ONEOK Hydrocarbon Southwest LLC in Mont Belvieu, Texas, has earned membership in the prestigious Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the "Star," or highest, level for achieving three years of excellence in employee health and safety.
"ONEOK Hydrocarbon Southwest has exhibited excellence in effective safety and health management, employee training and involvement, as well as application of appropriate resources into these areas," said OSHA regional administrator Dean W. McDaniel in Dallas. "Senior management's close participation in the company's safety and health program has been a key to its effectiveness."
Twenty-one ONEOK employees and 13 resident contractors work at the facility, where natural gas liquids are separated into such products as ethane, propane and butane, which are then marketed or stored. ONEOK Hydrocarbon is a subsidiary of ONEOK Partners LP, one of the largest publicly traded limited partnerships and a leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids in the U.S.
Almost 2,000 worksites nationwide have earned entry into OSHA's VPP. Requirements include a high degree of management support and employee involvement; a high-quality worksite hazard analysis; prevention and control programs; and comprehensive safety and health training for all employees. Each of these elements must be effective, in place and in operation for at least one year before a company can apply to join the VPP. Companies in the VPP achieve average injury rates 50 percent lower than other companies in their respective industries.