Power Engineering - Broward County's two waste-to-energy plants receive OSHA's top safety award

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 16, 2003 -- The federal government has recognized two Broward County, Fla., waste-to-energy plants owned and operated by Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. as among the safest industrial plants in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in ceremonies here last Friday awarded Wheelabrator's North and South facilities with its elite "Star" certification, recognizing the facilities with its top award for health and safety excellence. The certifications are awarded through OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

John L. Henshaw, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), presented OSHA VPP flags to Wheelabrator officials signifying the plants' elite health and safety status.

"I am delighted that Wheelabrator's Broward facilities have embraced OSHA's Star program, which recognizes companies doing an outstanding job in preventing occupational injuries and illnesses among their workers," said Secretary Henshaw. "Wheelabrator has demonstrated a strong and ongoing commitment to its employees' safety and health, and we are pleased to recognize and encourage their success."

To qualify, the plants met rigorous OSHA safety and health management criteria, which focus on comprehensive management systems and active employee involvement to prevent or control worksite safety and health hazards. Companies qualifying for the elite certification view OSHA standards as a minimum level of safety and health performance, and set more stringent standards, wherever necessary, to improve employee protection. The VPP is OSHA's premier recognition program designed to promote effective safety and health management by employers.

"This is a remarkable and well-earned achievement for the people of our North and South Broward County plants and recognition for the safety efforts of Wheelabrator employees across the country," said J. Drennan Lowell, president of Hampton, N.H.-based Wheelabrator. "Protecting our people and providing a safe operating environment is a critically important concern for us. We are proud of our Broward County employees and these plants. The OSHA Star certifications represent another step forward in Wheelabrator's mission to have each of its plants reach this high level of safety excellence."

The OSHA honors place the Wheelabrator North and South Broward plants as two of only 951 VPP Star-certified facilities among the more than 6.5 million U.S. worksites eligible to earn such status. Only 13 Star certifications have been awarded in the industrial category to which Wheelabrator facilities belong. The North and South plants are at 2600 NW 48th St., Pompano Beach, and 4400 S. State Rd. 7, Ft. Lauderdale, respectively.

Chris Carey, General Manager of the North and South Broward facilities, commended his employees on reaching the safety milestone. "This is the ultimate goal of every plant in every industry. We've raised the bar on staying safe - and it was all voluntary," Carey said.

"Combined, workers at our Broward plants have gone home safely without a single lost workday accident for over two years now," Carey said. "Our average annual lost workday rate at these plants is 1.3 days over the last three years. That's a remarkable achievement."

Wheelabrator operates 16 waste-to-energy facilities and seven independent power plants across the United States. Three Wheelabrator projects previously received VPP Star certification or Merit awards, a precursor to full Star status. They include the Company's Frackville (Pa.) waste coal-fired independent power plant in 1996, the Concord (N.H.) waste-to-energy plant in 2002, and the South Broward plant, which earned VPP Merit recognition in 1997.

To qualify for OSHA Star status, a worksite must have a three-year average injury rate below that of its industry average and must have demonstrated safety programs that greatly exceed OSHA standards. OSHA auditors recommend Star status after completing a comprehensive evaluation of a facility's safety program, including its managers' leadership, employee involvement, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training.

The Star Program recognizes facilities that are self-sufficient in their ability to control hazards at the worksite. It recognizes leaders in occupational safety and health that are successfully protecting workers from death, injury, and illness by implementing comprehensive and effective safety and health programs. Star participants willingly share their experience and expertise, and they encourage others to work toward comparable success. Companies participating in the program have fewer employee injuries and illnesses, reduced workers' compensation costs, improved productivity, improved employee morale, and recognition in the community.

Wheelabrator's North and South Broward County facilities each process up to 2,250 tons per day of municipal solid waste. The South Broward facility opened in 1991 and the North facility in 1992 to serve the disposal needs of Broward County. The plants convert area trash into enough clean energy to supply the electricity needs of more than 100,000 homes. The facilities have 130 employees. Since their opening a decade ago, the plants have processed nearly 17.5 million tons of municipal waste and sold more than eight million megawatts of power, which is equivalent to nearly 28 million barrels of oil.

Wheelabrator, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Waste Management Inc., is one of the United States' most successful developers, owners and operators of commercial renewable energy projects. Since beginning operation of its first waste-to-energy plant in 1975 in Massachusetts, Wheelabrator plants have processed more than 100 million tons of municipal solid waste, converting the waste into more than 50 billion kilowatt-hours of clean, reliable electric energy.

The company currently owns and/or operates 16 waste-to-energy facilities with a combined daily processing capacity of 23,750 tons of trash and a total electric generating capacity of 671 megawatts. The Company also owns seven alternative energy projects with a total capacity of 257 megawatts. Combined, these clean, renewable power sources provide enough electricity to meet the energy needs for more than 800,000 homes.

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