J.R. Simplot plant in Idaho retains OSHA Star status

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved J.R. Simplot Co.'s Conda Pump Station in Soda Springs, Idaho, for continued participation in its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) at the "Star," or highest, level. A ceremony to recognize the company's continued excellence in employee safety and health will be held at the facility on March 15.

"It is very impressive that the Conda Pump Station has been able to maintain for 11 years the demanding standards required of the VPP," said Richard Terrill, OSHA's regional administrator in Seattle. "This achievement clearly reflects the company's continuing commitment to a strong safety and health program."

The Conda Pump Station receives phosphorous ore slurry from the J.R. Simplot Co.'s Smoky Canyon Mine in eastern Idaho and boosts the pressure of the slurry for transit to the company's plant in Pocatello, Idaho. OSHA granted this facility, a VPP member since April 1996, a five-year "Star" renewal designation after an on-site review of the safety and health program, interviews with employees and a complete tour of the worksite.

OSHA's VPP, an elite corps of more than 1,600 sites representing more than 270 industries nationwide, recognizes and promotes effective workplace safety and health management. To qualify for VPP status, a member site must meet or exceed all OSHA regulatory standards and submit to a review of its programs. Program participants typically achieve injury and illness rates more than 50 percent below their respective industries' averages. Through the VPP, management, labor and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at sites that have implemented strong safety and health systems.