Historic Safety Milestone Achieved At Valero Bill Greehey Refinery
Corpus Christi, TX - After the Valero Bill Greehey Refinery last fall earned "Star Site" ranking in the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's (OSHA) highest safety honor, refinery management and safety personnel turned their attention to working with the plant's seven primary contractors on their respective safety programs. The goal was to have the contractors' operations within the plant also certified as Star Sites. Recently, history was made as each of these companies was officially named a Star Site, which is the first time in the 24-year history of the OSHA VPP program that seven contractors earned this prestigious designation at a single refinery.
The seven contractors are All Tech Inspection; Bay Ltd.; Brand Services, Inc.; Brock Maintenance, Inc.; H&S Constructors, Inc.; Veolia Environmental Services; and Scott Electric Co. Each of the firms underwent an extensive OSHA VPP audit, and each completed the process with no contingency items -- a significant accomplishment, since many Star Site candidates are required to rectify certain issues before officially being named a VPP Star Site.
"One of the many reasons we are so committed to the OSHA VPP program is that it involves a highly collaborative approach to safety among all employees and contractors," said Rich Marcogliese, Valero's executive vice president of operations. "This achievement really says a lot about the commitment to safety shared among our contractors in Corpus Christi. In terms of contractor safety performance, theirs is among the very best in our 18-refinery system. And we're proud of our Corpus Christi employees' commitment to ensuring that everyone in the plant works safely."
To date, only 21 out of the nation's 149 refineries have earned recognition as VPP Star Sites. Valero currently has 10 Star Site refineries and will soon have 11 when its refinery in Benicia, Calif., receives final approval to be declared a Star Site.
"OSHA applauds Valero's commitment to worker safety and health through their leadership in the VPP program," said John Giefer, OSHA Area Director. "The contractors at Valero have followed the company's lead. It is great to see this mutual commitment to making a safe workplace for all the employees that is worthy of Star Site recognition."
Marcogliese said that Valero's participation in VPP has played a key role in continually improving safety performance at its refineries, especially its recordable injury rate, which has been far better than the industry average. Year to date, the combined recordable injury rate at Valero's U.S. refineries is 0.81, which is 49 percent better than the industry average.
In addition to its success and recognition in the VPP program, Valero's outstanding safety performance has earned consistent recognition from the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, which awarded 35 safety awards to 14 of Valero's refineries this year. The Bill Greehey Refinery received the organization's Achievement Award for recording 1 million hours without a lost-time injury, and the Merit Award for its outstanding recordable injury rate.
VPP Background
OSHA started the VPP in 1982 to establish cooperative action among government, industry and labor in promoting highly effective safety and health programs that go above and beyond normal OSHA worker protection compliance.
Becoming VPP-certified is a rigorous and complex process designed to ensure that only the best programs qualify. The process begins with a considerable amount of internal review of and modifications to existing safety and health programs. An extensive written application is then sent to OSHA. After the application has been reviewed, a team of OSHA representatives visits the plant for an on-site review that typically lasts about four days. The on-site visit includes an extensive review of all safety and health records, a walkthrough of the facility, and a series of formal and informal interviews with plant management and employees.
Benefits of Being Designated a Star Site
According to OSHA, companies that have achieved Star Site status have discovered numerous benefits that positively impact their workers. For example, VPP participants generally experience from 60 to 80 percent fewer lost workday injuries, and an injury and illness rate that is 52 percent lower than would be expected of an average site of the same size in the same industry.
According to OSHA reports, employee motivation to work safely is also improved and there is a greater feeling of ownership in the safety program, which leads to greater employee morale and better productivity.
SOURCE: Valero Energy Corporation