Doing Right: Helping Employees Beat the Heat This Summer

/0 Comments/in , , /by

On this Heat Awareness Day, we introduce Ergon’s 2022 Heat Awareness Program. Corporate Health & Safety Manager James Upton shares the importance of heat safety awareness in organizations such as Ergon, where employees work in extreme temperatures year-round.

test

The past few years have shown that the risk of heat illness from high temperatures is one of the most serious challenges to the health and safety of workers. In 2019, despite widespread underreporting, 2,410 workers in the U.S. experienced a heat-related injury or illness, with 43 workers even dying from a heat illness. The real tragedy is that heat illness is almost always preventable.

High heat impacts everyone, and we can’t afford to ignore its effects on health. This year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented a new national emphasis on heat stress, prioritizing heat-related interventions and workplace inspections on days when the heat index exceeds 80°F. This is in addition to their campaign to educate and assist employers on heat illness prevention.

ERGON’S HEAT AWARENESS PROGRAM:

Recognition is critical; prevention is key. Ergon’s Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Team has initiated an organization-wide Heat Awareness Program (HAP). The goal is to educate the Ergon Family on ways to recognize heat/temperature hazards and prevent related illnesses.

Here are some things we’ve done to help spread awareness so far. In May 2022, all Ergon facilities received HAP boxes with heat safety awareness information, OSHA posters in English and Spanish, and chill-its (evaporative cooling bandanas) for all employees.

We’re communicating heat safety awareness through digital monitors at all facilities and an organization-wide Heat Awareness Webinar series developed to provide tips on how to recognize and treat heat-related illnesses, including what to do to if you or a coworker start to experience symptoms.

Can you recognize the signs of a heat illness? The following graphic includes quick tips on how to recognize the symptoms and/or signs of one common heat-related illness — heat exhaustion.

test

Whether you work for Ergon or another company, we want to be sure you know how to avoid heat-related illnesses. We encourage you to refer to your company’s health and safety policies and guidelines, as well as any local, state and federal safety organizations with which you comply, for details on best practices for your organization.

If you’re interested in ways you can promote relevant heat safety awareness within your organization, email us and we’ll be in touch. Stay cool!

Public Awareness and Pipeline Safety, Priority for Ergon Terminaling

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A key responsibility for Ergon is operating our facilities in a safe manner — a manner which protects our facility teams, the local community and the environment.

This is certainly true for Ergon Terminaling – Magnolia, which operates a 38-mile, 8” pipeline (Magnolia Pipeline) that begins at our terminal in Magnolia, Ohio, and ends at Ergon-West Virginia (EWV) in Newell. The pipeline delivers crude oil to EWV through Carroll and Columbiana counties in Ohio, as well as Hancock County in West Virginia. Because this pipeline runs through privately held land and near residential areas, it’s imperative that we maintain open lines of communication with the local landowners and residents.

Public Awareness
In order to accomplish this, we developed a Public Awareness Safety Program. Through this program, Ergon Terminaling – Magnolia conducts annual public safety campaigns to reach the affected public living and working along the pipeline. This is to ensure residents understand pipeline operations and are aware of who to notify in the event of a pipeline emergency. Helping the public understand their significant role in preventing accidents caused by third-party damage and right-of-way encroachment will decrease the amount of pipeline hazards each year.

test

The objectives of the Public Awareness Safety Program are to:

  • Improve public safety, property and environmental protection through increased public awareness and knowledge.
  • Make residents aware that pipelines are in their community.
  • Ensure stakeholders know how to recognize, react and report pipeline emergencies.
  • Educate emergency response agencies of the proper actions to take in response to a pipeline accident or emergency.
  • To educate excavators of the steps they should take to prevent third-party damage and respond properly if they cause damage to a pipeline.
  • To educate public officials of the presence of liquid pipelines in their community, hazards that they present and prevention measures to be taken in the event of a pipeline incident or emergency.

As part of the Public Awareness Safety Program, Ergon Terminaling – Magnolia also participates in the Ohio One Call Program, where landowners and residents can call to be notified of work along the pipeline.

