LANXESS Gastonia Earns North Carolina’s Top Safety Recognition, Xact, HPM

The North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) recognized the LANXESS High Performance Materials facility in Gastonia with certification as a Carolina Star site – the state’s highest safety recognition – for its safety record and dedication to employee health.

During a special ceremony yesterday, Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson presented the LANXESS team with the signature Carolina Star flag to fly at the Gastonia site, becoming the first Carolina Star facility in Gaston County.

“We are very excited to earn this major milestone, and I commend the team for their hard work, collaboration, and dediciation to not only earn this certification, but for protecting each other in doing so,” said Marc Rands, Head of Production, Technology, Safety, and Engineering for LANXESS Corporation. “Safety is very much engrained in everything that we do at LANXESS, and this recognition is just another example of the emphasis we place on providing the safest working conditions possible.”

Through a lengthy evaluation process conducted by the Department of Labor’s Carolina Star Team, LANXESS’ Gastonia site had a Total Recordable Case (TRC) rate 74% lower than industry peers and a Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate 100% below the comparable industry rate – meaning there were no cases during that three-year period.

“When a business or worksite earns its initial Carolina Star certification, it’s a big deal,” Commissioner Dobson said. “This certification represents the culmination of years of hard work and determination by LANXESS’s leaders and employees to meet the strict criteria required to be designated as a Carolina Star site.”

The distinguished state certification highlights a variety of voluntary programs and systems that LANXESS has applied at the site to protect employees and maintain injury and illness rates far below the industry average. Participation in Carolina Star requires a variety of voluntary reporting, proactive site safety efforts, and employee involvement with trainings, conferences, and information sharing.

“Raising this flag is only the beginning of our Carolina Star journey,” said Rands. “By participating in this program, our team will share with and learn from other highly-trained professionals from across the state to help us all protect our top assets – our people.”

LANXESS, a leading global specialty chemicals company, operates the Gastonia site with about 50 employees that are part of the company’s High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit. The site primarily produces lightweight, plastic parts to replace heavier metal components in automobiles, helping to improve vehicle efficiency and safety.

From its regional headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, LANXESS operates nearly 30 sites across 11 states, as well as multiple sites in Canada and Mexico. Globally, the company is headquartered in Cologne, Germany and employes 14,900 people across 33 countries.