MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Sept. 22,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), one of
the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States, has been recognized by LRQA
– a leading global provider of professional engineering and
technology services – for achieving conformance certification in
the American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practice 1173 for
its Safety Management System (SMS).
NiSource is only the second energy provider in the world to
achieve this distinction.
"As one of the first energy providers to be early adopters of
SMS, this is a significant milestone for NiSource and it reinforces
our commitment to keeping our customers, communities and employees
safe each day," said Bill Jefferson,
EVP of Operations and Chief Safety Officer with NiSource. "This
achievement marks an important turning point in NiSource's safety
journey, but we are not done. We are on the right path and remain
focused on maturing and enhancing our safety culture, vision and
goals."
Safety Management at NiSource and its subsidiaries is an
integrated approach to reducing risk, and it provides a framework
for the company's operating model. The goal is to ensure the
NiSource organization is focused on operational rigor, continuous
improvement and to effectively enable SMS.
"This recognition is one that was earned by the entire NiSource
organization, its employees and business partners," Jefferson adds.
"As we challenge our thinking and find ways to work better, being
certified in SMS is not an end goal, but rather an indicator that
we're on the right path."
Under the company's approach to SMS, all NiSource employees are
asked to live the "Core 4" behavioral values in their everyday
work, which includes:
- Following Our Processes and Procedures
- Identifying and Reporting Risks
- Identifying and Proactively Taking Action to Prevent Things
that Can Go Wrong
- Continually Improving Processes and Procedures to Protect One
Another, Our Customers and Communities
The NiSource Safety Management System began in 2020 with a gap
assessment review and continued through a series of internal
reviews culminating in July 2022 with
a team from LRQA conducting assessment field visits at various
location across the NiSource footprint.
Following the achievement of becoming certified, LRQA will
continue with periodic, on-going reviews of conformance and
continuous improvement to help ensure the company is meeting the
requirements of an effective and fully functioning SMS.
Moving forward, NiSource will continue to mature SMS and drive
operational excellence through employee feedback, regularly
reviewing and assessing progress and identifying opportunities for
continuous improvement.
About NiSource
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully regulated
utility companies in the United
States, serving approximately 3.2 million natural gas
customers and 500,000 electric customers across six states through
its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Its employees focus on
providing customers with safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable
energy. NiSource is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability -
North America Index. Additional information about NiSource and its
investment-driven growth plan can be found at www.nisource.com.
Follow us
at facebook.com/nisource, linkedin.com/company/nisource and twitter.com/nisourceinc.
NI-F
About American PI RP
1173
* API RP 1173, Pipeline Safety
Management Systems, is a recommended practice released by the
American Petroleum Institute establishing a pipeline safety
management systems (PSMS) framework for organizations that operate
hazardous liquids and gas pipelines jurisdictional to the US
Department of Transportation.
*RP 1173 (pipelinesms.org)
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SOURCE NiSource Inc.