Through the use of the latest technology and the involvement of corporate management, we demonstrate our dedication to the safety of our employees and the residents of communities impacted by our operations.

Incident Reporting System

Chesapeake maintains an internal incident reporting and tracking system, used for all locations throughout the country. Field employees use this system to report incidents of any type, including vehicle accidents, spills and releases, fires, emergencies and personnel injuries. The incident reporting system enables us to identify incident trends and implement changes to reduce the chance of a similar event. In addition, this system allows us to better understand root causes of incidents and revise our processes, as well as track its impact on the environment, our employees and member of the public.

Employee Safety Training

Providing safe work environments is important. We utilize classroom, hands-on and online training to educate our employees. In 2009, we trained a total of 39,019 employees in safety and environmental training programs through 767 instructor-led training sessions and 19 online training sessions. In addition to regular operations training, employees in the field facilities also attended an average of 24 hours of specialized safety and environmental training.

Chesapeake utilizes an online environmental health and safety training system which provides instruction in company policies and procedures for topics pertinent to the management of our field assets. The range of topics covered includes Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-required safety training, such as hazard communication, personal protective equipment, confined spaces and respiratory protection, as well as environmental issues including spill prevention, waste management and environmental best management practices.

Each course is designed specifically for our employees and allows us to provide consistent training and policies throughout our operations. In addition, it provides a framework by which our employees can function as good neighbors in the communities in which we work.

Emergency Response Plans

Staying Prepared

We maintain an emergency response plan that addresses each phase of our operations. As a precautionary measure, corporate management prepares procedures, assigns field personnel with roles and responsibilities for emergency situations and conducts regular training sessions to educate personnel to ensure an appropriate response.

Operating Safely

Chesapeake also meets with and trains local fire departments and emergency planning councils so that these organizations understand their roles when responding to serious situations.

All critical phone numbers and contact information are available to employees so that if an emergency arises, initial contact can be made immediately. We take our commitment to our employees, communities and the environment seriously and have carefully planned emergency responses.

EHS Management System

Chesapeake’s internal inspection and audit process regularly records the condition of equipment and the surrounding environment at all of our producing locations. Once collected, this data is used to track and determine the need for various air permits, help us understand where and how to manage our pressurized vessels, and determine and verify the condition of our storage facilities in regard to our spill prevention control and countermeasure requirements. This process ensures that we have accurate, up-to-date information on all of our facilities and can easily determine and manage appropriate environmental programs which may apply to our facilities.

Contractor Management

Contractors are an integral and essential part of our business. Safety and environmental performance is a critical element during contractor selection.