TotalEnergies' commitment to improve road safety

11/18/2022

In 2021, over 1.3 million people lost their lives as a result of road traffic crashes1 , representing more than 3,500 people every day. TotalEnergies has chosen November 20, the United Nations World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, to release the sixth and last episode in its #SafeDriver campaign on maneuvering vehicles and lines of fire.

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is commemorated each year to remember the many millions killed and injured on the world's roads, along with their families and the many others affected. It is also an opportunity to remind us all that road traffic accidents are not an inevitability, but an issue that we can fix, with education, hard work and cooperation.

This date allows TotalEnergies to remind everyone that Safety is one of the Company's core values and must be applied throughout our projects and operations on a daily basis. Worksites and plants are rife with potential risks (poorly parked vehicles, surrounding noise that could conceal the sound of vehicles and affect individuals' reaction times, blind spots, and so on), so it is vitally important to keep those risks in mind in an effort to avoid accidents. Everywhere, the Company acts to preserve the safety and health of our employees, the personnel of our partner companies and everyone involved.

1 Source: Fact sheet on road traffic injuries

Our recommendations for maneuvering vehicles and lines of fire:

The first step in identifying the line of fire involves defining the area where an accident could occur. At work or elsewhere, the idea is to adapt your position to avoid straying into this high-risk area. Real-life examples include using a utility knife and leaving your hand in the blade's path, passing in front of a moving vehicle, and standing underneath a load that is being lifted. With these examples, you are in the high-risk area and therefore in the line of fire.

To protect themselves from this risk, on a construction site or a site, drivers and operators on foot must be vigilant and respect the established rules. Good communication between each individual and unwavering concentration can help avoid an accident, especially when vehicles are maneuvering.

In general:

  • Lines of fire must be identified, secured and avoided,
  • Wherever possible, risks should be eliminated by avoiding the presence of pedestrians and vehicles in the same area,
  • Safety perimeters must be defined and marked, and hazards identified,
  • Safety instructions must be known and understood by all;
  • Safety instructions must be followed on all trips to the work site.

While vehicles are maneuvering, it is vitally important for all people on the worksite to remain outside the line of fire by complying with the following safety rules:

  • Respect the safety barriers and perimeters
  • For the machine operator, check before and during the maneuver that no one is in the
  • Line of fire,
  • For the operators, position themselves so as to be seen and maintain permanent visual contact with the machine operator.