Business

POSTED: Friday, Jul. 31, 2009

Tenaska Ferndale plant wins safety awards

The National Safety Council recently honored the Tenaska Ferndale Cogeneration Station with a "safety leadership award" for achieving five consecutive years with no work-related injuries or illnesses resulting in time away from work.

This is the sixth consecutive year in which Tenaska Ferndale employees have received the leadership award. The cogeneration plant uses natural gas to produce electricity for Puget Sound Energy and steam that is used at the adjacent ConocoPhillips oil refinery.

Officials say the co-gen plant has had no injuries, illnesses or fatalities resulting in days away from work since the plant opened in 1993 - a total of 756,000 safe hours worked through Dec. 31, 2008.

"Achieving a safe operating record is not just a matter of good luck, it's a matter of teamwork, good planning, continued training and concentration," said plant manager Tim Miller. "Our employees ... make safety a priority every day, year after year. It shows when our plant is recognized as being among the safest in the nation."

In 2008, employees at the plant were awarded the nation's highest safety honor, receiving designation as a "Voluntary Protection Programs Star Worksite," a designation only 27 worksites in the state hold.