ICBA awards for Birla Carbon plants, R&D site

The International Carbon Black Association (ICBA) recently awarded 12 Birla Carbon plants and a R&D centre certificates of recognition for achieving an above industry average level of safety performance. Eleven plants and the USA-based Marietta R&D Laboratory received the gold award while one plant received the bronze award. The Birla Carbon plants in North and South America, Europe and Asia were amongst 44 carbon black manufacturing facilities around the world to receive this recognition as part of the ICBA’s ‘Safety Recognition Program’.

The ICBA began this programme to acknowledge the safety records maintained by carbon black manufacturers around the globe and to educate policymakers and the public about the carbon black industry’s measures and activities to increase employee safety.

Commenting on the recognition, Joe Gaynor, chief legal, risk and sustainability officer at Birla Carbon, said: “At Birla Carbon safety is a key component of everything we do. Our policies and processes are written and implemented keeping in mind the safety of our people, safe handling of carbon black and safe management of the manufacturing facilities. I want to congratulate the Birla Carbon plants who have given so much emphasis on building a culture of safety within the organisation.

“I also take this opportunity to thank the ICBA for recognising the effort of all carbon black manufacturers in making their facilities safe places to work,” added Gaynor.

Participating companies submitted their previous year’s safety performance data, which had been certified by the company’s member on the ICBA Board of Directors. Awards were given in three categories, and sites that meet more than one award criteria received the highest recognition.

Bronze Awards given to sites that achieved zero Lost Work Day (LWD) cases for their employees during the 2018 calendar year. LWD case is a work-related injury or illness resulting in one or more lost work days for the employee following the day of the injury.

Silver Awards recognise sites that met the requirements of the Bronze awards or demonstrate greater than 50 per cent improvement from the previous year; and achieved zero medical aid or OSHA recordable incidents or greater than 50 per cent improvement from previous year. Zero fires or property damage incidents with an impact greater than US$100,000 and zero regulatory citations for safety related events, audits or activities.

Gold Awards were presented to sites that met the criteria for Silver awards and received an external safety or environmental management system certification recognition, such as ISO 45001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, OSHA VPP, or equivalent third party management system certification recognition; or implemented a company-specific safety management system and achieved more than three years with zero LWD case at the facility.

The ICBA Safety Recognition Program is designed to stimulate interest in safety activities, enhance awareness, and to promote plant safety.