The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), Washington, DC, has announced the winners of the Safety Statistics and Awards (SSA) Program.

Of the entries submitted, 121 facilities with notable safety records received gold-, silver- or bronze-level awards. In addition, this year PLASTICS launched four award categories that recognize individuals, facilities and companies demonstrating leadership, results and a commitment to shaping the safety culture within their facilities and companies. The new categories are Rising Safety Professional, Safety Professional of the Year, Leaders of Safety Award and Safety Company of the Year.

The SSA Program winners in the new categories are:

• Rising Safety Professional – Ivan Marquez, regional EHS manager, Novolex
• Safety Professional of the Year – Matt Carter, director of Health & Safety, Novolex
• Leaders of Safety Award (site-based) – ACS Group, New Berlin, Wisconsin (Equipment) and Printpack, Bloomington, Indiana (Processor)
• Safety Company of the Year – Novolex

“The winners of our new awards have all demonstrated exemplary commitments to the welfare of their colleagues by driving proactive and preventive safety initiatives at the forefront of their business,” said Marie Gargas, PLASTICS’ senior technical director for regulatory affairs. “Continuous improvement is top of mind for safety professionals, and it’s a pleasure to recognize the individuals, sites and companies that do a great job of being leaders in this space. Congratulations to the winners.”

Winners will be recognized at the upcoming EHS+ Committee meeting Nov. 13-15, 2019, or at an event at their facility.

“Thank you to the Plastics Industry Association for recognizing my effort and granting me the Rising Safety Professional Award,” said Ivan Marquez, regional EHS manager, Novolex. “Safety is extremely important to me because it allows me to drive change and promote the wellness of both employees and my company while ensuring that we are all working to achieve the same goal – zero injuries.”

Submissions for the 2019 SSA Program will be accepted from Jan. 6-Feb. 21, 2020.

To learn more about the awards, visit https://www.plasticsindustry.org/resources/industry-programs/safety-statistics-awards-program.

To learn about PLASTICS’ EHS+ Committee, visit https://www.plasticsindustry.org/advocacy/environment-health-and-safety.

To learn about PLASTICS’ Machinery Safety Standards Committee, visit https://www.plasticsindustry.org/supply-chain/equipment-moldmakers/machinery-safety-standards-committee.