2012 Sustainability Report

EH&S Policy

EH&S Management System

All employees are responsible for understanding and implementing the environmental, safety, and health requirements that apply to their jobs.

Con Edison has a unified EH&S Management System (EHSMS) to improve our performance and reduce risk. The EHSMS establishes:

Standards

These establish EH&S considerations as an integral part of the company’s business practices and hold all employees accountable for knowing those that apply to their work. They also support the five key EH&S objectives that serve as the cornerstone for strategic planning and focus.

Procedures

These comprise written general rules, regulations, specifications and manuals; Corporate EH&S Procedures (CEHSP); General EH&S Instructions (GEHSI); and provisions for monitoring their use and effectiveness. These resources also include specific measures for including environment, health, and safety considerations during planning phases for new work, and recurring tasks.

Training

From formal courses at the company’s Learning Center to on-the-job instruction, environment, health, and safety training is an essential component of working safely. Job-title and job-specific training requirements are listed on the company’s intranet.

Communications

Open and honest communication builds a dialogue among employees, allows sharing of experiences, and supports creation and maintenance of a safe work environment. Communications include regular safety meetings, publications, intranet resources, monthly videos, and union/management committee meetings.

Risk Management

The EHSMS includes provisions to predict and prevent potential environmental, health, and safety risks. On a corporate level, enterprise-wide risks are identified and evaluated. At the operating level, representatives from EH&S, and operating departments work together to address risks.

Planning, Design, and Operation

Each operating organization is responsible for integrating EH&S considerations into the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the company’s energy-delivery systems and facilities. These considerations are intended to minimize and control potential risks and hazards to employees, the public, and the environment.

Responsibility and Accountability

Both are based on a structured system keyed to the principle that all employees are responsible for understanding and implementing the environmental, safety, and health requirements that apply to their jobs.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

The company has well-defined procedures to mobilize and deploy resources in response to system emergencies, including management of EH&S issues.

Job Site Protection

The EHSMS recognizes the job site set-up and preparation as the front line for safeguarding the environment, employees, and the public. Specific safety measures include job briefings, job safety analysis, equipment preparation and energy-isolation processes, personal protective equipment, and contractor safety programs.

Speaking Openly

This provision presents an array of options for openly expressing concerns about potentially unsafe or hazardous conditions. Every employee can call a Time Out to stop work if a safety, health, or environmental concern arises. All employees have unlimited access to an ethics helpline, corporate ombudsman, and independent monitor to report concerns anonymously.

Performance Monitoring and Improvement

Using structured, established methodologies, EH&S performance is tracked in databases, reports are generated, and trending analysis is used to determine likely causes of problems and identify opportunities for performance improvement.

Auditing

Compliance audit programs provide a comprehensive environment, health, and safety review using ongoing scheduled and unannounced inspections. Management system evaluations are also conducted to evaluate effectiveness throughout the corporation.

System Oversight

In-depth, ongoing monitoring and evaluation is provided by the Environment, Health, and Safety Committee of the Board of Trustees, The Environmental and Safety Review Board, The Environment, Health, and Safety Committee, Corporate Environment, Health and Safety staff, Leadership Team, and field Environment, Health, and Safety personnel.

• Principles of The Way We Work
• EH&S Management System
• ISO Certification
• Accountability & Governance for EH&S
• Auditing
• Risk Management
• Corporate Key Performance Indicators
• Print Customized Report

Our EH&S Management System outlines procedures, communications, risk management, and other critical information. A monthly video magazine titled The Excellence Files keeps employees informed about environment, health and safety topics. An ongoing employee communications campaign emphasizes the importance of safety.