June 18, 2008 - Quality Aluminum Products, Inc. of Hastings received the prestigious Michigan Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) Award today for an exemplary safety and health management system.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) established the Michigan SHARP Award to recognize employers that have achieved workplace safety and health excellence far beyond their peers. The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG).
"We are honored to welcome Quality Aluminum's Hastings facility into an elite group of companies who provide outstanding safety and health protection for their workers," said DLEG Director Keith W. Cooley. "The Clark Family has produced quality building products for over 50 years. We applaud your efforts to manufacture high-quality products − while you diligently protect your employees."
MIOSHA Deputy Director Martha Yoder presented the Michigan SHARP Award to the Quality Aluminum Safety and Health Committee, who accepted on behalf of all employees. Invited guests, company officials and all employees attended the presentation and luncheon.
"At Quality Aluminum, safety is just as important as quality or production. We are very committed to our safety program and work hard to maintain an excellent safety record," said Eric Clark, SPHR, Human Resource Manager. "We will continue to work with the excellent program MIOSHA offers to improve the safety program at both facilities. The bottom line is that we care about every employee's health and well being."
The Michigan SHARP Program targets small, high-hazard employers - to help them develop, implement and continuously improve the effectiveness of their workplace safety and health management system. SHARP provides an incentive for employers to emphasize accident and illness prevention by anticipating problems, rather than simply reacting to them.
The MIOSHA Onsite Consultation Program within the Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division operates the Michigan SHARP Program. Onsite consultants work with employers to help them become self-sufficient in managing occupational safety and health. SHARP worksites earn an exemption from "programmed" MIOSHA inspections on a yearly basis.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for Quality Aluminum Products' Hastings facility is 332322 - Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing, which is classified as a high-hazard industry. The Hastings facility employs 50 workers and manufactures aluminum siding and accessories. The MIOSHA review team consisted of Howard Simmons, Onsite Safety Consultant, and Eric Zaban, CIH, Senior Onsite Industrial Hygienist.
In 2006, the Hastings facility had a Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) and Days Away from Work and Restricted/Transfer cases (DART) rate that was below the 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Michigan industry average. Their 2006 TCIR was 5.0 compared to the BLS rate of 7.9 for this type of industry. Their 2006 DART was 1.7, and compares favorably to the BLS rate of 5.9.
"The Michigan SHARP Program requires a comprehensive consultation visit, and the correction of all serious workplace safety and health hazards," said Yoder. "The Quality Aluminum Products' Hastings facility has developed a safety and health system that provides outstanding protection for their workers."
The company has an excellent system in place, which incorporates each of the seven required elements: Hazard Anticipation and Detection; Hazard Prevention and Control; Planning and Evaluation; Administration and Supervision; Safety and Health Training; Management Leadership; and Employee Participation.
The management team of the Hastings facility makes every effort to provide a safe and healthy work environment, especially allocating significant resources to support their safety and health system. Supervisors and foremen are responsible for safe operations − and both management and workers are dedicated to the objective of reducing the risk of injury.
The safety policy at Quality Aluminum is based on the recognition that:
1. Every employee is entitled to a safe and healthy place in which to work.
2. Accidents produce economic and social loss, impair productivity and retard the advancement of a quality standard of living.
3. Accident prevention is good business, since the cost of accidents is greater than the cost of prevention.
4. Accidents can be controlled by careful planning, training and accurate operations-control measures.
5. The extending of safety awareness to off-the-job activities deserves special attention, as employees have more accidents away from work than they do on the job.
Quality Aluminum Products, Inc. is a family owned and operated manufacturer of high-quality aluminum building products since 1990. The Clark family has been active in the building products industry for more than 50 years and operates the Hastings facility and one in Flat Rock. The company manufactures aluminum siding and accessories for residential, commercial and government applications. They operate a fleet of trucks and deliver materials from the East coast to the Midwest.
Read more Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth press releases.
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