Maine Metal Recycler Recognized for Workplace Safety Bookmark and Share

July 2, 2013

OneSteel in Bangor to receive SHARP certification July 12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 2, 2013
Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009

AUGUSTA?Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette announced that OneSteel Recycling in Bangor has earned the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program Award (SHARP). This certification recognizes businesses that voluntary undertake a rigorous safety achievement program.

Acceptance into SHARP by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes each business as a model for worksite safety and health standards.

?OSHA has placed national emphasis on safety in the metal recycling industry because it is such a hazardous business. This is Maine?s first SHARP award for a metal recycling worksite,? stated Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette.

?Employers earn SHARP recognition by operating their facility under strict safety and health management standards,? said Governor Paul R. LePage. ?We congratulate OneSteel and our other SHARP locations for making safety a priority for hardworking Mainers.?

An international corporation, this is OneSteel?s first SHARP certification. OneSteel has 25 employees in the Bangor location; it has a total of 75 employees in five locations in Maine.

Commissioner Paquette emphasized, ?SHARP companies know that keeping workers safe is not only good for Maine workers, but also good for their businesses. Better safety means less lost time due to injury and illness as well as lower workers? comp costs.?

To qualify for SHARP, companies must undergo a comprehensive audit, correct all hazards identified during an onsite health and safety consultation, demonstrate that effective safety and health programs are in place and maintain injury rates below the industry average for the last year of completed data. After awarding the SHARP designation, OSHA removes the worksite from its general scheduled inspection list for two years. If the company continues to meet all conditions of the program, the SHARP designation may be renewed for another two years.

Fewer than 2,000 worksites in the United States have earned SHARP certification.

Employers interested in learning more about the SHARP designation should contact SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE 345 (1-877-723-3345) or www.safetyworksmaine.com . SafetyWorks! provides a trained consultant with industry-specific expertise who will review the facility by appointment. The consultation may include such elements as recognizing safety hazards, sampling for air and noise exposures, recommending ways to reduce or to eliminate hazards, developing or improving a safety program, complying with federal OSHA regulations and identifying training needs.

SafetyWorks! is not OSHA and cannot issue fines or citations to private businesses. While SafetyWorks! helps businesses of any size, priority is given to small businesses. The program trains about 8,000 people and consults at nearly 1,000 worksites in Maine each year.

-end-