How To Be A Safe Gas Network Company

Transcription

1 Scotia Gas Networks About Us SCOTIA GAS NETWORKS plc (SGN) is a group of companies consisting of Scotland Gas Networks, Southern Gas Networks, SGN Contracting, SGN Connections and SGN Commercial Services. Stornoway Durness Tongue Lairg Thurso Wick Rodel Ullapool Dornoch Tigharry Uig Gairloch Kinlochewe Dingwall Elgin Fraserburgh Sheildaig Inverness Huntly Peterhead Grantown-on-Spey Castlebay Invermoriston Invergarry DUNDEE Newtonmore Aberdeen Mallaig Braemar Stonehaven Fort William We are owned by a consortium made up of Scottish and Southern Energy plc (50%), Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (25%) and Borealis Infrastructure Management Inc. (25%). Our primary focus is on delivering gas to our 5.7 million customers safely, reliably and efficiently. OXFORD Banbury Milton Keynes Leighton Buzzard Charlbury Bicester Woodstock Aylesbury Witney Oxford Thame Pitlochry Montrose Forfar Blairgowrie Arbroath Dundee Oban Crianlarich Crieff Perth Inveraray DUNFERMLINE Cupar Callender Fife GLASGOW Dunbar Glasgow Falkirk Tarbert Edinburgh Duns Coatbridge Hillington EDINBURGH Biggar Peebles Coldstream Kilmarnock Galashiels Campbeltown Ayr HILLINGTON Cummock Moffat Girvan Thornhill COATBRIDGE Dumfries Stranraer Kirkcudbright Jedburgh We deliver gas: To domestic, commercial and industrial customers via approximately 74,000km of gas mains; In Scotland, to 75% of Scottish households, including remote areas through Scottish Independent Undertakings (SIUs) at Campbeltown, Oban, Stornoway, Thurso and Wick; and In the south, across an area reaching from Milton Keynes to Dover in the east and Lyme Regis in the west, including London boroughs to the south of the River Thames. Abingdon Didcot Wantage Kennington Twyford LONDON Reading Gravesend Herne Bay Newbury Rochester Margate SURREY Orpington Gillingham Camberley Faversham Epsom Biggin HIll Woking Maidstone Canterbury Aldershot Guildford Sevenoaks Deal Basingstoke Reigate WEST KENT Charing Andover Tonbridge Ashford Amesbury ALDERSHOT Godalming Dover Royal Alton Crawley Tunbridge Cranbrook Folkestone Haslemere Salisbury Horsham Wells Winchester Crowborough EAST KENT Haywards Heath New Romney Shaftesbury Romsey Petersfield Uckfield SOLENT Storrington Yeovil Fordingbridge SUSSEX Havant Blandford Forum Lewes Ringwood Chichester Worthing Brighton Hastings POOLE Branksome Brockenhurst Portsmouth Eastbourne Bognor Regis Lyme Regis Poole Dorchester Bournemouth Newport Weymouth

2 A safe way of working SAFETY IS AT the heart of everything that we do whether it is the safety of our customers, the general public, our employees or contractors. Our Vision To safeguard each other and those who work with us by operating an injury-free and healthy workplace and to protect the safety of the public. Our belief is: That safety is paramount; That all unsafe acts, and workrelated injuries and illnesses are preventable; and That we should safeguard the public in everything we do. Our Safety and Occupational Health policy sets out the steps we are taking to achieve our vision including our approach to training and reporting. Our approach is: To know we did everything possible to prevent unacceptable risks to our colleagues and the public; To take personal responsibility for our health and safety and that of others and ensure line managers are accountable for the health and safety of their team; To create the culture where we constructively challenge unsafe behaviours wherever they occur; To learn lessons quickly and find solutions that prevent colleagues or the public being injured in the future; To stop work and ask for assistance if we think our safety and that of colleagues or the public is at risk; To encourage and support our employees to improve safety outside the workplace; To require our contractors to operate to the same high standard as we do and encourage them to share our vision and beliefs; and To build on the commitment of everyone to make the continuous improvements necessary to achieve our vision.

