Frequently Asked Questions about the Safe to Work in Trinidad and Tobago project
Q. What is Safe TO Work in Trinidad & Tobago (STOW-TT)?
A. STOW-TT is a joint initiative of the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce (STCIC), the Point Lisas Energy Association (PLEA) and the Association of Upstream Operators of Trinidad & Tobago (AUOTT), to prequalify contractors in the energy sector, in a consistent manner. This is achieved through the creation of standardized minimum health, safety and environmental (HSE) requirements for prequalifying contractors and an independent system for certifying contractors.
Q. What are the benefits of becoming STOW certified?
A. Among other things, STOW certified companies can benefit from reduced paperwork in bid submissions, improved HSE performance and the ability to meet the HSE requirements of the major oil and gas companies in Trinidad & Tobago, new and repeat business with the major oil and gas companies in Trinidad & Tobago
Q. What is the difference between the HSE standards being developed by the Trinidad & Tobago Bureau of Standards and (TTBS) the requirements developed under STOW-TT?
A. The TTBS is developing standards to support the Trinidad & Tobago Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). The requirements developed through STOW-TT are in line with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, but in most cases at a higher and more stringent level, reflecting the inherent risks in many energy sector activities.
Q. How do the Point Lisas Energy Association (PLEA) contractor Passport System and the STOW-TT Minimum HSE requirements differ?
A. The PLEA Contractor Passport System serves as the minimum assurance that only suitably trained individuals are allowed to work on all PLEA member company facilities. The STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements serves as the minimum assurance that only contracting companies with acceptable HSE Management Systems in place and in practice are allowed to work on PLEA AND AUOTT member companies.
Q. Are the STOW-TT Minimum HSE requirements voluntary or mandatory?
A. At present this is a voluntary programme, but the STOW Implementation Board, the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce (STCIC) and the major oil and gas companies are actively moving towards having the STOW certification mandatory for all contractors in the energy sector.
Q. What can I do internally at my company to meet the STOW-TT Minimum Requirements?
A. Companies can use the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements Contractor Guidance Manual and the STOW-TT Administration Manual to guide the implementation of the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements. The Minimum HSE Requirements Contractor Guidance Manual outlines the requirements and provides best practices to meet each requirement. The STOW-TT Administration Manual provides detailed information on the STOW-TT certification tier system. Both documents are online at www.stowtt.stcic.org.
Q. How do I know if my company is ready to be assessed for certification to STOW-TT?
A. An online STOW-TT HSE Management System Self Check Questionnaire is available at http://stcic.org/ftpcontractorsdb/cdbstart.php. Companies can complete the questionnaire and receive an automatic a score which will give an indication of any gaps between the company's HSE Management System and STOW.
Q. Can a company select an Assessor of choice to conduct the asssessment for STOW-TT certification?
A. No. The STOW-TT Project Office assigns an Assessor to conduct the assessment. Companies may however, select an Assessor of choice to advise on implementation of the STOW requirements or whether the company is ready for STOW-TT assessment.
Q. What is the STOW-TT certification tier system?
A. Contactors servicing the energy industry do not all bring the same levels of risk to the overall operations of the major oil and gas companies. As a consequence, the STOW-TT Minimum HSE requirements were developed on a tiered basis and companies are certified according to the level of risk (low risk, medium risk, high risk) associated with the services provided. Details on the STOW-TT certification tier system are outlined in the STOW-TT Administration Manual which is available online at www.stowtt.stcic.org.
Q. How do I know which level of certification I should request for my company?
A. Companies are expected to be certified at the level of risk which corresponds to the type of services offered to the energy industry. A list of energy services ranked according to risk is available on the STOW homepage at www.stowtt.stcic.org.
Q. How long is the STOW-TT certification valid?
A. The STOW-TT certification is valid for two (2) years.
Q. How do I get advice or assessed for STOW-TT certification?
A. Visit www.stowtt.stcic.org and download the STOW-TT Independent Assessor Request Form. Complete and email the form to keina@stcic.org or fax to 653-4983. Also complete the online STOW-TT HSE Management System Questionnaire at http://stcic.org/ftpcontractorsdb /cdbstart.php. Instructions for accessing the questionnaire are available at www.stowtt.stcic.org. The STCIC will contact you within three (3) working days and will provide you with a list of available Independent Assessors and their contact information from which you may choose an Assessor to work with.
Q. What do I get if my company is compliant to the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements?
A. If the Senior Independent Assessor recommends that your company be certified to the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements, you will receive a STOW-TT certificate, a copy of which you can include in bid documents instead of huge amounts of HSE documentation.
Q. What is the process for becoming STOW-TT certified?
A. The STOW-TT Office has prepared a presentation titled "Four Easy Steps to STOW Certification" with the relevant information. The presentation is available on the STOW-TT website at http://www.stowtt.stcic.org/index.php?categoryid=104 .
Q. What does an Independent Assessor do?
A. An Independent Assessor provides advice on implementing the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements. The Independent Assessor also assesses companies for conformance to the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements. An Independent Assessor is not allowed to advise a company on implementing the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements and assess the same company for conformance to the requirements.
Q. Must I use an Independent Assessor to implement the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements in my company?
A. No Companies with in-house expertise can implement the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements using the STOW-TT Minimum HSE Requirements Contractor Guidance Manual and the STOW-TT Administration Manual. However, and companies must use an Independent Assessor to assess the company for certification.
Q. What is the difference between an Independent Assessor and a Senior Independent Assessor?
A. The Independent Assessor is only authorized to certify companies at the lowest level (low risk) of certification, while the Senior Independent Assessor is permitted to certify companies at all levels (low, medium, high risk) of certification. Detailed information on the certification levels is outlined in the STOW-TT Administration Manual at www.stowtt.stcic.org.
Q. How long is an Independent Assessor certified for?
A. Independent Assessors are certified for two (2) years.
Q. How do I contact the STOW Project Office?
A. Suite 313, Cross Crossing shopping Centre, San Fernando
STOW Hotline: 652-5613 Ext. 31 Fax:653-4983
Email: Keina@stcic.org; Natalie@stcic.org
