Valero Names ThyssenKrupp Safway 2008 Contractor of the Year
Benicia, Calif. - The ThyssenKrupp Safway Benicia branch received two major safety awards from the Valero Energy Corporation as Contractor of the Month (March 2009) and Large Contractor of the Year (2008) at Valero's April awards banquet.
"This award symbolizes a great deal of commitment and hard work of all who contributed in reaching this goal," said ThyssenKrupp Safway Benicia Branch Manager Sully Cittadino. "To achieve this type of award, both the customer and ThyssenKrupp Safway have to possess a common vision and support a staff of committed employees seeking to perform at a high level."
The awards are based on a Contractor Safety Performance Index (CSPI), a complex set of categories that evaluate incident rates, employee participation in behavior-based safety programs, permit compliance, and more.
"This significant performance milestone exemplifies our employees' overall commitment to safety and demonstrates the importance we place on employee health and safety," said Wes Baker, ThyssenKrupp Safway west coast regional safety manager.
The Benicia branch is on its way to earn "Star" status in the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) at the Valero's Benicia facility. The Cal-OSHA VPP is a prestigious safety and health excellence program, and VPP "Star" status is the highest honor given to contractors at VPP worksites. The designation would be a tribute to ThyssenKrupp Safway's commitment to construction excellence and workplace safety.
The worksite, which includes nearly 40 ThyssenKrupp Safway employees onsite, will undergo an extensive Cal-OSHA review of jobsite conditions, safety records, employee safety and health programs, and regulatory compliance.
"ThyssenKrupp Safway has worked with Valero employees for several years to weave safety into everything we do, and the success of those efforts is reflected in our anticipation for the award," Baker said. "We are proud to be one of the top contractors at this facility and hope to become ThyssenKrupp Safway's first of a galaxy of VPP 'stars' across the nation."
In June 2008, the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA) awarded the ThyssenKrupp Safway Benicia branch with a Merit Award for its work at the refinery, an honor bestowed to members that have achieved a recordable incident rate of 1.0 or less with no workplace-related fatalities. The Benicia crew at the Valero refinery achieved a recordable incident rate of zero after nearly 150,000 hours worked in 2008.