3 SGN s guide to Digging Safely PREVENTING DAMAGE TO our plant is key for us. Our aim is to ensure safe systems of work are in place to protect members of the public and staff and to reduce the amount of damage to our plant. Every year, contractors are injured or killed because they accidentally hit underground utility pipes or electricity cables. Check before you dig by calling the SGN Plant location number on Before you start any work you should: Make sure you have plans of the underground plant for the area of your work; Remember, individual property services from the gas main to a building will not be shown; Always use a cable locator to trace plant both prior to and during your works. Polyethylene (PE) pipes cannot be located by a cable locator; Mark the position of cables using paint or other waterproof marking on the ground; and Hand dig trial holes (as many as necessary) to accurately locate the position of services in the area of your work. When you start work you should: Always try to hand dig near buried services with insulated spades and shovels rather than picks or forks; Keep an eye open for further signs of plant as work continues, as there may be more than a single piece of apparatus; Repeat checks with cable locators as digging progresses; Backfill around plant with a fine soil or sand material; and DO NOT use hard core, concrete or bricks around plant. Always remember: Damage to underground plant can cause fatal or severe injury; Damage to electricity cables can cause a flash leading to severe burns or even death; Underground services can be found in roads, footpaths and on site; Always assume underground services are present; Treat all services as live, despite their appearance or condition; Accidents can happen if people mistake one service for another; Do not use power tools within half a metre of the known position of any plant; Do not use plant as a step or handhold when getting in or out of an excavation; Do not handle or attempt to alter the position of an exposed service; When installing new services such as gas, water or telecoms check on the correct separation; Do not build existing plant into a manhole, telecom chamber walls or encase them in concrete; Plant depths can and do change due to circumstances beyond our control never assume depth without hand digging; and Look out for disturbed ground, cellars or bridges. If damage does occur, report this immediately. Do not attempt to make repairs yourself. If you adhere to the above precautions your own safety will be greatly increased and in turn will help to reduce the risk of damage to our plant. For additional damage prevention information please visit Our Plant Protection team handles 250,000 enquiries a year

4 Mains replacement WE ARE RESPONSIBLE for operating and maintaining more than 74,000km of gas pipeline and for delivering gas to almost 5.7 million residential and business customers. Polyethylene (PE) is a flexible and non-corrosive plastic that, if left undisturbed, should last around 80 years. However, by far its greatest benefit is its versatility; it can even be placed inside the old gas main without interrupting the flow of gas to customers. We appreciate that this will inevitably cause some disruption. However, the new plastic gas mains that are laid have a lifespan in excess of 80 years, therefore when the work is complete, residents and businesses will be able to continue to enjoy the benefits of their gas supply for years to come. We have already replaced all medium pressure ductile iron mains within 30 metres of buildings and this replacement programme will see the replacement of all other iron mains within the same distance of property. We take our responsibilities and obligations very seriously which place a duty on us to ensure all our pipelines are maintained in an efficient state so we can continue to deliver gas safely. Advanced engineering techniques are used whenever possible to help minimise the impact on traffic congestion, residents and businesses. We continue to co-ordinate the works with other utilities if possible and local authorities and are mindful of those people who live in the area and will always try to minimise noisy activities. In order to meet these obligations we have, following agreement with our Regulator, Ofgem and the Health & Safety Executive, embarked on an extensive programme of gas mains replacement throughout Scotland and the southern network, to replace all metallic mains that are located within 30 metres of any property with new plastic pipe. This also includes the replacement of the individual services connecting premises to the mains network. In 2007/08 we invested 199.2m in our mains replacement policy Gas travels through pipes at approximately 15mph We serve 5.7 million customers We have 74,000km of pipeline laid end-to-end, this would stretch three-quarters of the way around the world

5 Caring for our environment WE RECOGNISE THAT a responsible approach to operating our business is fundamental. Delivering a sustainable business is not just about doing things right it s also about doing the right things. In accordance with our amibition to achieve environmental excellence we have set challenging targets and will always go beyond legislative compliance. We are committed to the protection and enhancement of the environment. Consideration for the environment is a feature of all our business activities, and we are always looking for new ways to minimise the environmental impact of our activities. We constantly benchmark our environmental performance, allowing us to achieve continual improvements in this area. In addition, our employees environmental awareness is continually increasing so that they are able to recognise and manage all significant environmental issues, risks, incidents and opportunities and thereby seek to avoid pollution to land, air or water. As part of our commitment to the environment we also work in partnership with conservation charities, schools, and a wide range of community groups. Both Scotland Gas Networks and Southern Gas Networks are accredited to the ISO international standard of environmental excellence which has a rigorous approach to environmental management. During 2007/08 some of our environmental targets were: to reduce methane emissions from leaking pipes by more than 2% to reduce our paper usage by more than 10% to reduce our energy usage by more than 10% We have met and exceeded our targets for all of these. We have reduced our impact on the environment by increasing our use of excavated materials

