Merck facility honored for safety and health excellence

RP news wires, Noria Corporation
Tags: workplace safety

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certified Merck Research Laboratories-Wayne in Wayne as a "Star" site in its prestigious Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). Marie A. Cassady, acting regional administrator of OSHA's Philadelphia office, presented the company with a VPP Star flag during a ceremony at the facility on November 16.

"Merck Research Laboratories-Wayne has demonstrated excellence in effective safety and health management," said Cassady. "Its outstanding efforts include maintaining an injury and illness rate 59 percent below the industry average."

Merck Research Laboratories-Wayne is composed of three primary work groups that generate and validate testing methods for Merck's vaccines and clinical trials. The facility employs 96 people.

The Star designation is the highest level of recognition that an employer can achieve in the VPP. Designed for worksites with comprehensive, successful safety and health programs, the VPP is open to all industries and to companies with injury rates below their respective industries' national averages.

More than 1,860 worksites nationwide have earned entry into OSHA's VPP. The VPP has proven over the years to be an effective means of reducing injuries, illnesses, fatalities and costs, while fostering a more productive workforce and increasing employee morale.