Weastec earns SHARP Award
The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) recently recognized Weastec, Inc. in Hillsboro for attaining Safety and Health Achievement Program (SHARP) status through the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
It's now one of only 24 SHARP-certified Ohio employers. The original equipment manufacturer of automotive switches operates a 100,000 square-foot facility in Highland County and its primary customer is Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.
"Achieving SHARP status places Weastec in an elite group of small businesses, and they deserve to be recognized as a model in the automotive industry for managing exceptional workplace safety and health programs," said BWC Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer.
"It takes real commitment to workplace safety to enter this program and the reward goes to both employees who are working in a safer environment and employers that see costs go down as workplace accidents decrease."
Greg Collins, manager of BWC's OSHA On-Site Consultation program, was on hand Friday to present the award.
OSHA designated BWC as the On-Site Consultation program coordinator of the SHARP program, which recognizes small employers that operate exemplary safety and health management systems.
The program provides incentives and support to small employers in high-hazard industries to develop, implement and continuously improve effective safety and health programs at their workplaces. As a reward for their efforts, OSHA grants SHARP employers a two-year exemption from inspections, with the opportunity to renew for three more years of exemptions.
"It's been nearly eight years getting our safety program to work at this level. It definitely didn't start yesterday, it takes a lot of detail work to get it right" said Mark Williams, Weastec's assistant manager of plant engineering and environmental, health and safety.
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"This award is recognition of the continued hard work of our associates to follow safety procedures and really is a tribute to the teamwork displayed by all associates to ensure that fellow associates are safe."
BWC safety and industrial hygiene consultants worked with Weastec's management and staff for more than two years to implement changes in safety policies and programs.
This partnership helped Weastec reach its goal of attaining SHARP status. Consultants identified needs to increase employee training in hazard recognition and reporting, provided industrial hygiene testing for controlling chemical hazards and identified ways to increase employee commitment to safety.
BWC consultants are available to help small businesses create and implement safety programs and identify hazards that need corrected to help them achieve SHARP status. This process can take up to 24 months.
The On-Site Consultation program is one of many safety-related programs available at BWC. Ohio employers wishing to address and improve safety and wellness in their workplaces are encouraged to learn more by calling 1-800-OHIO-BWC or visiting OhioBWC.com.