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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................... 3!
What is STOW-TT? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" #!
What is the reason for STOW-TT?"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" #!
What is the purpose of STOW-TT?""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" $!
What are some benefits of STOW-TT? """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" $!
Who are the main players in STOW-TT? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" %!
HOW DO I GET STARTED?.................................................................................................... 6!
WHAT IS THE STOW-TT PROCESS? .................................................................................... 7!
Phase 1: Self Assessment"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" &!
Phase 2: Deal Development """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" '!
Phase 3: Execution"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ((!
THINGS TO NOTE................................................................................................................. 13!
MAKING THE PROCESS WORK .......................................................................................... 14
The STOW-TT Implementation Board """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ($!
The STOW-TT Project Office """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ($!
Independent Assessors """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ($!
PREPARING FOR THE AUDIT ............................................................................................. 16!
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For more information on STOW-TT and to access the documents referenced, please
visit the STOW website at http://stowtt.energy.tt.
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INTRODUCTION
Are you presently providing heavy equipment services to the energy sector?
Are you presently supplying industrial products to the energy companies?
Are you presently providing industrial services to the energy companies?
Are you presently providing construction services to the energy sector?
Are you presently providing labour to the energy sector?
Are you planning to offer any of the above services to the energy sector?
If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes” then STOW-TT certification is for you.
WHAT IS STOW-TT?
STOW-TT stands for Safe to Work in Trinidad & Tobago. STOW-TT certification
means that contractors have implemented safety systems that make it safe for them
to work in any of the energy companies in Trinidad & Tobago.
The STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements is an HSE management system that
was developed and approved under the authority of the STOW-TT Implementation
Board. There are eleven elements headlined in the STOW-TT Minimum HSE
Requirements. These elements are listed in the STOW-TT Contractor Guidance
Manual.
WHAT IS THE REASON FOR STOW-TT?
STOW-TT was developed because contractors and service providers were
concerned about the many different requirements that had to be fulfilled to meet
conditions for tendering in different energy sector operating companies. The
operating companies wanted to ensure that contractors operating in the energy
sector had effective HSE management systems suitable to their industries. This led
to the development of the Minimum HSE Requirements.
To help contractors and service providers implement their HSE Management
systems, the STOW-TT Implementation Board developed a STOW-TT Contractor
Guidance Manual – HSE Pre-Qualification Requirements, which the service providers
can reference.
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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF STOW-TT?
The purpose of the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements is to communicate to all
potential service providers, the minimum HSE requirements that must be met to be
considered eligible to bid for work in the energy sector.
With STOW-TT Certification, service providers will be able to pre-qualify the validity
of their HSE Management systems with operating companies without having to
submit full supporting documentation to each operating company each time they bid
for work. In other words, it will no longer be necessary to submit all the company’s
safety documentation as part of the tender. Only the STOW-TT Certificate will be
required.
WHAT ARE SOME BENEFITS OF STOW-TT?
STOW-TT is a uniformed HSE management standard across the energy sector. It
helps to heighten safety awareness among small, medium and large contracting
companies. Also, by implementing a uniformed standard, STOW-TT is a means by
which all employees, regardless of the size and type of company with which they are
employed, will be afforded protection at work.
How will it benefit your company to become STOW-TT Certified?
Your company will benefit in the following ways:
� Reduced incidents and accidents
� Reduced costs associated with incidents and accidents
� Your company will have the opportunity to bid for jobs in the energy
companies
� Reduced costs associated with the bidding process since the presentation of
the STOW-TT certificate is all that is required to fulfil the safety requirements
of bids
� Your company will also be in conformance to the Trinidad & Tobago
Occupational Safety and Health Act
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WHO ARE THE MAIN PLAYERS IN STOW-TT?
Safe To Work (STOW-TT) is a joint effort of the Energy Chamber of Trinidad &
Tobago (ECTT), formally the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry & Commerce, the
Association of Upstream Operators of Trinidad & Tobago (AUOTT) and the Point
Lisas Energy Association (PLEA).
AUOTT represents the majority of operating companies that operate in the upstream
sector of the energy industry in Trinidad and Tobago.
PLEA represents the majority of operating companies that operate in the downstream
sector of the energy industry in Trinidad and Tobago.
The ECTT is a membership organization that represents the companies - operators
and contractors - operating in the energy sector.
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HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Certification is granted according to the risk (low risk, high risk) associated with the
activities of the company. Therefore to get started you must first determine your level
of risk.
How do I determine my Level of Risk?
A company’s operations may be considered to be high risk if, in the normal course of
operating, an incident is very likely or likely to happen which may have major
consequences. For example, loss of life, limb, debilitating injuries, hospitalization for
more than 3 weeks, irreparable or serious harm to the environment, damage to
property and loss of operation resulting in more than three weeks down time.
