We and our subsidiaries are committed to developing and producing oil and gas resources in a safe and environmentally responsible manner and in compliance with all regulatory requirements. In doing this, we strive for “zero” harm to people and to the environment.  

All W&T employees are responsible for the Company’s health, safety, environmental and regulatory (HSE&R) behavior, actions, practices, and performance. Our HSE&R behaviors, actions, practices, and performance are instrumental in the success of our Company. We are committed to a “culture of compliance.”  The observance of all health, safety, and environmental plans, programs, permits, reports, policies, and procedures is mandatory. Failure to observe these practices may result in disciplinary actions up to and including termination. 

Our management  provides the programs, processes and systems so that key aspects of our business are appropriately and effectively implemented and maintained (including HSE&R communication, emergency response, disaster planning, management of change, hazard analysis and communication, safe-work practices, operating procedures, incident investigations, dealing with unsafe conditions/acts, training, and learning, etc.)

Our management allocates resources and tools necessary to meet expectations and performance objectives and strives to create a working environment that encourages open communication about HSE&R issues and concerns.

Company leaders (including managers, supervisors, foreman, and persons-in-charge) are each responsible for establishing positive HSE&R behavior through their individual work actions and through the leadership of employees and contractors.  Our Company leaders are expected to communicate and engage employees and contractors on HSE&R programs, issues, and expectations.

At W&T, we recognize that our employees and contractors are very important to our business success.  We conduct our business activities in a manner that provides for a safe and healthy workplace, protection of the environment, minimization and/or prevention of pollution as well as compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

In doing this, at W&T we strive to: 

• Identify, quantify and appropriately manage HSE&R risk.
• Provide HSE&R awareness (including job safety awareness and hazard recognition) to our employees and contractors through a comprehensive program of education, training and lessons learned.
• Embrace the reality that HSE&R actions and behaviors are the individual and collective responsibility of management, employees, and contractors.
• Share HSE&R responsibility and accountability with W&T’s employees and contractors.
• Fully expect W&T personnel (particularly managers, supervisors, foreman, and persons-in-charge) to lead HSE&R program efforts and behavior in a manner that supports this policy statement.
• Implement procedures and processes throughout the organization with an emphasis on planning, doing, checking and adjusting (when appropriate).
• Provide W&T’s employees and contractors with delegated Stop-Work Authority. Personnel is expected to use sound judgment in exercising this authority.
• Ensure “zero” harm to people and to the environment.
• Maintain the established procedure (and anonymous mechanisms including a telephone hotline), that enables any employee or contractor or any other person to register (without fear of retaliation) complaints or concerns about the Company’s conduct or activities or that of any employee or contractor of the Company as well as any suspected unreported or unlogged environmental violations.
• Continue to improve our HSE&R program through lesson learned situations as well as through performance evaluations and benchmark analysis.
• Monitor and reward HSE&R performance (through leading and lagging indicator metrics).
• Recognize and embrace the fact that HSE&R values are important to our Company’s success.

Our core values guide how we do business while providing the foundation upon which trust is established and maintained with our employees and contractors.  At W&T, we recognize these core values:

• People are our most valuable asset.
• HSE&R issues and requirements are treated with the utmost importance and respect.
• Integrity, honesty, and transparency are important to the success of our business affairs and in communications with all employees and contractors.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with our employees and contractors is important to achieving expected performance results.
• Open communication (while embracing feedback from employees and/or contractors) enhances our chance for success.
• Embrace change, where it makes good sense to do so.
• Trust, respect, innovation, raising concerns and learning are important aspects of our business success.

Our Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) program is a performance-focused system for integrating tasks and managing operational activities. Among other things, our SEMS is designed to satisfy the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE’s) SEMS requirements for offshore operators. 

Our SEMS program incorporates a framework of continuous improvement mechanisms through 17 elements that allow for planning, performing, measuring and acting phases to be executed through operational activities. In addition, our SEMS program facilitates the identification, addressing, and managing of potential safety hazards and environmental impacts (during the design, construction, start-up, operation, inspection, and maintenance phases) of new and existing projects and/or facility operations. SEMS also enables addressing various phases of business activities including drilling, production, construction, well work-over, well completion, well servicing, and pipeline activities.

In following the 17 elements of our SEMS, our Company is able to:

• Recognize, evaluate, and responsibly manage HSE&R risks;
• Standardize practices, objectives, data collection processes, reporting systems, audit systems, key performance indicator monitoring systems, and goal achievement processes;
• Perform every aspect of our business in compliance with laws and regulations;
• Consider HSE&R issues in the design, construction, maintenance, operation, and decommissioning of our equipment and facilities;
• Work in a collaborative partnership with stakeholders including regulators, suppliers, customers, contractors, consultants, and agents to continually improve our business and how HSE&R matters are addressed;
• Promote and demonstrate our commitment to pollution prevention with special focus on minimizing waste generation and waste recycling, and appropriately dealing with environmental issues;
• Work diligently to educate, inform, and prevent safety incidents and environmental accidents by engaging employees and educating them about their role and responsibilities; and,
• Integrate HSE&R considerations into all relevant aspects of our business considerations and decisions.

At W&T, we emphasize training to support our culture of “beyond compliance” and continuous improvement. We believe that training aids in minimizing HSE&R risk and exposure, improves learning, increases knowledge, advances skills, and facilitates continuous improvement in performance. Our training program applies a variety of learning techniques and training methods such as classroom training, site-specific training, mock incident simulations, desk-top drills, field safety orientations, lessons-learned training, computer-based training, and train-the-trainer sessions. Within our lessons learned system, we leverage useful information through peer companies, trade industry associations, and regulators to assist with training and education.

The Company has established procedures for any employee, contractor, consultant or any other person to register complaints or concerns about the Company’s conduct or activities or that of any employee of the Company. These reporting procedures can be found in the Corporate Governance subsection of the “Investor Relations” section within this website.

In addition to the foregoing and to further support our corporate policies, the Company has adopted a procedure for employees, contractors or consultants to notify our corporate environmental compliance manager of any suspected unreported or unlogged environmental violations.

The management of the Company encourages its employees, contractors or consultants to utilize the foregoing procedures where you have good faith complaints or concerns about the Company’s conduct or activities or that of any employee of the Company.