operations integrity management system (OIMS)

At ExxonMobil, we're committed to conducting our business in a way that's compatible with the environmental needs of the communities we serve. We aim to protect the safety and health of our employees, others involved in our operations, our customers and the public. Our commitments are documented in our safety, health, environment and product safety policies. The Operations Integrity Management System, or OIMS, provides the strategic direction for meeting that commitment. The OIMS framework consists of 11 elements, each of which includes an underlying principle and a set of expectations.

The managers of our businesses are responsible for ensuring that systems are in place to satisfy the company's safety, health and environmental expectations. Every employee is responsible for using these systems and actively participating in their ongoing assessment and improvement.

In 1996, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed the ISO 14001 Standard: Environmental Management Systems - Specification with Guidance for Use, which outlines the components of an effective environmental management system. In 1998, Exxon elected to measure OIMS against this voluntary ISO benchmark. After their independent assessment, Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd. (LRQA) attested that OIMS meets ISO 14001 requirements. LRQA confirmed that OIMS addressed all elements of 14001, was fully in place throughout Exxon Corporation, had reached a high level of maturity in implementation and was promoting continuous improvement. In addition, LRQA stated they believed Exxon to be among the industry leaders in this area.

Since the day of the merger, ExxonMobil has vigorously pursued integration of OIMS into all its operations. During early 2001, ExxonMobil once again engaged LRQA to assess and attest to the conformance, implementation, maturity, effectiveness and leadership of OIMS across ExxonMobil's worldwide operations. This independent review resulted in a reaffirmation of the previous assessment: that OIMS equals all ISO 14001 requirements.