An Oil Well services company, a company that does maintenance and repair of
vessels, tanks and heaters; a company that transports trailers and heavy equipment;
and a plant construction company are a few examples of companies with high risk
operations.
Low risk companies are those where the consequences of your activities are likely to
result in first aid cases and medical visits, and there is minimal environmental
exposure or property damage and minimal loss of operation. Delivery companies;
companies that sell and service small parts and equipment; food services companies;
and companies that provide office cleaning services would be considered low risk
companies.
A company whose operations are not likely to result in losses, and the company does
not bring a threat to the operating companies, may be considered a no risk company.
If your company, by the nature of your work, is normally ranked low risk, but your
services are also performed in a high risk environment i.e. on an operating plant or
offshore facilities, then you should seek High Risk certification.
For example, a company that normally provides cleaning services for office buildings,
and has recently been awarded or expects to bid for a contract to clean offices in an
operating plant (in the control room) or an offshore facility would fall into this
category.
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WHAT IS THE STOW-TT PROCESS?
PHASE 1: SELF ASSESSMENT
To start the STOW process, you should review the Contractor Guidance Manual and
then complete the Self Assessment Check. This is an online questionnaire available
at http://stowtt.energy.tt/questionnaire. You can use the questionnaire to get an initial
indication of your level of conformance to the STOW-TT HSE requirements.
Then you should ask yourself if you are ready for Certification.
If the answer to this question is No, then you should retain an HSE consultant, either
through the Energy Chamber’s website or on your own, to assist your company to fill
the gaps in your HSE management system.
If the answer to this question is Yes, then you should proceed to perform a Gap
Analysis of your HSE management system against the STOW-TT Minimum HSE
Requirements.
When your Gap analysis is completed check to see if you have scored over 75% in
each element.
If the answer to this question is No, then you should correct the items identified in the
Gap.
If the answer to this question is Yes, then you should apply to the Energy Chamber
for an Assessor and play the requisite fees.
At this stage you should proceed to the second phase of the certification process,
which is the assignment of an Assessor.
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FLOW DIAGRAM: SELF ASSESSMENT
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PHASE 2: DEAL DEVELOPMENT
In this phase of the certification process, you should first apply to the Energy
Chamber for an Audit to be conducted on your company.
The Energy Chamber will appoint an Assessor, who will contact you to arrange a
meeting. At this meeting you will discuss and agree to an audit schedule, how the
audit will be conducted and the audit fees.
If you and the Assessor cannot reach an agreement on these issues, then you
should contact the Energy Chamber for advice.
If you do reach an agreement with the Assessor, the Assessor will then submit a
Terms of Reference (TOR) document to your company. Both parties must sign off on
the TOR before work can begin. Copies of the signed TOR must be sent to the
Energy Chamber, Independent Assessor and the company.
The Audit Execution Phase begins at this stage.
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FLOW DIAGRAM: DEAL DEVELOPMENT
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PHASE 3: EXECUTION
At the start of the Audit Execution phase, the Assessor will request and review your
company’s HSE documents to determine if the company meets the level for
certification.
If your company’s HSE documentation does not meet the STOW-TT HSE
requirements, the Assessor will submit a report to the Energy Chamber
recommending that your company not be awarded STOW certification. A copy of the
report will also be sent to the Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC)
Committee for technical review. The company must fill all the gaps identified in the
Assessor’s Documentation Report and reapply for certification. If the reapplication is
done within three (3) months of the application date, fees will be waived and the
same Assessor may be assigned.
If your company’s HSE documentation meets the STOW-TT HSE requirements, the
Assessor will conduct a site visit, interviews and verification of the HSE
documentation that was presented.
The Assessor will then determine if your company meets the certification level (low
risk, high risk). If the answer is No, the Assessor will submit a report to the Energy
Chamber recommending that the company not be awarded STOW certification. A
copy of this report will also be sent to the QA/QC Committee for technical review. The
company must fill all the gaps identified in the Assessor’s Documentation Report and
reapply for certification. If the re-application is done within three (3) months, fees will
be waived and the same Assessor may be assigned.
If the Assessor determines that your company does meet the level for certification,
then the Assessor will prepare a report recommending that your company be
awarded STOW certification. The report is submitted it to the Energy Chamber for
technical review by the QA/QC Committee.
If the QA/QC Committee is not satisfied with the report, it will be sent back to the
Assessor for review and corrective action. The Assessor must resubmit the corrected
report to the QA/QC Committee.
