The American Chemistry Council (ACC) recently recognized chemical industry leaders, including A&R Logistics and Dana Companies’ Gene Patten, for exceptional environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) performance, and commitment to sustainability and sound chemicals management.
A&R, a Houston TX-based dry bulk and liquid transportation services provider, received the ACC’s Product Safety Award for its implementation and customization of the MSDSonline system to streamline access and consolidate information for employees during the virtual 2020 Responsible Care & Sustainability Conference.
“Employee health and safety comes before anything else in A&R’s operations, so we are extremely pleased to receive this award from the American Chemistry Council,” said Mark Holden, A&R Logistics CEO. “Our EHS&S team worked diligently to implement the MSDSonline system, and their hard work deserves industry recognition.”
As a leading end-to-end transporter, warehouse and 3PL provider serving the chemical and plastics industry, A&R handles a wide range of products throughout the US, so “it is critical for A&R employees to have the most up-to-date information regarding the proper handling of these products to ensure the safety of employees, the environment, and to protect customer product during transport,” said Dionne Quiachon, A&R’s chief EHS&S officer.
A&R’s investment in the SDS management system consolidates important product information in one central database and provides the most current information to operators in all locations simultaneously. Quiachon highlighted the extraordinary effort involved in consolidating disparate information and automating a previously manual-driven process to implement the electronic system during the last quarter of 2019. The new system now frees up time for employees at the operations level and enables faster response in the event of an emergency.
A&R was one of two companies receiving the ACC’s Responsible Care Product Safety Award. Covestro also was recognized for “Digitalization to Risk Characterization Success.” The Responsible Care conference is intended to educate EHS&S leaders at ACC member and Responsible Care Partner companies about new developments, processes and standards to help enhance their company’s commitment to sustainability and promote safe operations and chemicals management throughout the value chain.
Patten, vice president of safety and compliance, and corporate Responsible Care coordinator at Dana, was named Partner Company Employee of the Year. Patten has been involved in the bulk motor carrier industry for more than 30 years and the Responsible Care partner program for 15, serving as chair of the ACC Responsible Care Partner Leadership Group for four years. He also has been active in promoting chemical transportation safety through the TRANSCAER program, which helps communities prepare for and respond to possible hazardous materials transportation incidents.
“Responsible Care is the keystone of the chemical industry’s sustainability commitment, helping ACC member and Responsible Care Partner companies operate with environmental protection, health, safety and security as our top priorities,” said Chris Jahn, ACC president and CEO. “The people and companies being honored today have gone above and beyond to drive continuous improvement in the safety and sustainability of our chemical processes, products and operations.”
Responsible Care awardees qualify based on exemplary performance and are selected by a committee of internal and external experts.
Other industry award winners included:
- Member Company Employee of the Year—Barbara Dawson, EHS fellow in the center of excellence at DuPont
- Responsible Care Partner Company of the Year Award—BDP International, Philadelphia; Total Quality Logistics, Cincinnati; WTS, Lewiston, NY
- Waste Minimization, Reuse and Recycling Award—Albermarle Corporation, Kings Mountain, Pharma Waste Recycle Waste (Waste Minimization category); Celanese, Wilmington, NC site, implementation of beneficial use project (Waste Minimization, Beneficial Reuse categories); Dow, Knoxville TN facility, tin waste reduction (Waste Minimization); Hexion, Springfield OR facility, PF wash water disposal reduction (Waste Minimization); LANXESS Corporation, El Dorado, AR, recovery of lead and zinc from Stormwater site (Waste Minimization); Occidental Chemical Corporation, boiler coal landfill diversion in Niagara Falls NY, nitrogen blowback system removal at Oxy Vinyls in La Porte TX, 4PCe filter installations in Geismar LA (Waste Minimization, Recycling); The Lubrizol Corporation, Louisville KY, water reduction via computer system (Waste Minimization); WTS and LANXESS, Perth Amboy NJ facility (Waste Minimization, Beneficial Reuse); WTS, Lewiston NY, sustainable solutions (Beneficial Reuse)
- Responsible Care Facility Safety Award—AdvanSix, Afton Chemical Corporation, Albemarle Corporation, Ashland, Arkema, BASF Corporation, Cabot Corporation, Carus Corporation, Celanese, Chevron Oronite Company, Clariant, Covestro, Dow, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, Ethyl Corporation, ExxonMobil Chemical Company, FMC Corporation, Foremark Performance Chemicals, Hexion, Honeywell, Huntsman Corporation, Ingevity Corporation, Innospec Specialty Chemicals, LANXESS, Linde, LyondellBasell, Niacet Corporation, Nouryon, Occidental Chemical, Olin Corporation, OMNOVA Solutions, PolyOne Corporation, PQ Corporation, Praxair, (a member of the Linde Group), Pure Salt, RT Vanderbilt Holding Company, Shell Chemical, SNF Holding Company, Solenis, Stepan Company, Texas Brine Company, Trinseo, The Chemours Company
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