15 Years of Safety: How Viva Energy and ISN Redefined Risk Management

DALLAS, TX – December 17, 2025 – As capital-intensive industries grapple with increasingly complex supply chains and stringent safety standards, the nature of partnership between corporations and their service providers is evolving. A prime example of this evolution is the 15-year collaboration between Viva Energy Australia, a cornerstone of the nation's energy sector, and ISN, a global leader in contractor and supplier information management. What began in 2010 with Shell Australia has matured into a deeply integrated alliance that showcases the strategic value of long-term investment in safety culture and technology.

This month marks a significant milestone in a relationship that has become central to Viva Energy's operational strategy, particularly its pursuit of 'Goal Zero'—an ambitious target of no harm to people or the environment. The partnership underscores a broader industry trend: moving beyond transactional vendor relationships to build resilient, data-driven ecosystems for managing risk.

A Strategic Alliance in a High-Stakes Industry

In the high-risk world of energy refining and distribution, managing a vast network of contractors is one of the most critical challenges. For Viva Energy, which operates the Geelong Refinery, a national network of nearly 1,500 service stations, and extensive supply chain operations, ensuring contractor compliance and safety is paramount. The 15-year duration of its partnership with ISN is notable in an era of rapid technological turnover. It speaks to a shared commitment that transcends a simple software license, fostering a deep understanding of operational realities and enabling continuous adaptation.

“At Viva Energy, we manage safety in a systematic way that is simple, clear, and easy for people to understand and follow,” said George Proimos, Senior Management Systems Lead, HSSE at Viva Energy. “ISN has helped Viva Energy create a structured and consistent approach to contractor management that aligns with our company’s core values and long-term commitment to ‘Goal Zero’.”

This structured approach has been expanded across the company's most critical business units, from the complex environment of the Geelong Refinery to its widespread retail and supply chain assets. In industries where long-term relationships with engineering and construction partners are common, a 15-year alliance focused specifically on information management and safety verification highlights the strategic importance placed on contractor oversight as a core business function, not just a compliance checkbox.

The Technology Powering 'Goal Zero'

The effectiveness of the partnership hinges on the practical application of ISN's platform, ISNetworld. Viva Energy has moved beyond basic contractor pre-qualification to embed specialized digital tools into its daily risk management workflows. Two key features highlight this deep integration: the Audit Tool and the API feed.

Viva Energy utilizes the Audit Tool to create custom audit forms tailored to its specific operational risks. This allows the company to move away from generic checklists and conduct targeted assessments of contractor activities, whether it involves complex maintenance at the refinery or logistical operations in its supply chain. This customization ensures that safety checks are relevant, consistent, and focused on the highest-risk areas, providing a systematic way to verify compliance with both internal standards and regulatory requirements.

Furthermore, the use of an API (Application Programming Interface) feed creates a seamless data bridge between Viva Energy’s internal systems and the ISNetworld platform. This automates the flow of information, ensuring that data on contractor performance, compliance status, and training records is synchronized and accurate across all systems. This integration reduces manual data entry, minimizes errors, and provides safety and procurement teams with real-time insights for faster, more informed decision-making. By combining ISN’s data with its own operational metrics, Viva Energy can achieve a more holistic and proactive view of contractor risk.

The Continuous Pursuit of Perfect Safety

The 'Goal Zero' philosophy, inherited from Viva Energy’s heritage as Shell Australia, is a widely adopted ambition in the global energy sector, positing that all incidents are preventable. While a powerful guiding principle, the path to zero harm is a continuous and challenging journey. Publicly available reports show Viva Energy's commitment to this goal, with the company noting a reduction in its Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) from 6.7 in 2021 to 5.95 in 2022 and further improvements in personal safety in some business areas through 2024.

However, the reality of operating in a high-risk environment presents persistent challenges. In 2022, the company was fined for two 2017 incidents at the Geelong Refinery involving worker exposure to hydrofluoric acid, which investigations linked to changes in personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements. More recently, a contractor crane failure at the same refinery in June 2023, while causing no injuries due to an established exclusion zone, served as a stark reminder of the ever-present risks associated with heavy industrial operations. These incidents underscore that even with robust systems like ISNetworld in place, constant vigilance, cultural reinforcement, and procedural integrity are non-negotiable.

The partnership with ISN is a critical component of this vigilance, providing the framework to review and verify contractor safety documentation, insurance, and licenses. It institutionalizes a process designed to mitigate the very risks that can lead to such incidents, supporting a culture of continuous improvement rather than a declaration of mission accomplished.

Setting a Benchmark for Australian Energy

The long-standing and deeply integrated nature of the Viva Energy-ISN collaboration is positioned as a model for the broader Australian energy sector. By demonstrating how a sustained, technology-driven approach can systematize contractor management, the partnership offers a case study in building operational resilience and a proactive safety culture.

“ISN’s relationship with Viva Energy exemplifies the value of long-term collaboration,” noted David Bibby, Vice President of International Operations at ISN. “Through consistent engagement and use of ISNetworld, Viva Energy has developed best practices and fostered a culture of continuous improvement, setting the bar high for safety benchmarks throughout the Australian energy industry.”

By participating in industry initiatives, networking at ISN-hosted events, and using benchmarking opportunities, Viva Energy leverages the partnership not only for internal improvement but also to contribute to a collective uplift in industry safety standards. As supply chains become more interconnected and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, the ability to demonstrate a structured, transparent, and effective system for managing third-party risk is becoming a competitive advantage and a license-to-operate imperative. This 15-year alliance shows that sustained investment in such systems is fundamental to navigating the complexities of the modern industrial landscape.