Suffolk’s BASF Corp. has been re-approved as a STAR Worksite under Virginia’s Occupational Safety and Health Voluntary Protection Program, the program’s highest level of recognition.

The facility was honored with its Certificate of Recognition, issued on Feb. 17.

“The management and employees of the BASF Suffolk location have demonstrated tremendous passion for safety and health in the workplace,” said Commissioner C. Ray Davenport.

“I congratulate BASF Corporation in Suffolk for embodying the cooperative spirit of VPP, and applaud them on their hard-earned recertification as a Virginia STAR Worksite.”

BASF’s Suffolk facility has a total three-year average for the total case incident rate for injuries and illnesses of 1.2, compared with a Bureau of Labor Statistics national rate of 2.3 for this industry.

The site’s three-year average rate of days away, restricted or transferred injury and illness cases is 0.0, compared with the 1.4 national rate.

As part of the recognition for achieving STAR status under VPP, the worksite is entitled to fly the VPP “STAR Worksite” flag. The Suffolk site is the only BASF Corp. VPP STAR site in Virginia and currently one of two BASF VPP sites in the United States.

Since the inception of Virginia’s VPP in 1996, only 67 STAR worksites have been recognized, and only 44 Virginia companies currently retain the STAR/MERIT designation.