Orion S.A. Achieves Safety Excellence with Ten Prestigious Awards from the International Carbon Black Association
Orion S.A. commitment to workplace safety by earning ten safety awards from the International Carbon Black Association (ICBA). These honors recognize Orion’s outstanding safety performance across its manufacturing facilities worldwide, reinforcing the company’s position as a benchmark setter for health and safety in the carbon black industry.
The ICBA’s Safety Recognition Program, under which the awards were granted, is a rigorous and voluntary initiative that evaluates participating facilities based on their health and safety performance from the previous calendar year. The program includes a comprehensive review of metrics such as regulatory compliance, injury rates, employee training programs, safety certifications, and incident response strategies. Companies that excel in these areas are honored with Gold, Silver, or Bronze Awards, depending on the level of achievement.
Setting a Global Safety Standard
In its latest assessment, the ICBA highlighted Orion as an exemplary organization, noting that the company had “set the benchmark” for occupational safety practices within the carbon black sector. Such recognition reflects not only Orion’s adherence to best practices but also its cultural commitment to fostering a safe, reliable, and sustainable work environment.
“Safety is our highest priority at our sites and throughout our company,” said Corning Painter, CEO of Orion. “As we continue to focus our capital investments more on maintenance and reliability across our global operations, we expect to build on our success with safety. This recognition is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our employees, who place safety at the core of everything they do.”
Orion’s achievement spans continents, reflecting its global footprint and consistent application of safety standards across diverse regulatory environments. The company operates more than a dozen production facilities globally, each playing a vital role in producing carbon black — a key material used in the manufacture of rubber products, coatings, plastics, and batteries.
Eight Facilities Earn Prestigious Gold Awards
Among the ten awards received, eight of Orion’s manufacturing facilities were recognized with the ICBA’s coveted Gold Award. This distinction is granted to sites that fulfill strict safety criteria, including:
- Attaining internationally recognized health and safety certifications (such as ISO 45001 or equivalent)
- Achieving zero regulatory citations related to occupational safety
- Maintaining strong incident-prevention programs and robust safety management systems
- Demonstrating continuous improvement in safety performance year over year
The Gold Award-winning facilities are located in:
- Belpre, Ohio, USA
- Berre-l’Étang, France
- Huaibei, China
- Ivanhoe, Louisiana, USA
- Jaslo, Poland
- Paulinia, Brazil
- Ravenna, Italy
- Yeosu, South Korea
Each of these plants exemplifies Orion’s global standards in occupational health and safety, incorporating regular safety drills, proactive hazard identification systems, employee engagement initiatives, and near-miss reporting protocols.
Notably, the plant in Ivanhoe, Louisiana, has been recognized multiple times in previous years, serving as a model facility within the Orion portfolio. Similarly, the Yeosu plant in South Korea and the Huaibei plant in China have maintained excellent safety records even in complex operational environments, where production pressures can sometimes challenge strict adherence to protocols.
Bronze Awards for Operational Discipline
In addition to the eight Gold Awards, two other Orion facilities — located in Orange, Texas, and Qingdao, China — received Bronze Awards from the ICBA. These awards are specifically given to plants that have reported zero “Lost Work Day” (LWD) cases over the course of the reporting year.
A Lost Work Day case is defined as any occupational injury or illness that results in an employee being unable to perform their regular work duties for at least one full day following the incident. Recording zero such cases indicates that the facilities maintained an incident-free record with no injuries severe enough to interrupt productivity or impact employee well-being.
According to the ICBA, the Bronze Awards are a testament to the discipline, preparedness, and responsiveness of plant personnel. These awards also emphasize the importance of both preventive measures and a strong safety culture, which can mitigate risks even in potentially hazardous industrial settings.
A Culture of Safety and Accountability
Carlos Quinones, Orion’s Senior Vice President of Global Operations, emphasized the importance of a deeply ingrained safety culture across the organization. “The ICBA’s recognition reflects our employees’ unwavering commitment and belief that achieving a consistently injury-free workplace is both attainable and a core value of our company,” said Quinones. “From our engineers and technicians to our site managers and corporate leadership, everyone plays a role in building a safer future for our teams and our communities.”
This cultural ethos is supported by Orion’s comprehensive safety framework, which includes:
- Behavior-based safety programs: Encouraging employees to observe and correct unsafe actions before they lead to incidents
- Daily toolbox talks and monthly safety reviews: Reinforcing awareness and communication at all levels of the organization
- Emergency response training: Ensuring readiness in case of fires, spills, or other industrial
