The danger and fun of liquid nitrogen was a popular demonstration

Safety is important at Louis Dreyfus, this is why each year one day is set aside for a safety presentation in every facility throughout the world. Safety ensures productivity, reducing operational loses, damage to assets and equipment.

The sixth annual safety day was held March 18, revisiting a past theme of “Safety Starts With Me.”

The focus was simple — the basics of safety — with the same message for each employee, contractor and those who do business with LCD. The company suffered six fatalities in 2014 and its goal is to ensure employees go to work safely and go home safely. Management stressed the importance of identifying risks before accidents happen and putting plans in place. This can include making sure hand rails, container locks and personal protection equipment is utilized, as well as ensuring defensive driving techniques are implemented, utilizing safety boots, uniforms, gloves, nose masks, goggles and helmets, in addition to ensuring walk ways are clear.

“We’d rather not do something than compromise,” said Joe Nicosia, senior head, merchandising platforms, “We cannot compromise with safety … always keep in mind safety. That’s our highest priority. Act safely, encourage others to do so, make decisions that will mitigate risks, integrate safety in what you do.”

LCD management noted, via a video, having fatalities or injuries are unacceptable and there is zero tolerance for unsafe behavior. Each employee is expected to follow the safet health and environment process.

Of the six fatalities, five involved contractors, none at Claypool. One was, however, in North America where a truck driver fell off a truck. It was noted in 2014, 81 percent of the facilities in North America had zero lost time due to accidents. The near misses are also looked at, with the goal to look at those near misses and what was the root cause to reduce accidents and injuries.

At Claypool the highest percentage of injuries were slips, trips and falls, and a small percentage were strains. There have been no chemical injuries.

Claypool had 1,747 near misses reported in 2014, up 7 percent from 2013. Safety training was up with a lot more training planned. The local company has gone 766 days without lost time in two years. There were seven injuries in 2014, an increase of one injury.

On the production side, LCD Claypool’s 2014 production figures show 55,321,694 bushels of beans crushed, 632,246,700 pounds of crude oil produced, 1,244,873 tons of meal produced and 94,528,057 gallons of biodiesel produced. All figures, except the biodiesel gallons were up over 2013.

The plant continues to grow with capital expenditures totaling $16.3 million in 2013, $12 million in 2014 and $21.5 million expected in 2015. The 2014 projects included biodiesal distillation, glycerin refinery engineering, enzyme degumming, evaporator condenser, LED lighting, dust control, safe walkways, railcar lid opener, bean receiving improvement, destoner and upgraded fire alarm system. The 2015 projects include the glycerin refinery, emgzyme degumming, more LED lighting, more safe walkways, dust control and combining the heat power and upgrade the company fire system.