If the QA/QC Committee is satisfied with the report, it will be forwarded to the STOW
Implementation Board for final approval and certification.
The STOW Implementation Board has the final say in the certification of companies.
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FLOW DIAGRAM – EXECUTION
Assessor submits
refusal report to EC.
Report is forwarded for
QA/QC review
Assessor submits
refusal report to EC.
Report is forwarded for
QA/QC review
Report is forwarded for
QA/QC review
Report sent back to
Assessor for review and
corrective action and resubmitted for QA/QC
review
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THINGS TO NOTE
� During the site visit, the Assessor will conduct a Physical Condition tour of the
company’s facilities. This tour entails inspections of the work site(s) and
verification by interviews with field personnel to determine their knowledge of the
company’s HSE management systems. The company must score 70% and higher
to pass this tour. A failing score in this part of the audit will automatically disqualify
the company from certification. The company must then reapply after action is
taken to correct the substandard conditions identified during the tour.
� The average length of time for an Audit is 3 to 5 days
� The cost to become certified includes:
1) The following Application Fee (TT$)
Members
Non-Members
Low Risk
1,000.00 + VAT
1,250.00 + VAT
High Risk
3,000.00 + VAT
3,750.00 + VAT
2) An Assessor Fee of between TT$2,500.00 to TT$3,000.00 per day for Senior
Assessors, and between TT$1,500.00 and TT$2,000.00 per day for
Independent Assessors
3) Certification fee of TT$1,000.00 plus VAT which is only paid if a company
achieves certification.
Companies that apply for STOW-TT Certification must satisfy the following
requirements to be certified:
Compliance Level
Minimum of 75% in each element
Minimum of 85% in each element
Validity of
Certificate
1 year
2 years
Companies are expected to demonstrate continuous improvement in their HSE
management systems. Therefore companies are not expected to attain 75% in each
element at each recertification audit but increase their level of conformance to at
least 85% in each element over a 3 year period.
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Making the Process Work
THE STOW-TT IMPLEMENTATION BOARD
The STOW-TT Implementation Board was established to allow the energy Operating
Companies in both the upstream and downstream to: a) agree the minimum
requirements they will use when procuring goods and services, and; b) communicate
these to contractors, service companies and suppliers.
The role of the STOW-TT Implementation Board is to govern the process by which
the minimum requirements are set, communicated, implemented and assessed.
The STOW-TT Implementation Board comprises 12 persons made up of
representatives of the upstream and downstream operating companies.
The Board has the final say regarding the granting of certification. The Board is
responsible for overseeing the implementation of the STOW programme and for
hearing and determining appeals from organisations or individuals concerning any
aspect of the certification or authorization of Independent Assessors.
THE STOW-TT PROJECT OFFICE
The STOW-TT Project Office undertakes the day to day administration of the STOWTT initiative under the directive of the STOW-TT Implementation Board.
The role of the STOW-TT Project Office is to communicate Board decisions and
directives to Independent Assessors, Contractors, other stakeholders and the general
public.
INDEPENDENT ASSESSORS
The Independent Assessor is an HSE Professional who, after receiving the
necessary STOW-TT audit training, is authorised to assess whether organizations
conform to the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements. Assessors work on behalf of
the STOW-TT Implementation Board.
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The first level of Independent Assessor is called “Independent Assessor”. The
second level of Independent Assessor is called “Senior Independent Assessor”.
The Independent Assessor is only authorized to assess the conformance of low risk
companies to the STOW-TT HSE requirements.
The Senior Independent Assessor is authorized to assess the conformance of low
risk and high risk contractors to the STOW-TT HSE requirements.
In conducting the assessment, Assessors review the organization’s HSE
documentation; visit and assess whether the company has actually implemented the
policies and procedures outlined in their HSE documentation; and recommend to the
STOW-TT Implementation Board whether or not the company should be certified.
The Senior Independent Assessor is also authorised to act in a “Supervisory” role for
the Independent Assessor.
The Assessors are guided by a Code of Ethics.
Senior Assessors earn between TT$2,500.00 to TT$3,000.00 per day. Independent
Assessors earn between TT$1,500.00 and TT$2,000.00 per day.
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Preparing for the Audit
Remember to have the following documents ready for the Auditor:
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Your company’s HSE Policy Statement
Your Risk Assessment Documents
Your Document Register (Legal, Risk, Incident)
Your company’s HSE Plan
Your company’s HSE Performance Plan
Your company’s Organisation Chart
All company records for incidents, inspections, audits, etc
All supporting documents that provide evidence that you HSE management
system is in practice on a daily basis
For the full list of HSE documents that the Assessor may need to review during the
audit, you should visit the STOW-TT website.
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