Torrance Refinery — safety & health

Safety and Health — Priority One
The Torrance Refinery's number one priority is the safety and health of our employees and community. With this commitment in mind, our employees are dedicated to making their work environments as safe as possible.

Safety: A Condition of Employment
ExxonMobil employees are personally accountable for their own safety as well as for those around them. While refinery operations abide by strict guidelines established by federal, state and local government agencies - including local fire departments - refinery workers are strongly committed to ensuring the safety of their place of work.  

This commitment to safety rests on a foundation of prevention and is upheld through vigorous, ongoing training. Employees and contractors walking through the refinery gates become part of the refinery's "Safety Team," having completed mandatory training classes and passed tests on safety procedures. By following procedures and protocols, employees can minimize risks inherent in the refining process.

Contracted Workforce
On average, the refinery employs 500 contractors per day. Contracted workers must follow the same safety procedures as ExxonMobil employees. Steps to ensure contractor safety include:

• A thorough review of overall safety performance
• Required membership in the "LA Clean Card Program," a drug and alcohol screening program
• Passing grade on tests upon completion of mandatory, three-hour safety class

Monitoring Risks
ExxonMobil's occupational health experts are devoted to maintaining a healthy work environment. They assess and monitor health risks in every refinery process, providing training and protective equipment so employees can perform their jobs safely.  

Emergency Response
The Torrance Refinery is prepared for emergencies with its own fully-equipped fire department, which trains regularly with the Torrance Fire Department. The refinery fire brigade is made up of four primary specialties: fire fighters, rescue specialists, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and hazardous materials technicians and specialists, known as the HazMat team.

Reliability Counts
Keeping equipment running safely is another key piece of overall safety. ExxonMobil has a system in place to ensure equipment reliability and to assist in complying with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.  Three key parts of the system are:

• Analyzing operations and addressing potential risks
• Ensuring safety during equipment modifications
• Training employees to do their jobs safely

Regular maintenance is performed daily at the refinery, and periodic maintenance activities called "turnarounds" are conducted on a scheduled basis. During these maintenance activities, improvements to refinery operations are made and systems are checked to ensure that they are running properly.