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Commissioner of Labor to Present Award of Excellence At Tulsa Safety Summit
Brenda Reneau & Worker Safety Policy Council To Honor Five Oklahoma Employers
Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor Joins Praise for John Zink Company, LLC
TULSA -- Commissioner of Labor Brenda Reneau, chairman of the Worker Safety Policy Council (WSPC), will present the Award of Excellence to five outstanding Oklahoma employers at the 2006 Governor's Conference on Safety and Health on Thursday (May 25). Reneau and other officials will honor employers for achieving the
best health and safety standards in Oklahoma workplaces.
The 2006 Award of Excellence, Public Sector, goes to Pontotoc County for its "total program" -- including consistent safety training, management and employee participation, and two-way communication to ensure safety and health guidelines are followed. Pontotoc County's approach paid off with a dramatic drop in medical payments due to work-related injuries and illnesses from $13,447.15 in 2004 to zero in 2005. With numbers like that we literally feel the savings benefits in workers compensation premiums and related costs. I've said it over and over -- Safety Pays®,'
Reneau said. "In this case both worker and taxpayers are the clear winners."
The top recognition annually honors outstanding performance in creation of a safety culture in the workplace. The Safety Culture Award of Excellence this year will go to Tulsa's John Zink Company LLC. The council's evaluation, Reneau said, praised Zink's employee involvement and cross-training in safety and Zink's ability to identify and correct hazards before incidents occur. Reneau said she admired Zink's
empowerment of employees to resolve issues. Zink, she noted, has exceeded one year and 2.4 million man-hours worked without a single lost time accident. Lost time accident describes lost work hours/days due to a work-related injury or illness.
Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor also praised Zink and its employees. Just as public safety is the number one priority for our City, employee safety must be the number one priority for all employers. This requires not only a strong commitment from top management, but also consistent vigilance from all employees. At the end of the day, we all want to go home to our family safely. I am proud that the John Zink Company has helped to set the standard for educating employees about the importance of safety in the workplace, and that Zink employees take their safety responsibilities so seriously, Taylor said.
At a time of tremendous challenges for Oklahoma manufacturers, a major facility remains strong in safety and other benchmarks of success. The Award of Excellence, Large Employer goes to Michelin Ardmore. Reneau praised the company's "Respect for People" philosophy and innovative Safety Day events,
including empowerment of employees through standing safety committees. Reneau is a strong supporter of the tire manufacturer's programs to boost the involvement of workers in the production process.
Michelin's management views safety programs as a key element in business operations. Reneau spoke at the Ardmore facility's Safety Day last July 6. She commented, "Michelin Ardmore is one of the bright lights in the constellation of Oklahoma's high achieving and profitable businesses." In three years, the company has seen an 83% reduction in lost time accidents, a 55% cut in recordable incidents, and a 67% drop in the number of lost/restricted work days. Workers' comp costs have dropped a remarkable 45%.
The Award of Excellence, Medium Employer, goes to Acord Transportation Inc., of Chandler for commitment to training, communication among employees to make programs successful, and worker involvement to build a safety environment. In 2003, the company's total job-related medical claims were $24,294. In 2005, claims were zero.
Last November, Commissioner Reneau touted Acord at a Chandler ceremony after the firm became the first transportation company in state history to achieve the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) certification. Companies that achieve the strenuous SHARP standards are exempt from unannounced federal OSHA inspections for up to two years.
The Award of Excellence, Small Employer, goes to FMRI, Inc. of Muskogee for its continuous safety improvements, defined educational programs and ability to reach objectives through team effort. FMRI, Inc received a one-year federal OSHA inspection exemption/SHARP award in November 2005.
Commissioner Reneau, who is elected statewide, is statutory chairman of the Worker Safety Policy Council. Select members of the Council serve as judges for the Award of Excellence program. The 18-member council meets quarterly to study and formulate reforms for worker safety that could result in lower work-related injuries and reduced workers' comp costs for businesses. Members serve at the pleasure of Commissioner Reneau.
In Fiscal Year 2005, the state Safety Pays® OSHA Consultation program at the Labor Department first identified and then worked with employers to eliminate more than 3200 serious hazards in workplaces. State Consultations provide free, non-punitive, voluntary, confidential and guaranteed service. Consultants do not assess fines or write citations and company information is not shared with federal OSHA. Reneau said, The Oklahoma Department of Labor may be the best taxpayer bargain in state government. In the last
year, we cost the taxpayers $6.3 million in state and federal money, but in one division alone our employees saved Oklahoma businesses at least $7.5 million. We give more back to taxpayers than we receive in tax funding. That means more money for value to customers, to the bottom line, for employee pay, and to fund shareholder dividends.
Testifying before a House budget review meeting in November 2005, Reneau asserted, Safety Pays® is workers' comp reform in Oklahoma." Brenda Reneau implemented Oklahoma's Safety Pays® programs in the mid-1990s.
As The Tulsa World reported (November 23, 2005) , Reneau has been all over the state pushing the department's occupational safety and health consultation service called Safety Pays®. The SHARP recognition results from cooperative efforts between state and federal agencies.
The recipients of this year's Award of Excellence, both public and private, are recognized for astonishing results in workers' safety and health efficiency and improvements during the past year. Each employer honored sought to diminish work-related accidents and prevent on-the-job injuries and illnesses
Commissioner Reneau's colleague, Commissioner of Insurance Kim Holland, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for this week's 2006 Governor's Conference on Safety and Health, hosted by the Oklahoma Safety Council. Frank Strasheim, acting Regional Administrator for Federal OSHA will participate in the Conference, as well.
John Zink Company, LLC
11920 East Apache
Tulsa, OK 74116
United States of America
+1-918-234-1800
email: info@johnzink.com
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