PHNSY & IMF Receives OSHA VPP Star Status

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) recently earned re-certification of its Voluntary Protection Program's (VPP) Star status from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) demonstrating that workforce safety continues to be a top priority at the shipyard.

The shipyard first attained VPP Star status in 2007, and, as of Dec. 31, 2016, was one of four sites -- and the only federal jurisdiction site -- in Hawaii with VPP Star status.

OSHA's VPP Star Program is designed for exemplary worksites that promote and maintain successful and comprehensive safety and health management systems. Organizations in the VPP Star Program have achieved injury and illness rates at or below the national average within their respective industries.

"This is truly something earned, and not given," said Navy Capt. Jamie Kalowsky, PHNSY & IMF commander in his workforce notification of the OSHA re-certification. "Star status," he told shipyard civilian and Navy personnel, "is a reflection of your commitment to protect each other each every day. It is measured in WALK, and not in TALK."

VPP Star participants are reevaluated every three to five years. During the week of Nov. 14-18, 2016, OSHA conducted an onsite review at PHNSY & IMF to evaluate the shipyard's continued eligibility for site-based participation in VPP. The evaluation process focused on the involvement of shipyard management, leadership and employees, and analyzed safety procedures in place at various worksites. Evaluators closely examined hazard prevention and control measures, and appraised ongoing safety and health training in the shipyard.

In their report of findings, the OSHA VPP team affirmed that all elements of the PHNSY&IMF safety and health management system meet the high quality expected of VPP participants. Numerous areas of excellence were singled out, including scaffolding and fall protection systems in the waterfront areas, and the Command Injury Log Switchboard, which allows for real time information on injuries and illnesses, broken down into location, classification and department code. The VPP team commended the shipyard's commitment to share OSHGrams (an internal communication on various safety and occupational health topics) with the workforce, and PHNSY & IMF's "VPP Passport" booklet, which provides the shipyard's workforce with an incentivized series of tasks or functions to heighten awareness of occupational safety and health programs.

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