Governor's Award for Safety Excellence

 

Tekgard has had a certified safety committee since 1999 and has gone more than 814 days without an accident or injury. They have an EMR of .847, conduct monthly safety meetings for all employees and have a very comprehensive safety program contained in a safety manual that is available to all employees. They have: instituted a very aggressive program to prevent musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) thereby providing awareness of same for all employees; provided safety netting for storage shelving to prevent items from falling onto workers; and provided ergonomic mats for employees who must stand to complete their jobs. They have completed Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) on all jobs and provide related safety training for all employees.

Prime Sheet Metal utilizes union workers as supplemental workers on jobs with the requirement that these workers be certified in a particular required job function (e.g. welding, crane operation/rigging, etc.). They have had no recordable injuries in 2010 or 2011 and have a very comprehensive safety program contained in a safety manual that is available to all employees. All jobs are pre-planned for safety with hazards being reviewed with all concerned. Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) are in place for the different tasks employees and supplemental workers perform, and they have produced on-site, safety-training videos utilizing their own employees to emphasize different aspects of safety. They have a very comprehensive safety program contained in a safety manual that is available to all employees. Prime Sheet Metal has earned safety achievement awards from the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractor's National Association, Inc. (SMACNA) every year since 2005.

 

Vanalt Electrical has had zero recordable injuries for 2010 and 2011 and has instituted safety into all aspects of their work to include Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) being performed on all of the company's projects, weekly toolbox safety talks, a system of vehicle safety and maintenance, the use of safety checklists for all items from personal protective equipment (PPE) to vehicles to ladders, and has made improvements to vehicles and equipment to address ergonomic issues. Vanalt has earned safety achievement awards from the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) for six consecutive years and has an EMR of .75 which is remarkable for a company performing installation work of very-high-voltage equipment.

With successful operations spanning over 24 years, Edge Rubber's plant in Chambersburg, PA is the longest standing, most successful facility producing fine rubber powder (also known as fine mesh crumb rubber) in the United States. Edge is the only manufacturer using wet-grind technology to produce a premium, fine-grade product with special surface characteristics providing recycled content and performance enhancement for the automotive and other industries. Edge Rubber has an extensive safety program and provides the following safety training programs to all employees on a regular basis: fire extinguisher; electrical; seven OSHA-required topics; heat stress; slips, trips, falls; and fire hazards. Edge is the only producer of fine-mesh rubber powder to have both its quality management system registered to the ISO 9001 standard and its environmental management system registered to the ISO 14001 standard. Edge Rubber experienced one OSHA-recordable incident in Year 2010 and one in 2011. Edge Rubber compares their OSHA incident rate using NAICS number 421930 for wholesale trade and was below the industry average.

 

It is one of the largest circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustors in the world. Seward burns low-quality waste coal. On average, the station burns more than 3.2 million tons annually. More than 2,000 tons per day of limestone are mixed with the fuel to provide 95 percent sulfur dioxide (SO₂) removal. More than 600 truckloads of fuel and 100 truckloads of limestone are delivered daily. The alkaline ash produced is returned to the same waste-coal sites and neutralizes historical acid mine drainage. GenOn employees have worked 1,239 days without a lost time incident, and they have achieved OSHA VPP Star Worksite in 2008, recertified in August 2011. They have had required participation in the Occupational Athletics "Stretch & Flex" training which has incorporated exercises and stretches into the daily routine of all employees. They have improved their lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) program by replacing paper tags with hard locks. GenOn has an on-site first responder team with a fully equipped mobile station which includes the outside labeling of all plant exit and entrance doors.

 

The schools service approximately 30,000 students annually. The school district has dedicated industrial hygienists (IH) on staff that conduct pre-site investigations for all renovations. The IH coordinates the integrated pest management of all buildings. Custodians receive asbestos and lead-paint-removal training. The Emergency Preparedness for Food Defense Emergency response allows for five school district buildings to supply the city of Pittsburgh and contiguous suburbs with safe food in the event of a bio-food contamination situation or other similar emergency. They have installed more than 100 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and trained more than 2,00 employees to use them. Every facility has at least one AED. Despite budget cuts in recent years, the school district's emphasis on its safety committee has increased. The PSP joint labor/management safety committee has five committees that are comprised of staff and management who meet monthly. Many of the management on the safety committees now report directly to the corporate operating officer and sit on the executive cabinet and the board of directors. The committees coordinate efforts and many members sit on more than one safety committee. Their estimated outstanding workers’ compensation liability appropriation has fallen from $14,493,287 in 2003 to $7,401,511 in 2012, and they have an incident rate of .59.

 

Dutchland, Inc. is a manufacturing and construction company that specializes in engineering, manufacturing and constructing circular, rectangular and elliptical precast, post-tensioned concrete tanks, custom-designed wastewater treatment plants and other specialized concrete products. Dutchland Incorporated has 153 employees. The employees work in three main divisions: sales; manufacturing precast; and construction. Their Emod has been below one since 2008 and is currently .871. As of Aug. 31, 2012, they had a streak of 260 days without a lost-time injury. Dutchland has implemented a wellness program, an extensive, new-employee orientation program, Hepatitis-B program, crane-certification program and various other safety-training programs in addition to the OSHA 10- and 30-hour trainings, confined-space and Hazcom training that is required.