Chemical Industry Safety Award to Finex, CP Kelco and Bayer

Finex Oy, CP Kelco Oy and Bayer Oy have received the Chemical Industry Safety Award 2014. Roal Oy was awarded Honourable Mention for its safety work. The winners were acknowledged for both long-term, large-scale safety work and significant steps forward. The awards were announced at the Chemical Industry Federation’s Theme Forum on 27 November 2014.

The purpose of the Chemical Industry Safety Award is to encourage companies committed to the Responsible Care programme to more determined efforts for improving safety, achieving better results and sharing their best practices. The Safety Award is a joint initiative by the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, Industrial Union TEAM, Trade Union Pro and the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN. The jury’s rating is based on the companies’ key indicators on the development of the safety level, completed development projects and good practices. The award is an acknowledgement for exemplary efforts to improve safety.

The winner of the small business category, Finex Oy, has made great strides in the development of its safety culture during the last two years. Today, the safety management team meets regularly, and the company is committed to systematic safety work. The management’s visible commitment and the involvement of the entire staff in the development efforts are an example for everyone.

The winner of the medium-sized business category is CP Kelco Oy with its systematic and large-scale safety work that has continued for a long time. Not only is the company’s injury-free period from 2010 to 2013 a significant achievement, but also other indicators testify to strong results. The company has innovatively linked well-being at work to its safety strategy.

The winner of the large business category, Bayer Oy, was acknowledged for its determined safety work. All employees working in the laboratory or in production participate in process safety training. A risk analysis is performed for all safety-critical equipment, and the company is just about to begin a new project to improve employees’ safety behaviour. A critical factor for choosing Bayer was its track record in employee training.

Roal Ltd received Honourary Mention for introducing near real-time measurement and monitoring of total protein content from breathing air. Identification of critical points in the powder production process is pivotal in preventing exposure to enzyme dust. The company’s unique solution and its forward-looking way to tackle this industry-specific issue is a safety achievement worth acknowledging.

“It is great to see how resolute chemical industry companies are in engaging in safety and development work,” Merja Vuori, Senior Advisor of the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, summarises the jury’s opinions.

“In the chemical industry, safety is everyone’s concern. Progressiveness is built through close cooperation in companies, between companies and with partners. The industrial organisations are also involved. The results are great, but it is worth keeping in mind that developing safety is an on-going process, and there is still a long way to go,” Merja Vuori continues.

The Chemical Industry Safety Award has now been granted twice, in 2010 and 2014.

The winners of the Chemical Industry Safety Award are selected by the steering group of the Responsible Care programme on the basis of applications submitted by companies. The steering group consists of the representatives of the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, Industrial Union TEAM, Trade Union Pro and the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN.

Responsible Care is a voluntary responsibility programme that supports sustainability in the chemical industry. In Finland, 100 companies are involved in the programme, and it covers around 80% of the total production of the industry.

Lisätietoja

Finex Oy: Magnus Fagerstedt, tel. +358 44 7049 150, magnus.fagerstedt@finex.fi, www.finex.fi
Finex Oy is based in Kotka and is a global, innovative specialist in chromatographic separation resins and in specialty polymers.

CP Kelco Oy: Jani Rosala, tel. +358 40 7593 093, jani.rosala@cpkelco.com, www.cpkelco.com
The Äänekoski branch of the global business CP Kelco manufactures carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a thickening agent with a variety of applications.

Bayer Oy: Taina Tuominen, tel. +358 20 7852855, taina.tuominen@bayer.com, www.bayer.fi
The Turku branch of this global enterprise concentrate on pharmaceuticals.

Roal Ltd: Sauli Toikka, tel. +358 44 545 4059, sauli.toikka@roal.fi, www.roal.fi
Roal Ltd is based in Rajamäki and manufactures enzymes for the food and feed industries and other industrial applications.

The Chemical Industry Federation of Finland: Susanna Aaltonen, Communcations Director, tel. +358 40 593 4221, susanna.aaltonen@kemianteollisuus.fi

Safety Award jury:

Merja Vuori, Senior Counsellor, Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, tel. +358 40 730 1932, merja.vuori@kemianteollisuus.fi

Kari Mäkelä, Work Environment Officer, Industrial Union TEAM,tel. +358 50 303 9271, kari.makela@teamliitto.fi

Taru Reinikainen, National Officer, Trade Union Pro, tel. +358 50 581 4371, taru.reinikainen@proliitto.fi

Seppo Järvenpää, Officer, Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN, tel. +358 40 5142601, seppo.jarvenpaa@ytn.fi

Videos and photos of the prize winners:

Photos: https://kemianteollisuus.studio.crasman.fi/bank/julkinen_mediapankki?changeLanguage=en

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzpaonEyX5eae4GtkBnvdg