Good health and safety working practices are important in any environment. Exercising caution and following the correct procedures for safely storing, handling, and transporting bitumen are essential in order to minimize the risk of burns, injury, and damage to equipment and the environment

Launched to coincide with last year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the platform covers a range of bitumen health and safety topics and outlines the processes that should be followed for safe working, including:

• Bitumen Discharge Permits – a Permit to Work document to confirm authorization of deliveries and that the grades and volumes are correct.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) – the importance of wearing the correct PPE to prevent contact burns.
• Emergency shutdown procedure – essential guidance for shutting down a bitumen delivery vehicle in the event of an emergency.
• Emergency shower specification – guidance on the installation and operation of this important equipment which can help treat burns.
• Ground-based pumps, which deliver bitumen at much lower pressure than pressure discharge – the design, installation and maintenance of this equipment is critical to safety.
• Planned preventative maintenance – to ensure all appropriate risk assessments are complete and relevant site-specific procedures are followed.

Rick Ashton, Market Development Manager at TotalEnergies UK – Bitumen Division , said:

“At TotalEnergies, safety is more than a priority; it is a core value and drives our decisions and strategy on an ongoing basis. Over the last 12 months, this portal has become an essential tool for our own employees, partners and customers we work with. This portal helps promote best-practices and beyond that helps everyone understand their health and safety responsibilities and implement processes and policies that protect people, production and the environment.”

To view or download the TotalEnergies Work Well Bitumen Health & Safety Guide, click here.