H Oil and Minerals Ltd

Health, Safety and Environmental Policy

H Oil & Minerals Ltd observers the following Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Policy:

Management Commitment

Safety and preservation of the environment are core values of H Oil & Minerals. Consequently, H Oil publishes and takes responsibility for the following commitments and principles which are overseen by H Oil senior management and given the necessary human and capital resources to ensure their effective implementation.

Health, Safety and Environmental Commitment

H Oil is committed to conducting its exploration and development operations in such a way as to minimize any negative impact that its processes, facilities and services may have on the environment. Additionally, H Oil has a commitment to reaching the highest possible level of safety, paying special attention to protecting its employees, contractors, customers and local surroundings.

Statement of Policy and its Diffusion

H Oil’s HSE Policy is published and distributed to all participants in H Oil’s business activities and is available for public review. The HSE Policy forms the basis of all our HSE Management System documentation.

Health, Safety and Environmental Principles

Please follow the links to go straight to the relevant principle:

Integrated HSE Management

All H Oil employees, whatever their position of responsibility or geographic location, are responsible for ensuring their own safety, for contributing to the safety of others and for ensuring their compliance with their environmental responsibilities both collectively and individually.

Safety is an essential employment condition and a relevant aspect in the performance assessment of all employees, suppliers and contractors.

Management is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the HSE Policy for all people, equipment and systems under their area of responsibility and in integrating environmental and safety matters into the general management of the business. Each management team in any area of our operations is responsible for leading and implementing the HSE Management System and meeting its goals.

HSE criteria are integrated into all phases of H Oil’s operations, from initial planning, through operations management and up until final decommissioning.

Impact Minimization

H Oil makes a permanent effort to identify, define and minimize the negative impact on safety and the environment caused by its activities, facilities, products and services and strives to use energy and feedstock efficiently.

Ongoing Adjustments to Regulations

H Oil complies with all environmental and safety regulations applicable to its various facilities, operations and systems, as well as its internal regulations.  The Company takes international standards and legal trends into consideration when planning any action that may have a tangible effect on the environment or safety, particularly in areas of the world where no laws or regulations yet apply.

Risk Assessment, Management and Prevention

H Oil seeks to identify and evaluate all relevant HSE risks and apply the basic principle of prevention in all its activities from initial planning, through project-related decision making and operations up to and including full decommissioning.

Application of Efficiency Criteria in Solving Environmental Problems

Environmental cost/benefit data and analyses are reviewed, performed and considered when selecting measures and technologies employed to solve environmental problems.

Cooperation with Society

H Oil always works in cooperation with governments, communities, associations, non-governmental organizations, and public and private institutions in the quest for solutions to environmental and safety problems and particularly regarding the development of new legislation, risk prevention as well as improvements in work conditions and preservation of the environment.

Commitment of Suppliers and Contractors to the H Oil HSE Policy

HSE criteria are a prime factor for H Oil in the selection and evaluation of suppliers and contractors working for H Oil and these companies and their employees are required to perform in accordance with the HSE Policy.

Internal and External Communications

H Oil encourages clear and accurate communication for all internal and external audiences with regard to environmental protection and risk prevention, using established transparency criteria. Consumers and users of H Oil products and services shall receive adequate information consistent with H Oil’s ongoing commitment to the HSE Policy.

Planning and Provision of Technical, Financial and Human Resources

Environmental and safety planning are based on strategies and programs subject to evaluation which define adequate actions to achieve the HSE Policy objectives. Management seeks to ensure the allocation of necessary technical, financial and human resources to the implementation of these established strategies and programs.

Training

H Oil provides personnel training on its HSE Policy, particularly for those employees involved in the management, operation and maintenance of facilities and systems and relations with customers, suppliers and contractors.

Continuous Improvement

Constant efforts are made to improve the attitude, practices and processes that determine HSE performance through systematic evaluation of HSE Management Systems by internal audit.

Customer HSE Care

H Oil contributes to the preservation of the health, safety and environment of its customers, and makes known to employees, suppliers and contractors the products and processes it handles so as to ensure they have no detrimental effect on health, safety or the environment during operations and use.

Protection of Biodiversity

H Oil supports measures that are oriented towards i) the reduction of activities that cause casualties among or deterioration of the existing biodiversity in its areas of operation; ii) the recovery of degraded ecosystems; iii) the promotion of sustainable development; and iv) other activities that contribute to the conservation of species, habitats and communities.

Relations with Local Communities

H Oil promotes the development of initiatives designed to encourage the progress of local communities and to the conservation of their health, education and cultural diversity. H Oil promotes a policy of open communication with these communities in order to identify their pressing needs and implement projects that are designed to achieve lasting improvements in their quality of life. Pleas see Social Development Programs for details of initiatives supported by H Oil.

The H Oil Foundation

The Foundation works to help build peaceful and sustainable societies within our host communities and throughout Africa.

About the H Oil Foundation »