A reputation for safety

Elliott Smith
District Manager, Minerals Management Service,
Lafayette District

"At the MMS, we routinely meet with companies throughout the year to discuss operational issues related to safe and clean operations. The MMS District SAFE Award recognizes exemplary performance. The honor represents a high standard for companies to achieve and sets clear expectations for safety and environmental stewardship. To qualify, operators must perform head and shoulders above other companies in their safety and environmental record. Companies that have received the recognition on repeated occasions, such as Devon, consistently demonstrate a commitment to high standards by operating in ways that are safe, clean and incident free."

Although we have more than 5,000 employees, we enjoy the same type of family atmosphere that existed when Devon was much smaller. This atmosphere encourages employees and contractors to work together to ensure safety in everything they do.

We use peer reviews, collaboration and positive reinforcement to promote safety from our drilling sites and our gas processing plants to our file rooms.

The Safe Actions for Everyone (SAFE) program promotes mutual cooperation. Employees observe colleagues' safety habits, offer positive feedback and help nurture awareness.

Our SAFE program originated among field employees in 2004. As a result, we have seen even lower incident rates, and we are excited about the program's future. Employees and contractors are already sharing responsibility for each other's safety, and we believe that will continue to foster a safe workforce in the years to come.