensive guidelines and procedures for preventing and managing process safety incidents and spills, ensuring strict controls are in place to minimize their likelihood and impact, thereby safeguarding the environment and property surrounding our operations.
Within OMV’s Process Safety Management Standard, processes and mechanisms have been defined to prevent, mitigate, and remediate the actual negative impact. These include:
Risk Management
Process safety risks are systematically evaluated through a variety of process hazard assessments such as HAZOP studies, QRAs (Quantitative Risk Assessments), and risk assessments according to the Seveso Directive, which is the main EU regulation covering the control of major onshore accident hazards involving dangerous substances.
Recommendations from process hazard analyses (PHAs), audits, reviews, and incident investigations addressing process safety risks are centrally recorded and prioritized systematically in OMV Integrated Risk Register. This is linked to the mid-term planning process to ensure there is budget available to implement the recommendations. Prior to the start-up of a new facility, after major modifications, or following a turnaround, we conduct an independent pre-start-up safety review to ensure that the facility is safe for start-up and operations.
In 2024, to identify and manage risks, a register containing risk reduction measures identified as a result of various process hazard analyses (PHAs), assessments, and safety studies was established in each operated production unit and populated with data, including from Borealis sites. This provides a consolidated overview to support the prioritization and further development of risk reduction plans. A software tool to manage the results of process hazard analyses, recommendation tracking, and workflows was rolled out at OMV.
Emergency Management Plans
Process safety incidents can at times affect communities in the vicinity of our operations. For this reason, we have robust emergency management plans in place that are coordinated with the surrounding communities. Different levels of emergency management plan outline roles and responsibilities, structures, communications, and the interfaces required for emergency and incident management teams. Emergency response plans include specific emergency procedures and alerting and notification requirements to ensure that an emergency response is managed in a coordinated manner.
Inspection and Maintenance
Comprehensive inspection and maintenance programs are carried out by dedicated departments for inspection, maintenance, and plant integrity. They conduct regular inspections of process equipment, pipelines, tanks, and more, and manage the testing of safety equipment plus plant maintenance and turnarounds.
Investigations and Audits
Regular audits, reviews, and updates to our safety systems and procedures are mandated in the policies. OMV’s commitment to enhancing our safety protocols not only ensures a secure working environment but also prevents damage to our assets and mitigates negative impacts on our personnel, surrounding communities, and the environment. All incidents are identified and reported in an appropriate and timely manner. Work-related incidents with potential consequences for people, the environment, assets, or our reputation are investigated in a suitable manner to determine direct causes, root causes, and systemic causes so we can learn from them and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. Tier 1 and Tier 2 process safety events are measured, tracked, and investigated continuously for a consistent overview of OMV’s process safety performance. In addition to Tier 1 and 2 process safety incidents, we monitor Tier 3 process safety events for a better assessment of the critical barriers. The monitoring and reporting of process safety events provides an overview of the challenges to safety systems so that weaknesses within the barriers can be identified and corrected at facility level.
In 2024, Borealis conducted regular Blue Audits throughout the year to assess compliance with Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) standards. These comprehensive audits involve a detailed three- to four-day examination with subject matter experts to validate and monitor corrective actions. The effectiveness of these actions is evaluated in an audit cycle to ensure continuous health and safety improvement.
HSSE Directive
The HSSE Directive sets out the principles and rules for the management of HSSE-related risks and activities throughout the life cycle of the Group’s business and activities, including capital projects, mergers, and acquisitions. The Directive also defines key HSSE responsibilities for all OMV employees, partners, and contractors. Additionally, it stipulates the continuous improvement of HSSE performance. The HSSE Directive defines core aspects of HSSE management, grouped into twelve elements centering around the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. For each element, the HSSE Directive defines the approach to follow for effective HSSE management, which includes process safety management. For the HSSE Directive, unless otherwise specified, the scope of the policy, involvement of senior-level management, reference to third-party standards (where relevant), interests of key stakeholders in setting the policy (where relevant), and how the policy is made available to potentially affected stakeholders are covered in S1 Health, Safety & Well-Being.
To mitigate the negative impact of unplanned releases from process safety incidents, which can lead to property damage and pollution in the vicinity of our operations, the HSSE Directive provides guidance on how process safety incidents and accidents should be reported, analyzed to identify the root cause, and prevented from recurring. In addition, the HSSE Directive stipulates that organizational arrangements, facilities, training, and exercises shall be provided to effectively manage emergencies and crisis situations.
Additional Relevant Standards
Other corporate regulations governing process safety in OMV are HSSE Risk Management, Contractor HSSE Management, Management of Hazardous Substances, Personnel Transportation, as well as Reporting, Investigation, and Classification of Incidents. Collectively, these provide the framework for safety management and mandate regular reviews and updates of risk registers and action plans to ensure compliance and continuous improvement of our safety culture. Our Major Accident Prevention Policy sets out the overall aims and guidelines for controlling the risk of a major accident as part of OMV’s operations. Acknowledging that the risk of major accidents in onshore or offshore operations related to oil and gas extraction, transportation, refining, and distribution activities is significant, and recognizing that such major accidents can have severe consequences for the environment and affected persons, OMV firmly believes that if a strong awareness of HSSE is embedded in the company culture, this will lay the foundation for all its operations and relationships with contractors.
Our Contractor HSSE Management Standard defines the minimum requirements for integrating HSSE issues into all phases of the contract life cycle and into the contractor management process. This standard aims to define a structured process for the HSSE management of contractors, from selection through to contract close-out. Together, these policies offer comprehensive guidelines and measures to mitigate the negative impact of unplanned releases from process safety incidents, which can result in property damage and pollution in the vicinity of our operations.
OMV’s HSSE management engages with employees and their representatives, such as works councils and trade unions, to address critical issues and identify areas for improvement. For example, Borealis conducts HSE Forums at each location, where employee representatives are consulted and informed about the HSE management system. The HSSE department organizes HSSE Days for various OMV units to educate employees on HSSE topics, including process safety. Additionally, OMV collaborates regularly with local authorities and regulators to ensure that policies comply with legal requirements. Furthermore, the Safety Training Centers established at the sites provide a platform for interaction and exchange.