Clean Harbors’ Arkansas incinerator achieves top safety certification

Clean Harbors’ El Dorado, Arkansas, incineration facility recently achieved certification by the Labor Department at its highest level – making the Arkansas plant one of the safest worksites in the industry, according to the company. The achievement reflects the overarching Clean Harbors philosophy of safety above all else and caps a stellar year for companywide safety in 2015, adds the Norwell, Massachusetts-based company.

Through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. department’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) recognizes employers and workers who have implemented effective safety and health management systems while maintaining injury and illness rates below national averages in their respective industries.

This month, OSHA classified the El Dorado facility as Star Level – the highest possible category of the program. This is the fifth straight year the location’s achieved Star status, which enables it to continue to be exempt from OHSA inspections.

“We truly appreciate all of the work that all of the 300-plus El Dorado facility employees have put in to allow us to be recertified for VPP Star status,” said El Dorado Facility Manager Daniel Roblee. “Our employees’ commitment to safety has elevated us to a status that few companies ever achieve. Thanks to everyone at this facility for your contributions to our impressive 2015 safety record and for making this honor possible.”

As the leading provider of environmental, energy and industrial services in North America, El Dorado becomes Clean Harbors’ seventh Star certified facility in 10 years.

“Health and safety is our number one priority,” said Clean Harbors’ Health and Safety Director Jerald Huber. “Our commitment to health and safety works to the benefit of our employees, our customers, our community and the environment. Our VPP participation is just one of the many safety-related programs that contribute to our overall health and safety performance.

In the history of the program, Clean Harbors operated the first hazardous management facilities in the country to be awarded Star certification. Eight other Clean Harbors facilities are currently active in VPP projects.

Clean Harbors’ El Dorado facility specializes in the treatment of regulated hazardous and non-hazardous waste by high temperature incineration. Two rotary kilns are used for treatment of solids and sludge such as wastewaters, oils, spent flammable solvents, organic and inorganic laboratory chemicals, paint residues, debris from toxic or reactive chemical cleanups, off-specification commercial products, cylinders and labpacks. The facility is capable of processing as much as 61,000 pounds of waste per hour with the storage capacity of 1.5 million gallons of solid and 1.4 million gallons of liquid waste.