Key Points

• Marathon Petroleum’s Detroit refinery was honored with the AFPM Distinguished Safety Award in 2024, recognizing the team’s commitment to safety, innovation, and leadership in operations.
• Employees and business partners celebrated this achievement with a special lunch, reflecting on their dedication to safe practices every day and ongoing safety initiatives.
• Leadership engagement and continuous improvement remain central to the refinery culture, with leaders actively supporting frontline workers and encouraging everyone to prioritize safety and seek better ways to work.

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Employees at the Detroit refinery are keeping safety top of mind and celebrating their achievements along the way. In August, the refinery hosted a lunch for employees to recognize their efforts in achieving the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) Distinguished Safety Award, along with MPC’s El Paso and Kenai refineries. This prestigious honor, reserved for facilities in the top 1% of the industry, recognizes the sites for sustained excellence in safety performance, innovation and leadership. 

“Safety is our top priority. It’s a core value, a strategic commitment, and part of our culture,” said Leatha Hallmark, Vice President of Refining at the Detroit refinery. “We’re proud of how our employees dedicate themselves to safe and reliable operations every day.”  

“We encourage employees to keep safety at the forefront and continuously look for ways to do things better, whether it is improving safety and the environment, or finding a more efficient process.”

Employees and business partners celebrated achieving the Distinguished Safety Award for the third time, first being recognized in 2008 and again in 2010. During 2024, the Detroit refinery performed a major plantwide turnaround, a time the team knew they needed to stay hyper focused on safety. The safety team continues to champion a safety program that encourages employees to always think of better ways to complete their tasks. They gave each employee and contractor a coin to carry as a constant reminder to prioritize safety and to always think of better ways to complete their tasks.

“We encourage employees to keep safety at the forefront and continuously look for ways to do things better, whether it is improving safety and the environment, or finding a more efficient process,” said Detroit refinery Personal Safety Manager Eric Sponaugle.

Throughout the year, as well as during the turnaround, refinery leadership focused on engagement with frontline workers.

“We had our refinery vice president, tech services director, operations director, maintenance director, safety director and other leaders at the start of shift meetings, toolbox talks and safety walks,” said Sponaugle. “That helped streamline conversations, empowered people to share concerns, and brought us closer as a team. The refinery stayed focused on working safely.”

As the Detroit refinery looks ahead, the team remains committed to continuous improvement and setting new standards in safety and operational excellence.