Irving Oil’s Refinery Surpasses Record Safety Performance
Over 3.5 Million Workforce Hours without a Loss Time Injury
SAINT JOHN, NB — Irving Oil announced today that for the first time since the Irving Oil Refinery began operations in 1960, it has achieved 365 days without a lost time injury (LTI). This means Refinery employees surpassed 3.5 million workforce hours without a LTI, making the Refinery an industry leader in safety performance.
This places the Irving Oil Refinery on track to reach its goal of zero injuries onsite and to be the safest refinery in Canada.
“Our steadily improving safety record is a testament to our people,” Mike Ashar, President of Irving Oil said. “They deserve all the credit for the responsible way they’ve put our company’s culture of safety into practice.”
The achievement follows three consecutive years of safety records at the Refinery.
“We’ve gone beyond making safety a priority for our team and we’ve made it a core value. As a core value, everyone working at our Refinery is accountable for their personal safety and the safety of others,” says Mark Sherman, General Manager of the Irving Oil Refinery.
In 2011, the Refinery’s Safety 24/7 Program was rolled out to the more than 1,200 employees onsite.
“Our work is never so urgent or so important that we compromise the environment, health or safety. We want our team to go home safe to their families at the end of their day and our neighbours to feel comfortable in the community where they live. It is because of our employees that we have attained one year without a LTI,” Sherman said.
Employees at the Refinery were immersed into a day of training and discussion on how behaving safe at work and at home impacts everyone inside and outside of the workplace.
Other key programs that have led to the refinery’s safety successes focuses on removing hazards as soon as they are identified and having trained employees observe other employees to identify at-risk behaviors.
About Irving Oil
Irving Oil was founded in 1924 and is a privately owned regional refining and marketing company with a history of long-term partnerships and relationships. Irving Oil operates Canada’s largest refinery, in Saint John NB, which is located 65 miles north of the US border and has reached production rates in excess of 300,000 barrels per day. The refinery exports over 80 per cent of its production to the US and accounts for 75 per cent of Canada’s gasoline exports to the US and 19 per cent of all US gasoline imports. In 2003, Irving Oil became the first oil company to receive a US Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Excellence Award, for its clean gasoline. For more information about Irving Oil, visit https://www.irvingoil.com/
Contact:
Carolyn Van der Veen
Irving Oil
506-202-1869
carolyn.vanderveen@irvingoil.com