6 Customer service WE TRANSPORT GAS to 5.7 million customers in the central southern and south east of England and Scotland. We are committed to maintaining safe and effective networks to deliver a reliable service and customer satisfaction during the course of our operations. Our Commitment to Customers document sets out the steps we take to deliver an excellent service to our customers, including our Standards of Service. This details the steps we take to ensure that only properly trained staff or our approved contractors visit your home and the special services available for customers who are blind, partially sighted, deaf or hearing impaired. This information can be obtained in Braille, audio or large print on request. Assistance can also be provided where English is not the first language. At our Customer Service Centre in Perth we respond to enquiries from all areas of our operation regarding our activities including emergency works, mains replacement, service disconnections, information on service pipes and safety advice. You can also contact our Customer Service Centre for new gas connections and service alterations for both residential and business customers. We have 5.7 million customers Our Customer Service Centre responds to 260,000 calls every year We have special services for blind, partially-sighted, deaf or hearing impaired customers Assistance can be provided where English is not the first language Our Customer Service Centre is available on /1432.

7 SGN Connections WE PROVIDE NEW gas connections for residents and businesses in Scotland and the south of England as well as services such as alterations and disconnections. Our teams offer a complete service to you, from design and quotation through to planning, scheduling and delivering the necessary work through our highly skilled and experienced engineers. We are committed to providing an excellent service to our customers, focusing on the provision of quality performance in safety, health, environment and engineering. SGN Connections offers a range of services to customers covering: New gas supply we manage small and large scale connections to the gas network on new or existing housing and for industrial and commercial customers. Our efficient engineering techniques are designed to minimise any impact on customers and the environment Alteration/upgrade to existing gas service if you need your gas meter to be moved or wish to increase your gas consumption, we can offer a service that is tailored to your requirements Infrastructure projects we have the capability to deliver new individual services to very large infrastructure projects (for example, at new housing or office developments) to meet the needs of our customers Service isolations where a gas supply is no longer required, for example where a property is being demolished or rebuilt, we offer an isolation service where the existing gas service is disconnected at the main Infills even if your property is in an area where there is no gas, we will be happy to discuss the options of providing gas from our network to you and your neighbourhood. We do not charge for issuing a quotation We complete around 30,000 new connections and alterations each year. You can discuss your requirements by calling our helpful Connections Team on

8 Our emergency role IF ANYONE SMELLS gas or is worried about gas safety they can call the National Gas Emergency Number on * at any time, day or night, regardless of who they buy their gas from. If someone does smell gas they should follow these simple rules: DON T: smoke or use any naked flames. DON T: touch any electrical switches. Turning a switch on or off could ignite a gas escape. DON T: enter a cellar if you smell gas even if your gas meter is located in the cellar. DO: open windows and doors. This gets rid of any gas. DO: turn off the supply at the meter. Make sure any gas appliances are turned off. DO: call the National Gas Emergency Number on *. Lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When a call is taken the relevant information will be logged. It is very important that this is accurate as we need to send our engineers to exactly the right place. The information is sent from one of our Dispatch Centres to our engineer in the field for action. Homeowners are responsible for the pipework between the meter and their gas appliances and for the servicing and repair of their appliances. If you are a tenant, your landlord is responsible and must obtain a certificate to show that all gas appliances have been regularly serviced. We do not carry out any repairs to gas appliances as these must be carried out by a CORGI-registered engineer. Our engineers will always make safe when called to a suspected internal gas escape. In the interests of your safety, in certain circumstances it will be necessary for us to turn off the gas supply at the meter. Where a repair cannot be carried out our engineer will make safe by turning off or disconnecting appliances. Repairs must then be carried out by a CORGI engineer. Our engineers will provide a customer safety information leaflet which gives details of the CORGI helpline who can assist with the names of registered installers in each location. In 2007/08 we received 319,000 calls to the emergency number * All calls are recorded and may be monitored

