May 6, 2004 – The Hovensa refinery won recognition at last week's annual convention of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association for its achievements in safe operations in 2003.
The association, with a membership of more than 450 U.S. companies including virtually all of the nation's refiners and petrochemical manufacturers, presented its Gold Award and its Meritorious Safety Performance Award to the St. Croix refinery.
According to a Hovensa release issued on Thursday, the Gold Award recognizes facilities which have reduced their incidence rate of recordable injuries by 25 percent or more in the preceding year from the average for the three years prior to that.
Hovensa's rate for 2003 was 0.9, meaning nine on-the-job injuries per thousand workers. That represented a 79 percent reduction from the average of 2000-2002, the release stated.
The Meritorious Safety Performance Award recognizes facilities that achieved a total recordable incidence rate of 1.5 or less in the preceding year.
Larry Kupfer, Hovensa president and chief operating officer, said the awards reflect the high level of safety performance at the refinery of both its own employees and those of its contractors. "Everyone who made this possible by consistently performing their work in a safe manner can take great pride in this recognition," he said.
Four Hovensa employees attended the association convention, held in Austin, Texas. They are: Richard F. Smullen, vice president for environmental health and safety; Roy Harden, director of safety and health; Gerard L. Jackson, president of United Steelworkers Local 8526; and Willie L. Douglas, chair of the union local's Safety and Health Committee.
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