Safety in Communities

In 2019, we enhanced the rigor of our safety commitment through a significant investment of time and resources in accelerating implementation of a Safety Management System (SMS).

SMS is a comprehensive approach to managing safety that has been a decisive factor in reducing incidents in the aviation and nuclear power industries. It emphasizes continual assessment and improvement and mitigating potential risks before they happen.

Our SMS vision is to lead and exceed the industry in safety. In our culture, everyone is empowered to identify and report risk, which is the foundation for enhancing process safety with layers of protection and building accountability for effective asset management to reduce risk.

In 2019, we made substantial progress in shifting SMS from a project to full organizational ownership, realigning our teams to better protect our employees, contractors, customers and communities. Major safety accomplishments include:

• Adding safety expert and former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Deborah Hersman to our Board of Directors
• Creating a new Chief Safety Officer position, filled by NiSource executive Chuck Shafer, reporting directly to CEO Joe Hamrock
• Integrating safety, compliance and risk management functions at each NiSource operating company and at the corporate level and increasing related staffing and capabilities
• Establishing a Corrective Action Program (CAP) tool and process for employees to use to report risks. In 2019, 1,536 CAPs were initiated, of which 450 were processed and closed
• Implementing the National Transportation Safety Board’s urgent safety recommendations following the September 2018 event in Massachusetts
• Training nearly 90 percent of our Gas Segment employees on SMS in 2019; the remainder will be trained this year
• Defining asset classes and an integrated planning process structure, including documenting SMS standards, polices and processes
• Empowering our people to own safety and stop work whenever they see an employee, business partner or member of the public who is at risk of harm

While we made great progress in 2019, we have more to do to improve safety. We did not hit our milestones in several key areas related to employee safety. We continue to focus on building a culture of safety – identifying specific corrective actions we can take to work safer. Protecting our employees, contractors, customers and communities is – and will remain – our top priority, the compass that guides all our actions and decisions. Nothing is more important.

Our Corrective Action Program (CAP) at work

Our Corrective Action Program (CAP) gives employees a voice to report issues, risks or concerns they observe. Kentucky Plant/Service Combo Tech Jamie Ensminger submitted a CAP to recommend the use of pipeline markers as a safer, more permanent solution to mark difficult-to-locate gas lines at intersections and heavy traffic areas. Jamie saw the asphalt markers used in Merrimack Valley and thought they could be used to help reduce the risks associated with locating gas lines in high risk areas. About the size of poker chips, the devices are implanted flush to the ground and can be driven and walked over. They permanently mark a line and, once in place, a GPS tech can record the location of the devices. Even if the markers are covered with snow, dirt or blacktop, technicians can use GPS information to find the gas line. A pilot program to test durability and cost-effectiveness of the pipeline markers in Kentucky is underway.

Thanks, Jamie!