9 SGN Commercial Services AS ONE OF the Scotia Gas Networks group of companies, SGN Commercial Services has been set up to utilise the group s business skills and operational experience to develop new business opportunities and deliver un-regulated third-party work. In combination with appropriate partners, we will provide added-value services that meet customer needs and expectations which includes metering services, the delivery of multi-utility infrastructure, the facilitation of operations and maintenance contracts and the provision of gas related consultancy services. SGN Metering is a trading name of SGN Commercial Services, set up specifically to provide metering services and is dedicated to delivering excellent service and creating innovative solutions for its customers. Accredited by Ofgem as a Meter Asset Manager (MAM) for category 1, 2, 3 and 4 installations, SGN Metering can offer a full range of services to both the residential and industrial and commercial markets. As a pioneer of smart metering technology, SGN Commercial Services is currently working with manufacturers and energy management companies to develop and provide the market with cutting edge solutions to metering and energy management needs. For example, we would hope to be offering wire-free data transfer as well as automatic meter management capability. In addition we can provide complimentary data logging installation services for our industrial and commercial customers. Building on our operational experience, SGN Commercial Services, through Lloyds Register, hold appropriate accreditation for the delivery of multi-utility infrastructure and with many projects in progress or successfully completed, we would be happy to discuss our design and build capability directly with builders and developers or any other interested customer groups. Contact Us sgncommercial@scotiagasnetworks.co.uk Telephone By post SGN Commercial Services Ltd Inchcolm House, 11 West Shore Road, EDINBURGH EH5 1RH As a MAM we own 54,000 meters which is increasing all the time We aim to install smart meters for the following customers 500 for ScottishPower 3,500 for Scottish & Southern Energy 10,000 for Utilita

10 Graduates We are currently looking for talented graduates from engineering and accountancy disciplines to join our Graduate programme. We have opportunities for graduates to work in our various businesses in a two year training programme which will give you the opportunity to experience a diverse range of business areas, allowing you to develop a broader understanding of SGN s activities. Join us and you will be supported in your professional development and be assigned a mentor for the duration of the programme. The primary purpose of the programme is to gain experience across as wide a range of functions as possible, to understand the work undertaken, policies and procedures followed, the management challenges faced and interaction with other functions. Where could you work? Operations In our operations business we are looking for graduates with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Over the course of the programme you will gain experience across a diverse range of operations activities including placements in emergency response, maintenance, connections, replacement, gas control, safety, health and environment. Network Asset Management In our network asset management business we are looking for graduates with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering or similar. Throughout the two year programme you will gain experience of our businesses through a tailored programme to meet your professional qualifications. You will gain experience in a number of departments including network planning, major projects and construction and capacity planning. Management Our corporate functions support the activities of the rest of the business and ensure excellent delivery and achievement of our key goals and targets. In our corporate management programme, we are looking for graduates from various management or specialist disciplines. All programmes will have aspects of corporate management including Customer Services, Safety, Health and Environment, Human Resources, Finance, Regulation, Legal, Communications and Business Improvement, in order to give a broad view of SGN s activities, however bespoke packages are created for business graduates around these areas.

11 Meet the new graduate recruits Name: Paul McKevitt Job title: Graduate trainee Joined company: September 2008 What I do Currently I am on the graduate trainee scheme. At present I am working at Hillington depot experiencing all the aspects of how a depot is run. This includes anything from digging a hole and fitting a gas service to finding out about the business, engineering and financial issues managers have to deal with. How did I learn about the programme I saw an advertisement on the internet. After I visited SGN s website and found out more about the company I decided to apply. What have I got out of the programme Through meeting and working with so many different people in varying parts of the company I have begun to appreciate how much detailed planning and work goes into supplying customers with gas. Name: Richard King Job title: Graduate trainee Joined company: October 2008 What I do I am roughly two months into a two year graduate trainee programme with SGN. The role involves working in a variety of different areas of the business throughout the duration of the programme. I am currently based in the Sussex area working with both emergency first call operatives and repair teams. How did I learn about the programme I was already working as a temporary employee in our Horley head office when I found out the company was recruiting for their graduate scheme. I applied for the role and had to give a presentation as part of the interview process. A week or so later I was fortunate enough to be offered the job. What have I got out of the programme I have already gained a lot of operational experience in the time I have been working for SGN. This has helped me to gain a better understanding of how our depots operate in order to respond to emergency situations involving gas escpaes. It is a very enjoyable role as I am kept busy and learn something new every day. Name: Jamie McAinsh Job Title: Graduate trainee Joined Company: October 2008 What I do I am currently undergoing the graduate trainee scheme programme. The programme lasts two years and involves me working in all different aspects of the business ranging from operational work to commercial work. Placements in each area last about two to three months. The two years training is aimed at giving me an appreciation and flavour of all the different areas of the business. How did I learn about the programme I heard about the opportunity through my brother who is an apprentice for SGN. I then explored the SGN website to discover more information. Following this I applied for the position and was offered an interview. I was asked to produce a presentation on the gas industry for my interview and I was delighted when I received the call asking me to join the company. What have I got out of the programme The programme so far has been extremely enjoyable and interesting. I have gained a good understanding of how the different areas of the company link and work together in addition to gaining an in depth knowledge and understanding of how the each area works individually. I have also been able to go out with engineers to attend gas escapes and have learned many practical skills along the way. The great benefit of the graduate scheme is that to an extent I am in charge of my own learning, so what I put in, I will get out, for example if I hear about an interesting project going on within the company I can make the necessary arrangements to get involved in this project.

