Fourth Annual Report : February 2000

Organised crime fighters

The oil companies have defined several principles necessary for fighting crime, and have developed a number of techniques for improving the safety and security of personnel and customers.

The result of this action has been that:

• Hi-jacking of oil-tanker trucks was reduced during the first half of 1999
• Robberies at service stations were reduced dramatically
• Precautions against accidents were increased, raising already high standards of safety

The principles defined for crime-fighting and safety caretaking included:

• Ensuring that your own organisation is as "clean" and properly organised and as well audited as possible. Probity must be part of the culture.
• Making prevention of crime and corruption part of your business, just as preventing pollution and accidents is your business. You cannot leave it to others to do all the policing.
• Co-operating with the police and other authorities. Do not simply ask them for help ­ offer them help in fighting crime.
• Combining with as large a circle of interests as possible in fighting crime and corruption in your industry.

Examples of the projects undertaken by the Oil Industry Safety and Security Group during the past year are:

• Operation Oshkosh
• Anti-robbery plans
• Smart and Safe

Operation Oshkosh

Bulk petrol and diesel trucks were being hi-jacked with alarming frequency. There were signs that the crimes often involved syndicates within the industry. The industry's Safety and Security Group combined with the South African Police Services (SAPS) in setting up a specialist team to prevent hijacks. The project had excellent results in Durban, though only marginal success in Gauteng.

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Anti-robbery plans

With representatives of Sapia, the Oil Industry Safety and Security Group, the Fuel Retailers Association, the Dealer Council and the SAPS, a checklist developed by a member company of anti-robbery precautions that could be taken at every filling station on a 24-hour basis was made available to the other oil companies. The audit covered store operations as well, and was divided into two sections ­ cash handling and physical security.

Any service station achieving less than 80% positive points on the checklist was considered to be vulnerable to robbery. The survey proved to be remarkably accurate, for those service stations achieving poor results did, in general, have more robberies. Well-lit, well organised stations were far better off. With this knowledge the anti-robbery checklist is being increasingly applied and it is expected that there will be an even greater reduction in these crimes.

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Smart and Safe

A technical safety audit was devised for use at all service stations. It monitored the safety of access and egress points for all deliveries and customers; anti-pollution measures in place, oil storage tanks, vents, flameproof electrical equipment, oil interceptors, emergency procedures, service station staff and owners' knowledge of safety requirements, emergency lighting, workshop safety, firefighting capabilities.

Again, during the first phase of this project a great many problems were discovered, as they had not before been defined and identified. Gradually service stations upgraded resources to meet the audit, resulting in safer places to work and to fill up with fuel.

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