Background:

In March 2008, the Anchorage Area Office and Seattle Regional Office in OSHA’s Region X entered into an OSHA Strategic Partnership with Crowley Petroleum Distribution, Alaska and the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 4959. This is the first partnership in Region X that targets occupational injuries and illnesses at marine terminals and seeks to achieve safe workplaces at Alaska’s marine terminals. By entering into this collaborative relationship, the partners benefit from strong support and participation from both USW Local 4959 and Crowley Petroleum Distribution.

Success Impact:

Reduced Injuries and Illnesses - 570 Days Without Lost Time Incident

At the beginning of the partnership, the safety and health management systems of Crowley Petroleum Distribution’s Bethel and the Nome terminal operations were evaluated as to their effectiveness in addressing occupational safety and health issues. OSHA, Crowley Petroleum Distribution and USW Local 4959 subsequently worked together to develop strategies, goals, and performance measures to address occupational safety and health issues in Alaska’s marine terminal industry.

Workers and supervisors at the terminals were trained in how to recognize occupational safety and health hazards and what actions to take to eliminate those hazards. As a result, during October 2009, the Bethel terminal operations celebrated a record 570 days without a lost time incident.

The Lost Workday Injury Rate (LWDI), now known as the Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate for the Bethel terminal was reduced from 9.2 in 2008 to zero in 2009. Similarly, the Nome terminal maintained its DART at zero in 2009. Both the Bethel and Nome sites have benefited from increased safety hazard recognition training, and have, in turn, passed on their best practices to other Crowley Petroleum Distribution marine terminal locations.

Crowley Petroleum Distribution and the USW Local 4959, have proven to be dedicated partners in their quest to improve worker safety and health for workers and union members. Workers, union representatives and management have all expressed their appreciation to OSHA for the increased knowledge, awareness and cooperative spirit which developed through the partnership.

As a result of the successes of this partnership, OSHA and Crowley Petroleum Distribution are exploring ways to extend the successes to Crowley’s Nenana, AK and Kotzebue, AK terminal operations in 2010.

Partnership Objectives:

The partnership specifically focuses on improving the safety and health management systems and reducing lost time injuries to the workers at Crowley Petroleum Distribution, Alaska’s Bethel and Nome marine terminals.

Origin: Region X, Anchorage Area Office

Partners: OSHA Region X Anchorage Area Office, Crowley Petroleum Distribution, Alaska; United Steel Workers Local 4959

Partnership Signed: March 25, 2008

Industry: Marine Cargo Handling (SIC 4491)

Employees: 100

Employers: 1

Source and Date: Colleen Darrell, CSHO, Anchorage Area Office and Mike Bonkowski, CAS, Seattle Regional Office, November 20, 2009.