Petrobras has programs in place to evaluate the excellence of its products and works with customers and suppliers to develop quality throughout the production chain

Responsibility for products

Partnerships for the best practices

Petrobras continually evaluates the environmental aspects and safety of its products. Available on its website, the Product Specification Manual (MEP) and the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for Petrobras Products provide guidelines on the company's internal quality standards. An example of a program to foster a closer relationship with suppliers and customers is the Responsible Partner Program, which encourages the adoption of the best practices in production and supply. It also has a technical assistance service to provide advice on all aspects of its products.

The company has a corporate quality management system that allows it to record and retrieve information about the products it trades. It also has its own laboratories, at its manufacturing plants and terminals, and people trained to carry out physicochemical analyses, taking the specifications of each product and the legal requirements governing the distribution segment into account. The managerial body is responsible for the production processes, and it is assisted by the refining workforce at the headquarters and at the refinery. The teams report directly to Petrobras' Downstream officer.

The Downstream area monitors indicators relating to product liability, focusing on quality, on the reliability of vessels used for maritime transportation, and oil and oil product spills: the Product Quality Index (PQI), the accumulated result of which was 96.55% in 2010 (the target was 95.5%); and the Volume of Oil and Oil Product Spills (Vazo), in which the cumulative result was 0.3 cubic meter (m³), and the maximum allowable target was 11 m³.

In addition, Petrobras has the Gasoline, Diesel Fuel and Jet Fuel Quality Assurance System (QAS), covering all processes from production at the refineries to distribution.

Safe product use is a major concern at Liquigás. This is a critical issue in the case of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) because accidents happen with cylinders due to people's lack of care or knowledge about how the product should be handled (learn more in "Productive process performance"). To avoid risks, the company undertakes ongoing maintenance of its gas cylinder park, provides training to resellers, the workforce and bulk customers and is in strict compliance with current regulations concerning equipment upgrading. It also has programs such as the "An Eye on the Cylinder" and the "An Eye on the Installation" aiming to maintain cylinder and facility quality.

Liquigás educates its employees in monthly meetings that address responsibility and product safety. Externally, the company undertakes campaigns, holds meetings and distributes information material to consumers.

The company has partnerships with state Fire Departments to hold lectures on the subject and reduce risks by collecting installation equipment that is in poor conditions or outdated (hoses, clamps, and regulators).

Petrobras Distribuidora offers virtual training through the Integrated Management System (IMS), in the Environmental Management System module, in order to present the importance of IMS for the continuous improvement of the company's performance indicators. In 2010, training, ranging from basic to refresher courses, was offered to professionals and technicians from the various Operation Management areas addressing technical and awareness knowledge in Quality, Safety, Environment, and Health. With respect to service stations, training on aspects of product liability is described in the Service Station Operation and Maintenance Manual and is reviewed annually.

Approximately 500 service stations − 100% of the ones with the highest environmental risk in Petrobras Distribuidora's network and 8% of its active network − are singled out for preventive tests at least once a year in order to reduce remedial actions. Petrobras Distribuidora has a gas station pump maintenance contract designed to prevent accidents and create monitoring systems for all sites that have been remedied. Learn more about Petrobras Distribuidora's security actions at www.br.com.br.

Environmental Monitor Program

Petrobras Distribuidora has the Environmental Monitor Program conceived to visit the service stations and make sure the facilities and marketed products are in compliance with the law. In total, 120 stations were visited in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, representing 20% of the active network in operation in the two states (total of 1,500 stations). On-site or distance training is also provided, in partnership with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), to qualify attendants to handle emergency situations. Seven thousand attendants were trained in 2010. The company performs emergency drills at the service stations to prepare for possible accidents involving its products. Manuals providing training and information regarding product liability are available to the active service station network − about 6,000 stations.

In pursuit of continuous improvement

Through IMS, Petrobras has a single certification for the entire shared service management. Thus, it encourages its good and service suppliers to have their processes certified by companies accredited by Inmetro. This is one of the requirements for them to be included in Petrobras' corporate register. In late 2010, 5,000 suppliers were registered - of which 1,881 with management systems certified under ISO 9000 (quality) by a third party, 329 holding ISO 14001 (environment) certificates, and 250 with the OHSAS 18001 (labor health and security) certificates.

Petrobras Distribuidora has 29 units certified under the single certification model. External audits were conducted by Bureau Veritas Certification and included ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001. The procedure includes procuring, receiving, storing, loading, and delivering fuels and chemicals, fueling aircraft and vehicles, and operating convenience services (BR Mania, Lava Mania and lubrication - Lubrax Center and Lubrax +). In 2011, in addition to maintaining the certification of the 29 units, the Pernambuco Terminal (TEAP) and the Goiânia Terminal (Tegon) are expected to be included. Also certified, outside the single certification model, are the Vale do Paraíba Terminal (Tepav) and the Industrial Management (GEI), for a total of 31 certified units throughout Petrobras Distribuidora.

IMS certification shows that the processes, products, and services take the aspects and impacts on the environment and the hazards and damage to people in terms of injury and disease into account.