USG Interiors Red Wing Plant Awarded Prestigious OSHA VPP Star
Red Wing, MN - USG Interiors, Inc., a subsidiary of USG Corporation, announced recently that its plant in Red Wing, Minn., has earned the prestigious VPP Star award for its outstanding safety performance and processes. Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) will present the award during a ceremony at the plant August 29, 2007.
The Red Wing facility produces granulated mineral wool used in the manufacture of ceiling tile.
The Star award is the hallmark of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) in which employees, management and OSHA work together to implement safety and health programs and processes that protect workers more effectively than simply complying with OSHA regulations. The program also recognizes participants for their dedication to safety excellence. As the highest honor given by the VPP, the Star award is reserved for participants that exceed OSHA standards, thereby making them models for their specific industries.
"Besides having essential safety programs in place, the Star award requires evidence of a high level of employee involvement," said Red Wing Plant Manager Mike Hill. "This award is truly representative of USG's dedicated commitment to safety – the company's No. 1 core value. It is also a testament to the teamwork and commitment to safety that Red Wing employees demonstrate on a daily basis."
To qualify for VPP Star consideration, Red Wing plant employees focused on improving hazard recognition, engineering controls, training, housekeeping and safe operating procedures over a period of several years to improve the facility. As a result of this commitment, plant employees achieved a high level of sustained safety performance that warranted applying for the Star recognition. The qualification audit was conducted in January of 2007.
During the visit, an OSHA VPP officer led the audit team, which conducted a series of employee interviews about the plant's operations, training and safety programs. The auditors reviewed documentation and reports regarding safety programs at the facility, and conducted a comprehensive inspection, applying OSHA safety standards.
The Red Wing plant team emphasized the specific improvements made at the plant during the past few years to ensure the safest working environment possible. In their presentation to the auditors, the plant team highlighted the tools they use regularly to maintain a focus on safety and overviewed their training programs and the plant's safety committee activities.
In addition to receiving the OSHA Star, the plant recently celebrated 16 years of operating without a lost time injury, which is one of the best safety records in the history of USG Interiors.
SOURCE: USG Corporation