Key Points

• Marathon Petroleum’s Catlettsburg refinery earned VPP Star recertification following a comprehensive, multi-month safety evaluation.
• The review recognized the refinery’s strong safety culture, employee engagement and mature safety programs.
• The Catlettsburg refinery will continue working with Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health to sustain and advance safety performance through routine interim visits.

---

Marathon Petroleum’s Catlettsburg refinery in Kentucky has earned recertification as a Voluntary Protection Partnership (VPP) Star Site, recognizing its continued commitment to workplace safety, employee engagement and continuous improvement.

The designation, awarded by the Voluntary Protection Partnership of Kentucky, followed a comprehensive, multi-month evaluation of the refinery’s safety programs, processes and practices.

“Earning VPP Star recertification reflects the dedication of our employees and their commitment to making safety a priority every day,” said Darin Barber, Refining Environmental, Safety & Security Director at the Catlettsburg refinery. “This was a team effort across the refinery, and the evaluation gave us another opportunity to strengthen our programs, identify improvements and continue building on our safety culture.”

The recertification process began in December with surveys of hourly and salaried employees. A two-week on-site evaluation followed in April, when evaluators reviewed occupational safety and Process Safety Management programs, conducted field audits and verified piping and instrumentation diagrams.

“This was a team effort across the refinery, and the evaluation gave us another opportunity to strengthen our programs, identify improvements and continue building on our safety culture.”

Throughout the process, refinery teams worked together to identify and address opportunities for safety improvement. Seven representatives from Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) later returned to verify that corrective actions had been completed.

The evaluation highlighted several best practices across the refinery, including:

• Industrial hygiene: Comprehensive exposure assessment and monitoring programs.
• Safety training: Robust training systems that engage employees and contractors.
• Confined space safety: Advanced procedures and permitting processes.
• Equipment reliability: Integrated mechanical integrity and preventive maintenance systems.
• Employee health: Strong occupational health, medical and wellness programs.

Evaluators also recognized the refinery’s strong safety culture, employee engagement and mature safety programs, formally recommending the site for continued VPP Star status.

The refinery first earned VPP Star certification in 2019, following an 11-year collaborative effort with the Kentucky Labor Cabinet. The latest recertification builds on that milestone and reflects the ongoing collaboration among Marathon Petroleum’s Catlettsburg refinery, KY OSH and the United Steelworkers (USW) to maintain a safe workplace.

“This recognition is a testament to the people who make our refinery successful,” said Nathan Franckowiak, Vice President of Refining at the Catlettsburg refinery. “Maintaining a strong safety culture requires ongoing commitment, accountability and collaboration at every level. I’m proud of our Catlettsburg team for continuing to raise the bar and look for ways to improve.”

The site celebrated the achievement in September, bringing employees together for a cookout lunch, ice cream trucks and a group photo with its VPP Star certificate. The celebration recognized the hard work and teamwork that helped make the recertification possible.