Courtright Nitrogen Complex Receives Ontario Electrical Safety Award for Worker Safety

CF Industries' Courtright Nitrogen Complex's installation of infrared scanning windows on electrical equipment continues to be recognized for its improvement of worker safety. 

First, it was named the 2017 winner of CF's Stephen R. Wilson Excellence in Safety Award. Then, on September 28, 2017, the Ontario Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) named the complex the winner of the Worker Safety category of its annual Ontario Electrical Safety Awards.

“All of us at ESA know that to achieve a more electrically safe Ontario, we can’t do it alone,” said Scott Saint, Chief Public Safety Officer, ESA, in a press release announcing the winners of the awards. “That’s why we’re so grateful for, and so impressed with this year’s winners. They have shown incredible leadership to systematically address electrical safety issues. By celebrating their accomplishments, we hope to inspire others to meet the high bar set by these organizations.”

Infrared scans of electrical equipment are a critical part of keeping our plants running safely by identifying faults early. Running scans required personnel to be exposed to live electrical equipment, which was a risk to multiple employees. A discussion with an inspector from Ontario’s Electric Safety Authority led the Courtright team to investigate and implement cutting edge technology that allowed for scans to occur without having to open electrical equipment and physically scan cables with electrical current running through them. 

An overview of Courtright's innovative and safer approach to scans of electrical equipment is available in this video.