W. R. Grace & Co. announced Thursday that its Edison, N.J., facility has been awarded Star certification, the highest level, in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).
The Voluntary Protection Program is OSHA’s official recognition of exemplary occupational safety and health. Companies in the VPP achieve average injury rates 50 percent lower than other companies in their respective industries.
The total case incident rate and lost time rate are both 0.0 at the Edison facility, and the plant has not had a lost time injury in more than 25 years.
The Edison facility produces polyolefin catalysts and catalyst supports that are used in the manufacturing of resins used for a wide variety of industrial and consumer plastic applications.
This is the second Grace location to earn the VPP distinction, following a manufacturing plant in Lake Charles, La., that received VPP status in 2005.
“Our Edison colleagues have achieved an impressive safety record and we’re proud of their accomplishments,” remarked William Corcoran, Vice President of Public and Regulatory Affairs with responsibility for Grace's health, safety and environmental programs. "The VPP membership was only possible due to our colleagues’ dedicated focus and a shared safety-first workplace."
Grace, headquartered in Columbia, Md., is a supplier of catalysts, silica-based engineered and specialty materials, specialty chemicals, and sealants and coatings for a variety of industries. The company has annual sales of more than $2.8 billion, and employs about 6,500 people at its operations in more than 40 countries.