Two years ago when Roscoe became one of only 34 employers in Illinois to have met all of the qualifications for certification under OSHA’s Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), it placed us in an elite group of businesses for exemplary workplace safety and health.
This year it was time to renew, and an even more important year for ensuring that our safety processes were buttoned down tight. So we’re especially proud to be able to announce our recertification.
The recognition grants us an exemption from OSHA programmed inspections for up to three years, but the real value is knowing that we have done the hard work to ensure that our team members are working under the safest possible conditions.
Given the challenges that businesses continue to face with the COVID-19 pandemic, to have earned such recognition a second time is a particularly gratifying achievement, notes HR Team and Safety Coordinator Theresa Faulkner.
“The safety of our team members has always been our top priority and will continue to be.”
-Team Leader and Safety Committee Member Israel Cartagena
Maintenance & Fleet Team Leader Israel Cartagena agreed. “The safety of our team members has always been our top priority and will continue to be,” said Cartagena, a tenured member of the Roscoe Safety Committee.
As a key driver for maintaining a culture of safety throughout our organization, the SHARP designation is also an important part of ongoing continuous improvement efforts. Such third-party review and OSHA onsite consultation help maintain high levels of safety – and safety awareness – and ensures that we are meeting industry standards.
OSHA SHARP Designation a Key Part of Roscoe Safety Culture
The process is a thorough one. Prior to the site visit, Roscoe had to provide information that included our OSHA 300 logs for the past three years, a comprehensive equipment list and maintenance records. On the day of the consultant’s visit, our safety manual was given a complete review, safety training logs were reviewed for compliance with our protocols, and a comprehensive tour was conducted. Finally, various exposure monitoring equipment was used to check noise levels, air quality and heavy metal exposure.
“This type of safety and hygiene consulting could cost thousands of dollars if done through a private firm, but this federally-funded program helps promote workplace safety by providing these services at no charge,” Faulkner said.
A summary of findings is provided in a follow-up report and businesses are given 30 days to remediate any “serious issues” and implement suggested improvements. Failing to correct “serious issues” results in a report to OSHA. Thankfully, Roscoe received high marks throughout, including steps taken by Operations Team members processing textiles and by Service Team members making deliveries throughout our market area during the pandemic.
While we take a lot of pride in this certification, our internal safety processes and the work of our safety committee is ongoing as we continue to look for innovative ways to push our safety culture agenda even further. It’s one of the best gifts we can give our team members and our customers.
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