Purpose
Williams is committed to upholding the highest standard of excellence for compliance and continuous improvement of environmental, health and safety performance to help achieve the greatest benefit for all our stakeholders, using all reasonable efforts to operate in a manner that preserves the environment and protects the health and safety of our employees and others.
Applicability
Each employee is responsible for compliance with this policy and for implementing the policy within his or her area of responsibility.
Policy
It is our policy to meet or exceed all applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, and to facilitate full and open discussion to address responsible standards and practices where laws and regulations do not exist. Accordingly, this Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) Policy is a standard by which Williams and our employees are continually measured.
Requirements under this policy
Operations
- Comply with all applicable EH&S laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
- Make EH&S considerations a core component in existing operations and in the planning, design and construction of new and expanded assets including the integration of physical risk management into our business and decision processes.
- Utilize the Williams Integrated Management System (WIMS) to ensure total employee involvement in all environmental, health and safety processes including waste management, water quality management and air quality management and a means to manage and maintain EH&S Operating and Project Requirements. Hold employees accountable for performing work according to these procedures.
- Apply an adaptive mitigation hierarchy approach in project development and execution.
- Operate in a manner that reduces the impacts of our business activities on climate; land; air; water; wildlife and biodiversity; and historical and cultural resources.
Communications
- Promote EH&S awareness among customers and in the communities where we operate.
- Provide EH&S training and promote awareness/execution of EH&S programs among all employees.
- Cooperate and coordinate, in the spirit of partnership, with local, state and federal authorities and other stakeholders on EH&S matters and incidents.
- Continually monitor applicable EH&S laws, regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines for revisions. Communicate with stakeholders regarding any changes.
Evaluation
- Incorporate critical EH&S performance metrics into our existing management reporting systems. Include the achievement of high EH&S standards of excellence as a component of the performance review process for each employee and contractor.
- Perform EH&S process assessments and independent compliance audits at a frequency appropriate to the size and nature of the operations and facilities, and implement corrective action, as necessary.
- Perform investigations to reduce our risk of reoccurrence of incidents, near-misses and observed hazards.
- Assess EH&S risks related to existing operations, new business ventures and acquisitions.
Oversight
The Environmental, Health and Safety Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for the duties delegated to it by the Board to enable the Board to (a) fulfill its governance and oversight responsibilities regarding the Company’s management of environmental, health and safety (“EHS”) matters, including compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and (b) ensure that the Company maintains a safety culture focused on protecting the health and safety of employees, contractors, customers, the public, the environment and its assets. The Committee is also responsible for management’s efforts in creating a culture of continuous improvement in the Company’s EHS protection practices.