Taylor Concrete Products, Inc., celebrating their SHARP recognition with employees following a safety training session.

A New York concrete company that’s been in business for nearly 100 years gave itself a safety overhaul – and received SHARP recognition -- through OSHA's On-site Consultation Program.

Taylor Concrete Products, Inc., which offers a full line of masonry products and accessories for construction and landscape design, contacted the New York Department of Labor, Division of Safety and Health (DOSH), On-Site Consultation Program after learning of the program through safety workshops conducted by the New York State Concrete Masonry Association (NYSCMA).

Confined space, hazcom concerns

A DOSH consultant conducted a walkthrough of Taylor Concrete and identified their confined space, recordkeeping, and hazard communication practices as areas of concern. The feedback provided during the Consultation visit revealed benefits to their operational productivity and employee safety through the development and implementation of a renewed comprehensive safety program.

New safety committee rewrites programs

In response to recommendations provided by the DOSH Consultants, management formed a safety committee made up of employees from throughout the company to review and re-design their safety program. The committee re-wrote Taylor Concrete's confined space and hazard communication program and instituted new procedures to manage and maintain documentation at the worksite. Management at Taylor Concrete worked closely with the DOSH Consultants in updating their safety program and developed new employee training programs to reinforce their safety commitment to new employees.

"Re-energized"

"Working with the DOSH On-site Consultation Program has re-energized our training program and provided an invaluable resource for implementing new programs and procedures to protect our employees on the job," said Richard O'Connor of Taylor Concrete. The company's successes in implementing changes to the hazards identified during the On-site Consultation visit earned Taylor Concrete acceptance into OSHA's Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). Acceptance into SHARP is an achievement that singles out a worksite among its business peers as a model for worksite safety and health. Recognition in this program highlights the improvements made to the company's safety and health environment with injury and illness rates considerably below their industry averages.

No Days Away from Work since SHARP approval

Taylor Concrete has not had any Days Away From Work, Restricted Work Activity or Job Transfer, Total Recordable Cases since receiving SHARP approval in 2011. "Working to achieve SHARP provided our company with a goal to attain. The employees are proud to have earned the recognition, and maintaining the SHARP approval is a motivator to finding ways to improve the safety and health management system," said O'Connor.

What the program does

The on-site consultation program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country and in several territories with priority given to high hazard work sites. On-site Consultation safety and health services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with small employers in high-hazard industries to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing injury and illness prevention programs.