Leaders from contractor companies and Phillips 66 tackle shared industry challenges to strengthen safety, planning and execution

If we are going to be successful in our shared commitment to industry-leading safety performance, we must be willing to look at our blind spots.

Recognizing that meaningful change starts with leadership, this year's Contractor Safety Forum strategically brought Phillips 66 leaders and executives from 35 of our contractor companies together under one roof in Houston to address safety and reliability challenges across our industry.

Why it matters

Contractors are an integral part of Phillips 66's refining and midstream operations. Their perspective is essential to understanding the challenges faced in the field and identifying opportunities to improve safety performance.

Since we plan, execute and improve together, performance depends on how effectively we operate as one team. Forums like this help us share lessons learned, align expectations and identify opportunities to improve.

oUR SHARED CHALLENGES

A startling 80% of fatalities and permanent impairments in oil and gas continue to involve contractors.

Addressing that challenge requires stronger partnership, shared accountability and a willingness to keep learning together to strengthen the industry as a whole.

Emerging priorities

Contractor leaders shared their perspectives on what Phillips 66 is doing well and what we might need to consider improving based on their experiences working with other industry partners. Three main themes emerged:

• Standardize and simplify how work is performed.
• Keep safety ahead of schedule and production pressures.
• Engage contractors earlier in the planning process.

pUTTING PRIORITIES INTO PRACTICE

Plan together

Bringing contractors into planning discussions earlier helps teams identify risks, establish stronger safety measures and align expectations before work begins. Conversations reinforced that contractor involvement should be a standard part of planning, not an afterthought.

Execute consistently

To help teams manage production and scheduling pressures without compromising safety and preparedness, clear, consistent practices are essential. Leaders emphasized the importance of simplifying work processes and reinforcing practices that help employees and contractors perform and focus on what matters most.

Key areas of focus included standardizing energy isolation control processes, consistently conducting quality joint job walks and strengthening zero energy verifications, which confirm hazardous energy is isolated before work begins.

Keep learning

Chairman and CEO Mark Lashier noted that "progress depends on humility, openness and a willingness to learn from each other."

A recurring theme throughout the forum was the growing industrywide use of Human Performance principles to better understand incidents and drive sustainable improvement, rather than jumping immediately to blame. "Safety is not a destination. It's earned every day by executing the details well, maintaining a mindset of continuous improvement and staying prepared for what's next," Lashier added.

Looking ahead

Creating the conditions for people to work safely, confidently and successfully is fundamental to Our People Ambition : At Phillips 66, we power you, so together we can power the world.

As we move forward, the expectation remains clear:

• Establish safeguards.
• Start a task only when you are sure.
• Stop when you are unsure.
• Respond by prioritizing learning.

HSE excellence is already the foundation of our company strategy; putting it into practice is everyone's responsibility. Ultimately, the progress we make toward being the industry leader in HSE will be measured over time by how consistently all of us across Phillips 66, employees and contractors alike, turn these ideas into action to improve the safety and well-being across our work.

Learn more about how Phillips 66 helps advance the safety of our workforce and the communities we serve.