| 28 October 2009
From Professional Safety Magazine, August 2009. Used with permission of the authors and publisher.
This article describes the implementation of a behavioral safety process at CITGO Petroleum Corp. CITGO owns and operates three oil refineries in the U.S. with a total petroleum processing capacity of approximately 760,000 barrels a day. Initial implementation began with the petroleum refinery in Lake Charles, LA. The site consisted of six self-contained operation areas with a total employment of about 1,465 people.
Before implementation, plant management had a clear mission to reduce injuries and change the work culture to one that demonstrated value for safe and healthy employees. Employee safety teams were formed in the late 1980s to improve safety in the plant.
As with many traditional safety methods, teams were rewarded for time without an incident, but these efforts did not have a clear effect on safety practices. In 1994, behavioral safety consultation was sought to help managers achieve their safety mission.
To read the entire study, download by clicking the link below:
Download the Citgo Behavioral Safety Study (PDF)
