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Collaboration is the cornerstone of progress, and when it comes to safety, working together is essential. At AFPM, we believe that sharing knowledge and best practices strengthens our industries and protects the workforce. That’s why we’re proud to participate in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls, May 5 – 9, a dedicated week focused on raising awareness and improving workplace safety.

Bridget Confait-Smith is the Associate Director of Research, Innovation, Technology and Global Sustainability with Westlake Corporation.

Nothing is more important to the refining and petrochemical industries than safety. AFPM’s member companies have strong safety records and consistently work to improve performance to take care of our people, communities and environment.

Narratives that pit the refining and petrochemical industries against electric vehicles (EVs) ignore the symbiotic relationship of these industries. If you review the history of EVs – you will see that refining and petrochemical companies have been foundational to the EV market all along and will continue to be far into the future.

Refiners and petrochemical manufacturers are proving that using oil and gas while reducing emissions is not a zero-sum game. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and developing lower emissions products, they are enabling global communities to enjoy the benefits of life-enhancing fuels and petrochemicals, all while significantly lowering emissions across the economy. This transformative approach is paving the way for a future where energy efficiency and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

While AFPM members continue to produce the traditional fuels and energy essential for our daily lives, they are also at the forefront of creating liquid fuels with lower lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reduce emissions throughout the transportation sector.

The downstream segment encompasses refineries and petrochemical manufacturing facilities that process crude oil and natural gas liquids into finished products. There are 131 operable refineries in the United States that manufacture essential energy products, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

The midstream segment moves and stores feedstocks and finished products — including fuels, natural gas, natural gas liquids and petrochemical products — using an integrated system of pipelines, ports and waterways, railroads, roadways and storage facilities.

Members of the upstream segment explore for and extract crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Crude oil and NGLs are used as feedstocks to produce fuels and petrochemicals, and in some cases directly as sources of energy and natural gas is used as a source of energy.