The ConocoPhillips Alliance Refinery celebrated its recent certification as a Star Worksite by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as part of its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) at a ceremony held recently at the refinery. The VPP Star flag was raised over the refinery immediately following the ceremony.

“I am proud of our employees’ dedication to safe and reliable operations,” said Greg Lucchesi, Alliance Refinery manager. “Achieving VPP Star status is the culmination of an ongoing partnership between refinery management and labor working cooperatively and proactively with OSHA to prevent employee injuries and illness.”

“The Star award demonstrates that ConocoPhillips’ is committed to providing a safe workplace for its employees as well as being a good neighbor to the local community,” said Bruce Stark, OSHA VPP director for Louisiana.

The Alliance Refinery joins more than 20 other ConocoPhillips sites as a recipient of OSHA’s prestigious VPP Star status.

Attendees at the flag raising ceremony included ConocoPhillips executives, regional OSHA leadership, United Steelworkers Local 4-447 leadership, and several state and local government officials. The Belle Chasse High School Band rock ensemble provided entertainment before and after the ceremony.

Efforts to pursue Star status at Alliance began in 2007. In September 2010, ConocoPhillips was notified by OSHA that Alliance had been awarded the VPP Star. Obtaining Star status is only the beginning though; maintaining the certification requires continuous improvement and annual reports to OSHA on established goals.

The VPP was created in 1982 to encourage industrial facilities to strive for safety excellence. VPP sites have shown their commitment to employee protection extends beyond the OSHA standards. Companies whose worksites achieve the VPP Star Award demonstrate injury and illness rates at or below the national average of their competitors.

The ConocoPhillips Alliance Refinery is located in Plaquemines Parish and employs approximately 700 people. The refinery is capable of processing 247,000 barrels per day of crude oil into many important products including diesel fuel, gasoline, jet fuel and other intermediate refinery products.