Midland-based BJB Company Earns Texas Mutual Safety Award

MIDLAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BJB Company, a Midland-based business that constructs and maintains oil and gas pipelines, is one of 63 employers across the state that earned Texas Mutual Insurance Company’s annual workplace safety trophy.

The award is based largely on BJB’s safety record, as well as the hazards its employees face on the job.

“Our managers, supervisors and front-line people work hard to prevent workplace accidents,” said BJB Company COO Ron Booth. “Everyone in this organization has bought into the process, and we’re a stronger company because of it. They’ve done a great job, especially when you consider the hazards of our industry.”

Between 2003 and 2006, the oil and gas industry’s fatality rate was seven times higher than the fatality rate in other industries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas recorded the most fatalities with 53, followed by Louisiana with 49.

Booth admits that BJB Company’s safety program is not much different from its competitors’ programs. The company holds safety meetings, analyzes tasks to identify hazards, and outfits employees with hard hats and the proper personal protective equipment.

What sets BJB Company apart, said Booth, is the safety culture the company has created by setting an example from the top down through its health, safety and environmental department, headed by John Evans.

“Our employees are smart,” said Booth. “They sit back and watch management. If we live by the rules, they’ll live by the rules.”

Living by the rules includes taking responsibility on the jobsite. Every employee has not only the authority but also the responsibility to shut down any operation they feel is unsafe.

“Texas Mutual is committed to making our state a safer place to work, but we can’t do it alone,” said Steve Bills, Texas Mutual senior manager of loss prevention services. “We need partners like BJB Company; they understand the human and monetary costs of workplace accidents. They have empowered their employees and created a culture in which workplace accidents are not an inevitable cost of doing business.”

About BJB Company

BJB Company began operations in 1981, providing general oilfield services in Post, Texas. The company has grown to an average of 250 employees, with domestic offices in Midland, Snyder and Houston. BJB also facilitates services in Dubai, U.A.E. and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. BJB and ALTEX have developed a research and development relationship in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, where they have jointly developed more robust materials for internal usage in pipelines for commissioning, cleaning and displacing of systems. In addition, pipeline packers, which are tools for isolating sections of pipeline systems, have been developed and manufactured as a result of this combined effort. Through the efforts of Texas Tech Chemical Engineering, BJB successfully designed, developed and implemented the first in-situ nitrogen generation equipment used for the displacement of pipeline systems and vessels. These systems have been in use since 1994 on projects throughout the United States. Services include new pipeline and facility construction, with their primary focus being a full range of pipeline integrity services. BJB Company – Midland, Texas; 432-683-7074; Ron Booth, COO.

About Texas Mutual Insurance Company

Austin-based Texas Mutual Insurance Company is the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance. Since 1991, the company has provided a stable, competitively priced source of workers’ comp insurance for Texas employers. In 2006, Texas Mutual formed its oil and gas safety roundtable. The roundtable’s mission is to identify and promote best practices. The group includes representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Texas Oil & Gas Association, and industry employers. For more information about the roundtable, visit www.texasmutual.com/safety/rtmain.shtm.