Being prepared for an emergency situation is an important part of Suncor’s safety culture. We train employees and contractors, we run drills, and we work with our local communities. Being prepared ensures that when an emergency occurs, we know what we need to do to protect people, the environment and our assets.
The Commerce City refinery’s Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) group organizes various activities to support preparedness efforts. In October 2018, our EHS team led a large-scale drill involving Suncor’s emergency operations leadership and first responders, as well as representatives from local response agencies including South Adams County Fire Department, Colorado State Patrol, Adams County Sheriff’s Department and Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), and Tri-County Health Department. Stakeholders from neighboring operations including Metro Wastewater Reclamation District and Regional Transportation District also participated.
Nothing is more important than protecting ourselves and others from harm, and our top priority is always ensuring the health and safety of people, both in the workplace and in the communities where we have our operations,” said Brian Nelson, EHS manager at the Commerce City refinery. “Bringing Suncor’s emergency response team together with local community first responders helps us all better understand each other’s processes and standards, and ultimately work more cohesively in the event of an actual emergency.
In 2018, the EHS team planned and executed approximately 70 emergency drills, ranging from single-building evacuations to the more complex large-scale, multi-agency drill conducted in October. Through the course of 2018, Suncor’s emergency response team – comprised of about 60 specially trained employees – logged more than 5,000 hours of fire, rescue, hazmat and other advanced training.
Delivering safe, reliable operations and ensuring that everyone goes home safe at the end of the day requires rigorous focus. We are committed to continuously learning, sharing and improving safety efforts by embedding safety leadership into our culture, fully engaging all employees and the community in safety, and providing a safe work environment for all employees and contractors.
