Photo By Kimberly Menzies | KINGS BAY, Ga. - TRIDENT Refit Facility, Kings Bay (TRF-KB) officially raised the...... read more read more
KINGS BAY, Ga. — The U.S. Navy’s premier submarine maintenance and repair facility has joined an elite group of employers as one of the safest places to work in the United States.
TRIDENT Refit Facility, Kings Bay (TRF-KB) officially raised the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) coveted STAR worksite flag for the first time in a ceremony Sept. 18, 2020, recognizing the command’s superior excellence in health and worker safety.
“This achievement is no small feat,” said Rear Adm. John Spencer, Commander, Submarine Group Ten in his remarks during the ceremony. “And it is a direct reflection of your collective exemplary efforts. Everyone benefits from a culture of safety and I am proud of the TRF team for setting the standard.”
OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR designation recognizes the exceptional efforts of TRF-KB and its employees while highlighting the command’s comprehensive and successful occupational safety and health program.
“The true VPP Stars are the TRF-KB civilian and military employees who execute the mission of sustaining, repairing and modernizing the crown jewels of the military weapon systems, our OHIO Class SSBN and SSGNs,” said Capt. Ed Robledo, Commanding Officer, TRIDENT Refit Facility. “Our team is focused and committed to meet their operational mission while accomplishing the maintenance correctly, on-time, and most importantly, safely!”
Less than 0.1 percent of all employers in the United States attain VPP STAR status, said Julie Dolson, Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Director at TRIREFFAC-KB. There are currently less than 1400 Federal VPP STAR worksites within the U.S. and its territories.
“Being a VPP STAR site proves that we have an excellent safety culture from the deck plate to upper management,” Dolson said. “This level of excellence is how we conduct business on a daily basis.”
VPP participants are required to demonstrate an effective safety and health program and maintain injury rates below the national average for its industry.
TRF-KB started the VPP journey to achieve STAR status in 2013 with the goal to join the elite of our nation's industries, said Alan Heckman, a former OSH&E Director at TRF-KB and Dolson’s predecessor.
Heckman and Dolson both played significant leadership roles on the long road to attaining OSHA’s highest and most challenging safety achievement.
“Success in achieving VPP STAR status can be attributed to the culture of safety which was developed and expected through the years of working toward this milestone,” Heckman said. “The hardest element to achieve; management, leadership and employee involvement, was embraced from the start and equally shared at all levels throughout the command.”
Additionally, the countless hours the OSH&E staff and the command’s Safety Committee spent on educating the TRF-KB work force on risk management and employee safety responsibilities were vital in reaching this landmark achievement.
And while the path for TRF-KB to VPP safety excellence has been long and ultimately rewarding, there’s still room for improvement.
“The journey doesn’t end with this recognition, but it’s a stepping-stone to the next level of excellence,” Dolson said. “Other federal agencies and businesses will look to us for best practices and to help guide them in their own journey to achieve VPP STAR status.”
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2020 08:48 |
| Story ID: | 378336 |
| Location: | KINGS BAY, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 208 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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