A commitment to safety means a commitment to proactively protecting our employees, our community and the environment. Our terminals follow strict operating procedures designed to prevent accidents before they happen. These include:
Inspections
Twice a day — at the beginning of each shift — Global employees work through a detailed safety and inspection Twice a day — Global employees work through a detailed safety and inspection checklist, and identify any additional maintenance that may be required. The boiler and heating equipment are inspected every two hours. Terminal employees also conduct a thorough monthly inspection of the terminal. Since 2001, the terminal has undergone hundreds of third-party inspections by state and federal agencies, many unannounced. These agencies include the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the South Portland Fire Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard
Training & Drills
Through monthly safety meetings and regular exercises, Global continuously trains employees on safe operating protocols and emergency response.
Global works closely with the South Portland Fire Department, Police Department, and the first responders. We also work with Texas-based Williams Fire & Hazard Control, a global leader in fire suppression and response. We work with the National Response Corporation, the world’s largest provider of commercial environmental and industrial resources, to provide additional resources in the event of a spill.
Once a year, we host a tabletop exercise to work through an emergency scenario. Following each drill, a documented review is conducted to evaluate drill performance and to initiate any recommended improvements. Additionally, we regularly invite outside agencies to our safety meetings to reinforce best practices. Better understanding means greater safety for our employees, the surrounding community and the environment.
Equipment & Incident Response
All necessary equipment is stored either at Global, or at a facility less than ¼ mile away and available 24/7/365 for use during an incident or spill, including skimmers and pumps, booms, sorbents, communication equipment, and personal protective equipment. If an incident were to occur, our terminal operators are trained to the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Technician level to assess the incident, respond as appropriate and conduct the notifications specified in the site’s Emergency Response Action Plan.
