(In order to qualify for the Star Award, companies must have illness and injury data rates that are below the national average for their respective industries as set by the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Michigan’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (MIOSHA) presented the Star Award to a power plant in River Rouge, Michigan. This is the highest ranking award within OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).According to the plant’s records, the River Rouge facility had an illness and injury rate average of 1.6 in 2010, compared with the industry national average of 6.2 that same year.
One of the reasons for this plants success is that it implements a program that invites other local plant employees to watch for hazards that River Rouge workers might have missed.
Plant manager Vinay Bhakkad described the award as
“the apex of many years of audits, reviews of hazard prevention and control efforts, safety training reviews, assessment of management’s commitment to safety, and a pledge to stay safe from each of the 150 employees who work here.”
Companies should do all they can to strive for excellence. If you are a manager of a business, one way to do that is to make sure all of your employees have proper safety clothing like flame-resistant clothing, rubber insulated gloves and safety goggles, as this equipment can not only reduce the risks of fatal and nonfatal accidents and help decrease the likelihood of receiving any citations or monetary penalties, but most importantly it can save lives.
