Most people probably don’t associate yacht builders with industrial accidents&mdash its not coal mining or commercial fishing&mdash but the fact is that boatbuilding is an industrial activity and worker safety could be an issue. Maine-based
Hinckley Yachts has just received an award from the Maine Department of Labor for maintaining a safe work place.
From the Hinckley Company press release:
The SafetyWorks! program of the Maine Department of Labor today recognized Hinckley Yacht for its efforts in providing a safe work environment. At a ceremony hosted at the company’s Trenton manufacturing facility, Department of Labor officials presented the company with a Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) certificate of achievement.
“This award represents Hinckley’s high standards and employee involvement in creating a safe workplace,” said Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor.
The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) program offers incentives to private sector employers that take a proactive approach to workplace safety. The SHARP certificate is granted to employers who have demonstrated exemplary achievements in workplace safety and health by receiving a comprehensive safety and health consultation visit, correcting all workplace safety and health hazards, adopting and implementing effective safety and health management systems, and agreeing to request further consultative visits if major changes in working conditions or processes occur that may introduce new hazards. Employers meeting these specific program requirements may be exempt from general scheduled OSHA inspections for one year.
“The SHARP award highlights what is best about our operation – our people. Employee involvement is the foundation of our safety programs at Hinckley. Each individual employee has contributed to this achievement and it is with great pride that I accept this award on their behalf”. Mike Arieta, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Boat Building Division, Hinckley Yachts.
The Hinckley Company Trenton: Basic Info: * Total number of active employees = 194 * Safety Committee members = 12
The Hinckley Company’s safety achievements: * OSHA- 50% drop in incidents * DART Frequency Rates: from 25 to 7
Total Incidents (recordables & first aids): * 2005 = 75 * 2006 = 58
Benefits of SHARP for mindset of the company:
The SHARP program helped to engage employees and the safety committee in terms of: * Recognizing and correcting hazards in the workplace * Becoming actively engaged in the subject of safety * Serving as a catalyst in creating a pro-active safety committee * Raising employee awareness about safety in the workplace * Making employees accountable for following existing policies and help in the formation of future policies and procedures through daily input
