St. Paul Park refinery brings safety to life at Safety Fair

Business News

St. Paul Park, Minnesota, Safety, foundation
Four people smiling under a tent.
From left, Refining Environmental, Safety and Security Director Kristin Heutmaker, Fire Chief John Wright, Personal Safety Manager Michael Roache, and BBS Facilitator and Welder Obed Goodwin at the 2025 St. Paul Park refinery Safety Fair.

Key Points

  • The St. Paul Park refinery hosted a Safety Fair in August, bringing employees, contractors, vendors and families together to focus on what matters most, going home safe every day.
  • The event featured booths, demonstrations and hands-on activities that made safety learning practical and engaging.
  • The fair provided a fun and meaningful way to reconnect around safety and strengthen the refinery’s shared commitment to one another.

 At Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery, finding meaningful and engaging ways to talk about safety is part of everyday life. Each year, the refinery’s Safety Fair gives employees, contractors, vendors and families a chance to connect, learn and celebrate what safety means to them.

People in an event tent looking at flyers on a table.
Employees visit booths and learn about different refinery processes during the 2025 Safety Fair at the St. Paul Park refinery.

Held in late August, this year’s fair brought hundreds of people together to focus on what matters most, making sure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.

“The St. Paul Park refinery has always been about community. That starts with taking care of each other.”

“It’s always such a great way to highlight this important topic in a meaningful and interactive way,” said Kristin Heutmaker, Refining Environmental, Safety & Security Director at the St. Paul Park refinery. “It’s also a chance for teams to learn from each other and see a different side of the refinery than they might in their day-to-day work.”

Parents holding two children stand at the fair with a tent in the background.
Refinery Operator Alex Ayala and his family join the fun at our St. Paul Park refinery’s 2025 Safety Fair, celebrating safety and community.

The event featured booths and demonstrations from refinery departments and outside vendors, covering everything from industry safety practices to everyday tips for staying safe.

“We look at this as a one-stop shop for all things health and safety,” said Obed Goodwin, BBS (Behavior-Based Safety) Facilitator and co-organizer of the event. “It’s educational, but it’s also fun. There’s something for everyone.”

Two people talk with men in blue uniforms at a table with samples on it.
Refining Engineers Abby Sinischo and Holland vanZon chat with coworkers who stopped by their booth during the 2025 Safety Fair.

Each year, it’s about bringing people together outside of the traditional teaching settings in both a practical and engaging way for a refresher of what’s truly important.

“The St. Paul Park refinery has always been about community,” Heutmaker added. “That starts with taking care of each other. Making sure every member of the team goes home safely to their families is what it’s all about.”

Three people stand in front of a display booth.
From left, Personal Safety Professionals Kelsey Mounts and David Janak, and Industrial Hygienist Adam Overgaard pose for a photo at the 2025 Safety Fair at the St. Paul Park refinery.
Photo of a fence with a refinery in the background.
The 2025 Safety Fair was held on the grounds of the refinery in St. Paul Park, Minnesota.