The Safway Services team at the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, La., has been recognised by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and approved for participation in the Star Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). This premiere recognition program is reserved for employers and employees who demonstrate exemplary achievement in the prevention and control of occupational safety and health hazards and a commitment to continuous improvement of their safety and health management systems.

"Achieving this prestigious safety recognition reflects Safway’s commitment to safety," said Paul Amedee, vice president of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) for Safway Group. "Receiving VPP certification requires a collaborative effort between our client, Phillips 66, and Safway – on every level – from field management to the executive team. I would like to thank everyone at the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery for helping us reach this important safety milestone."

This is not the first time that the Safway team at Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery was recognised for their exemplary performance. "We were awarded the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (AFPM) 2014 Meritorious Safety Performance award for zero recordable incidents," noted Site EHS Manager and VPP Coordinator Jeff White. "We currently have five years and 1.7 million hours with zero recordable incidents."

Key to the safety performance at the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery site are both management leadership and employee commitment. "We all work together as a team," added Site Manager Chris Dapprich. "Everybody takes pride in their job, and they own it. Our safety culture is a direct result of employees taking ownership of the program, upper management giving us the support and resources needed to be successful and excellent communication with each other and the client."

Dapprich received notification from the United States Department of Labor indicating that the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery site had been approved for the VPP program on October 6, 2015. "Our success depends on everyone giving 110%," he concluded. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank our entire team for their hard work and dedication."