The National Safety Council has announced that Exxon Mobil Corporation is the recipient of its 2013 Green Cross for Safety medal. The company was awarded the prize "for its comprehensive commitment to safety excellence," the council stated. Here are the details.
* The Green Cross for Safety medal, established in 2000, is awarded annually to organizations who demonstrate a commitment to "improving safety and health in the workplace and beyond," the National Safety Council explained.
* According to the council, Exxon Mobil -- the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company -- has accomplished safety, security, health and environmental performance through clearly defined policies and practices.
* In spite of the award, Exxon Mobil acknowledged in its 2011 Corporate Citizen Report, released in June, that there were some undesirable outcomes for the year found in its performance data.
* Once of the undesirable performance trends indicated in the report was 484 spills involving oil, chemical and drilling fluid not from marine vessels. These incidences were a dramatic increase from the 210 spills Exxon Mobil reported in 2010.
* The company also reported that it had nine fatalities of contractors in 2011, while there were only three in 2010. The fatal accident and lost-time incident rate for the total workforce increased last year over 2010 levels.
* "This year, some of the trends in our safety and environmental performance did not meet our expectations and we are taking action to address them," stated Rex W. Tillerson, Exxon Mobil Chairman and CEO in the 2011 Corporate Citizenship Report. "We will not stop working to achieve our goal of driving accidents and incidents with a real impact to zero."
* Exxon Mobil currently has operations on six continents, the company reported, stating that it strives to become part of local communities and economies in addition to supplying energy.
* The National Safety Council plans to honor Exxon Mobil for its achievement at an April 2013 event in Houston, Texas.
