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One of the Army's largest environmental cleanup programs can claim a spot among the safest workplaces of its kind with recognition from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in April.
The U.S. Army Program Manager for Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colo., received the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Award for Workplace Safety and Health Excellence based on its safety management system.
"Recognition by OSHA as a VPP Star site reflects an unparalleled commitment to safety and occupational health by the entire Arsenal team," said Tad Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health.
The Army program management office followed the two prime contractors on Rocky Mountain Arsenal in earning the Star rating. TetraTech LLC, prime contractor for the Army, received the rating in 1999. URS Corp. Washington Division, contractor for Shell Oil Company, followed in 2004.
The Remediation Venture Office, overseeing the Arsenal's cleanup, is a partnership of the Army, Shell and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Shell produced agricultural chemicals on the Arsenal, 1952-1982. As cleanup is completed, the site continues its transition to one of the largest urban national wildlife refuges in the country managed by USFWS. The organizations expect to complete cleanup of the Arsenal in 2010.
Having all three organizations involved in VPP reflects a long-standing culture of safety, according to Charlie Scharmann, program manager for Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
"We have tailgate safety meetings every day, covering various safety topics. We talk about not taking shortcuts, doing the job the right way. Our focus is to take the time to keep people's commitment to safety strong," he said. Participation in VPP requires participants to put systems in place to identify, evaluate, prevent and control hazards to prevent injuries and illnesses. It establishes a partnership among the regulator, employees and the employer. VPP looks at employee involvement, management leadership, worksite analysis, hazard recognition and control, and health and safety training.
The benefits are difficult to measure empirically. OSHA considers environmental remediation part of the construction industry. The industry averages six recordable injuries per 100 people per year, according to OSHA, The Arsenal averages one per 100 per year, according to Scharmann.
"The indirect benefit is we're ahead of schedule and on budget, which we would not be if we'd have had any major incident out here. We can't tie it solely to safety, but our safety performance played a key role in where we are," he said.
Though financial benefits come through lower insurance rates and fewer workmen's compensation payments, "it's predominantly about keeping people healthy and safe," Scharmann said. "Our goal is to send employees home at the end of each work day as healthy as when they arrived."
An improved relationship with the regulator is another benefit. "You develop a strong partnership with OSHA. In the past, if you had OSHA coming to your site you had a problem, or you tried to get through it without negative comments," Scharmann said. Under VPP, the Arsenal has invited OSHA to come many times for advice.
In turn, health and safety managers from all three organizations are part of OSHA's VPP mentoring program, sharing best safety practices with other government agencies and companies.
"The achievement of OSHA Voluntary Protection Program Star status can only occur when management and employees work together with a steadfast commitment to employee safety and health excellence," said Bob Glover, acting deputy regional administrator for OSHA Region VIII.
"We are proud to be recognized by OSHA as one of the safest worksites in the country and to have instilled a culture of safety among all the organizations working on this program," said Scharmann. "The health and safety of our workers and the surrounding community has always been the cornerstone of the Arsenal's environmental cleanup."
"The Arsenal, with three VPP Star organizations, serves as an example for every workplace in our region," Glover said.
Glover noted the Army's health and safety practices are among the best in the nation. OSHA also recognized three Army health and safety programs as best industry practices. The Department of Defense VPP Center of Excellence lists 14 Star sites.
Note: Neal Snyder, U.S. Army Environmental Command, contributed to this article.
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