The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recognized the management and employees of the Raytheon Company in Omaha, Neb., for achievement in the company's employee safety and health program.
Raytheon Company has been recognized as a "star" site, the highest level of recognition that OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs offer. The company provides high-tech information management solutions focusing on weather hardware and software systems for the military. It earned VPP Star recognition following a comprehensive on-site evaluation by a team of OSHA safety and health experts. The company employs about 240 workers at its Omaha facility.
"From the top down, Raytheon has shown outstanding efforts in implementing a comprehensive safety and health management system," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. "The company is an exemplar of workplace safety."
The VPP recognize employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems, and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. In VPP, management, labor and OSHA work cooperatively and proactively to prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses through a system focused on hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, management commitment and worker involvement.
To participate in the VPP, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo a rigorous on-site evaluation by a team of safety and health professionals. Union support is required for applicants represented by a bargaining unit. VPP participants are re-evaluated every three to five years to remain in the programs. VPP participants are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections while they maintain their VPP status. For additional information on the VPP, contact OSHA's regional VPP manager at 816-283-8745, or visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html.
