Friday, March 12, 2010
EMPLOYEES ACHIEVE ANOTHER SAFETY MILESTONE
NORTH ATLANTIC EMPLOYEES ACHIEVE ANOTHER SAFETY MILESTONE
North Atlantic Refining and the provincial government are once again recognizing the company’s employees for their industry-leading safety results. “In 2009, our employees’ recordable injury rate was 40 per cent better than the average rate of all North American refineries. This amounts to a 70 per cent improvement in our employee safety since 2006, when Harvest acquired North Atlantic,” says Brad Aldrich, Chief Operating Officer of Harvest Energy Trust. “According to North American safety statistics, a grocery store employee is 10-times more likely to incur a workplace injury than a North Atlantic employee.”
The company celebrates its employees’ outstanding safety performance that now has them ranked well above North American industry standards. “Every day our employees demonstrate their understanding and acceptance of our ‘safety-first’ culture, as they continue to use the skills and expertise they’ve learned from extensive mandatory training programs at our refinery. Employees here have individually accepted responsibility for their own safety and that of their coworkers, bringing our company to a whole new level of workplace safety excellence,” says Glenn Mifflin, North Atlantic’s VP.
The Hon. Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Government Services, says his department has been working closely with the refinery in the areas of safety and regulatory assessments and approvals for several years. “North Atlantic employees and management have worked together to develop and apply some of the best health and safety systems in the oil industry, here in our province and in the North American industry. The company continues to demonstrate their wholehearted approach to protecting their people and their facility. We applaud the employees and the company for their steadfast attention to workplace safety.”
Workplace Health, Safety, and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) Chair, Ralph Tucker, says, “North Atlantic Refining employees continue to demonstrate their commitment to workplace health and safety, and the company is an inaugural signatory to Newfoundland and Labrador’s CEO Leadership Charter. They should be commended for their high level of awareness, involvement, and commitment to providing an outstanding health and safety environment.”
North Atlantic credits its impressive safety performance to many factors, including:
· Individual employee acceptance of responsibility for safety
· Company expectations for safety above all other priorities
· Adoption of industry best practices and procedures
· Award-winning employee training and equipment
At the end of 2009, North Atlantic’s recordable injury rate was 0.66 (injuries per 100 employees). The overall North American average is 1.1.
About North Atlantic:
Since 1994, more than ONE-BILLION-DOLLARS in upgrades and new equipment have been invested in the oil refinery. Together, these investments and their employees’ well-demonstrated commitment to safety continue to help ensure the safety of its people and the integrity of the entire operation. At North Atlantic, 500 employees make and market some of the cleanest fuels in the world for customers here in the province and those around the world. As a major player in the local oil industry, North Atlantic contributes $160 million a year direct to the provincial economy—that’s $60 million in employee wages and benefits and $100 million in local business procurement. In addition, the company gives another half million dollars a year to local charities and fundraisers, and direct community support.