12 Apprenticeships Taking the first step in a great career takes potential. It takes skill. But, above all, it takes the right attitude. You might think your education is finished, but we think differently. There s always more to learn and more to find out. So, whether you re looking for the next step after university or you want to release your engineering potential, it s your enthusiasm, determination and desire to learn that will take you far. We re the country s second largest distribution company, with around 74,000km of pipes reaching out to 5.7 million customers over 50% of the UK s landmass. Our engineers rapidly respond to reports of suspected gas leaks 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We re also undertaking a massive programme of improvement works, laying the pipes that will serve our customers for the decades to come. So we re looking for our future giving you the chance to look to yours. Our Apprenticeship scheme is a great way to make your first step in engineering. Over the course of three years, you ll split your time between the classroom and on site, so when it comes to an end, you ll have both real experience and vital qualifications. It doesn t matter if you don t have any experience, but it is important that you have at least 4 GCSE, Standard Grades or equivalent at grade C or 3, including Maths, English and a Science or Craft subject. Bring these, coupled with the attitude to succeed and the desire to learn, and you could make a great start in one of our engineering teams. Name: Kenny Johnstone, 25 Job title: Apprentice Joined company: August 2008 What I do I am currently undergoing my apprentice programme. After an initial induction week I have been carrying out on-the-job training with the engineering teams at Edinburgh depot working on mains replacement and repair work. How did I learn about the programme Through word of mouth. I knew someone who worked for SGN and heard about the opportunity. I visited the website and after undertaking a series of practical tests and interviews I was delighted to hear I would be joining the company What have I got out of the programme I was really pleased to get this opportunity at my age and am really enjoying the experience. So far its been a mix of college-based work on on-the-job. The training has been excellent and everyone very welcoming.

13 Apprenticeships Gas Network Operations As a Gas Network Operations apprentice you will be trained to become a team leader undertaking pipelaying and repair activities working for either one of our depots or for our replacement department. This will include excavating in the highway, laying, testing and commissioning new gas mains and services, replacing old gas mains and services and making repairs to gas leaks. The role involves working outdoors normally as part of a small team. You will be required to participate in an emergency call-out rota. During your apprenticeship you will be trained for the following qualifications: Gas Network Operations NVQ Level 1 Gas Network Operations Level 2: Servicelaying, Mainlaying and Escape, Locate and Repair Gas Network Operations NVQ Level 3 Streetworks Certificate Pressure Control In undertaking this apprenticeship programme you will be trained to become a Pressure Control engineer working for one of our Maintenance teams. You will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the mechanical equipment controlling the flow of gas between the various pressure tiers of the gas distribution network, working at pressures between 70bar and 75mbar. You will also ensure the correct operation of gas holders, valves and pressure monitoring equipment. The role involves working outdoors, normally as part of a small team. You will be required to participate in an emergency call-out rota. During your apprenticeship you will be trained for the following qualifications: Performance Engineering Operations NVQ Level 2 City & Guides Technical Certificate Level 3 Engineering Maintenance NVQ Level 3 First Call Operations In undertaking this apprenticeship programme you will be trained to become a First Call Operative working for one of our depots. You will be the first to attend gas escapes reported by the general public and be required to take action to safeguard life and property. You may be able to locate the escape if it is inside the property or assist in establishing the location of the escape outside if it is coming from a gas main or service. You will obtain the qualifications necessary to become registered with the Council of Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) and be able to install and replace gas meters. You will also be trained to assist Gas Network Operations teams with mains and service replacement activities. The role involves working both outdoors and inside customers premises, often on your own but with a high level of interaction with the general public. You will be required to participate in an emergency call-out rota. Electrical and Instrumentation Undertaking this apprenticeship programme will be trained to become an Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer working for one of our Maintenance sections. You will be responsible for the installation and maintenance of electrical equipment and instruments used to accurately monitor and control gas flows, gas pressures and for metering. The role involves working both indoors and outdoors, often on your own but as an integral part of a wider team. You will be required to participate in an emergency call-out rota. During your apprenticeship you will be trained for the following qualifications: Performance Engineering Operations NVQ Level 2 BTEC National Electrical Certificate (Electrical/Electronic Engineering) Level 3 Engineering Maintenance NVQ Level 3 During your apprenticeship you will be trained for the following qualifications: Gas Emergency Services Operations Technical Certificate Level 3 Gas Emergency Services Operations NVQ Level 3 Gas Network Operations NVQ Level 1