Veolia Environmental Services Facility Wins Approval Into
Lombard, IL – Veolia Environmental Services (Veolia ES) North America, the waste services division of Veolia Environnement ,One of the leader worldwide in environmental services, is pleased to announce that its Technical Solutions facility in Flanders, New Jersey, has been accepted into OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Star program. Approval into VPP is OSHA's official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health compliance.
OSHA believes continuous improvement of safety and health programs are the best way to prevent occupational illnesses and injuries. The VPP were created in 1982 to encourage industry-related facilities to strive for excellence in safety. In the VPP, management, labor and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system. Companies who achieve the VPP Star Award, the highest of three program levels, display injury and illness rates at or below the national average from their competitors.
Mike Bartholomew, General Manager of the Veolia ES Technical Solutions Flanders facility, emphasized the company's commitment to keeping their employees and facility safe. "Safety training goes well beyond the basic requirements," he said. "All employees receive training on a monthly basis, at a minimum, and we have full participation in a safety incentive program that rewards injury and accident free performance." Bartholomew feels their safety training at the Flanders facility was critical in meeting the criteria for the VPP award from OSHA.
The Veolia ES Technical Solutions site in Flanders, NJ is a fully licensed facility providing transfer, storage and disposal services for hazardous and nonhazardous wastes. The Flanders facility employs 100 people comprised of field technicians, material handlers, sales, technical, finance and administrative staff. When evaluating the Flanders facility, the OSHA VPP team performed routine and extensive audits of the safety procedures. In addition, the OSHA VPP team reviewed customer locations where field crews from Flanders routinely manage chemical waste for transportation and disposal.
Veolia ES Technical Solutions demonstrated its responsibility in safety and its ability to control workplace hazards. At a special ceremony, representatives from OSHA presented Bartholomew and his team with a plaque and an OSHA VPP flag. "We are so proud of our team here at Flanders and of the work we have accomplished at this site," said Bartholomew. "We will continue to maintain the high standards we have set for ourselves to keep our staff and the surrounding community safe."
OSHA will periodically reevaluate the facility to confirm its continuing qualification for the VPP.
SOURCE: Veolia Environmental Services