Through our safety program, we are taking a proactive approach to minimizing accidents and third-party damage. This is an important part of our goal of doing right and protecting our family of employees and those in our communities.

Ergon to Adjust Naphthenic Prices in North America

/0 Comments/in , /by

FLOWOOD, Miss. – Ergon has announced an increase in pricing of naphthenic oils in the North American market by $0.30 per gallon effective Friday, May 27, 2022. The increase will apply to all viscosities.

About Ergon Ergon is a group of privately held companies that operate under six primary business segments: Refining & Marketing, Specialty Chemicals, Asphalt & Emulsions, Oil & Gas, Midstream & Logistics, and Construction & Real Estate.

Contact Information
Kathy Potts
Director of Marketing Communications
601-933-3000
kathy.potts@ergon.com
ergon.com |  ergonspecialtyoils.com

Paula DeYoung Joins Alliant Construction as Preconstruction Director

/0 Comments/in , /by

Alliant Construction, a Division of Ergon Construction Group Inc., is pleased to announce Paula DeYoung has accepted the position of Preconstruction Director. In this role, Paula will lead all preconstruction service activities while maintaining client, architect, and subcontractor relations through the design, budgeting and construction phases.

Paula has over 25 years of construction-related experience in the public and private sectors. Her most recent position, before joining Alliant, was Assistant Deputy Director and CCID Project Director for the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration.

A native of Clinton, Mississippi, Paula earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design from Louisiana Tech University. In addition to being a Certified Interior Designer, Paula is also National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certified and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Accredited Professional (LEED AP) certified.

Nathan Witt, President of Ergon Construction Group, stated, “We are excited about welcoming Paula to Alliant. She is well-respected, both personally and professionally, and her track record of success speaks for itself. Paula’s presence sends a strong message about Alliant Construction’s commitment to being a market leader in anticipating and meeting the needs of our customers and partners.”

Kris Patrick, Ergon’s Chief Operating Officer, added “Paula is an excellent addition to the Alliant Construction team and Ergon family. Her attention to detail, exceptional customer service and solutions-driven approach to doing business fit perfectly within our organization. We look forward to Paula’s leadership and contributions in the years ahead.”

About Alliant Construction:
Alliant Construction is a commercial general contractor offering experience and expertise in designing, estimating, building and managing commercial construction projects. Alliant is a division of Ergon Construction Group, which specializes in general contracting, industrial maintenance and specialty construction services.

About Ergon:
Ergon is a group of privately held companies that operate under six primary business segments: Refining & Marketing, Specialty Chemicals, Asphalt & Emulsions, Oil & Gas, Midstream & Logistics, and Construction & Real Estate.

Contact:
Kathy Potts
Vice President of Marketing Communications
Ergon Inc.
601-933-3000
kathy.potts@ergon.com
ergon.com  | alliantconstruction.com

Selfless Leadership — Ergon Focuses on the Greater Good

/0 Comments/in , , /by

We lead with compassion and put those around us before ourselves. We don’t say we’re the experts; we demonstrate it through technical expertise, category innovation and genuine care for what we do.

test

Selfless Leadership is a core value of Ergon and has been an integral part of our business model for the past 68 years. We got our start in 1954 in the petroleum industry’s service sector — with service being the operative word.

Ergon has always been a company that has anticipated and put the needs of those we serve above our own interests. We look outside of ourselves for the greater good of our family of employees and our customers. It’s what sustains us. And we employ over 3,200 people who embody this same ideal in their everyday work.

Watch as members of the Ergon family explain our collective commitment to the value of Selfless Leadership below.

Ergon is cultivating leaders at every level of our organization. By empowering our employees to be compassionate leaders, we are able to broaden our capabilities and capacity to provide the exceptional customer service that has become synonymous with the Ergon name.

We don’t boast about our successes in the industries we serve, but if we could attribute them to one thing, it would be that we operate simply as a service company with a decades-long mission of meeting needs, supporting families and serving customers.

We thrive by championing our people, and by being available and being responsive when needed the most. That’s the Ergon way.

If you’re interested in a company that thrives off of being available and helping others, then Ergon is the place for you. Visit our Careers page for more information on how and why you should join the Ergon family.