Aug 28, 2016

Whale, a division of Mercury Marine, has received the Brunswick Corporation Chairman’s Safety Award for excellence in safety and employee engagement. The presentation, held at Whale’s Northern Ireland facility, featured Mercury Marine president John Pfeifer.

In conjunction with this award, Brunswick will donate $10,000 on behalf of Whale employees to a charitable organization of their choice. Whale has selected Cancer Focus in Northern Ireland, which provides support to those diagnosed with cancer and their families in the country.

“We are delighted and honored that the Whale team has been recognized with such a prestigious award by Brunswick Corporation for our approach to health and safety systems and our excellent safety record,” said Patrick Roberts, Whale managing director. “It is a reflection of the entire team’s commitment to continuous improvement and, with the support of Brunswick Corporation, we will continue to strive to create a safe, efficient and positive working environment for everyone involved in the business.”

The Chairman’s Safety Award is the company’s highest honor in the safety award program. The purpose of the award is to encourage, recognize and reward employees and facilities that have achieved outstanding safety and health performance through promoting and practicing safety awareness, ultimately minimizing workplace incidents and injuries.

“Our workforce has benefitted greatly from the cancer-prevention initiatives that the organization runs,” Roberts said of Cancer Focus. “We also have a number of team members who have or are going through cancer treatment and so it makes this donation all the more personal to us.”

Each year, Brunswick Corporation presents three Chairman’s Safety Awards. In 2016, the awards were given to Mercury Marine in St. Cloud, Fla.; Mercury Marine Regional Distribution Center in Dandenong, Australia; and Whale Parts and Accessories in Bangor, Northern Ireland.