Congratulations United States Postal Service
When the Prize is Safety, Every Employee Wins
Friday, November 6, 2009
The excitement is palpable.
Letter carriers and retail associates in their crisp blue uniforms, rural carriers and maintenance employees in casual attire, and managers and dignitaries in suits mingle around the staging area shaking hands and patting each other on the back.
The focus is on safety; the celebration is for success.
Guests of honor represent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). They will be presently a Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) award to the Postal Service employees who dedicated themselves to making their workplace the safest it can be.
This scene has been painted in varying colors, locations and number of employees — at Post Offices and mail processing plants — nearly 275 times since federal worksites became eligible for VPP participation in 1998.
“We’re celebrating the honor of being designated a VPP site and we’re celebrating the fact we all worked together to make it happen,” said Covington, KY, Postmaster Elaine Huhn as she congratulated her employees at their VPP celebration.
Covington VPP team. Front row, from left – Letter Carrier Diane Von Barger, Retail Associate Hollie Burke, Maintenance Employee Jennie Edmonds and Distribution Clerk Brian Donoghue. Back row, from left – Letter Carriers Ben Calloway and Tim Ray and Maintenance Employee Mike Selm.
The obvious benefit of pursuing VPP status is an improved safety environment for employees, but it also enlists the help of every employee — management and labor — under the guidance of OSHA.
“This is the absolute highest government safety award any facility can receive,” Cincinnati District Manager Chu Falling Star said at the Covington event.
Two best Practices that OSHA recognized Covington employees for were their dog bite program and ergonomic risk reduction process program.
From left, Supervisor Tony Dallojacono, Middletown Mayor Pamela Brightbill, Letter Carriers Kathleen Tappe and Walter Cruz, Retail and Distribution Associate Donna Smith, Letter Carrier Frank Fossetta and Postmaster Dimiter Topchev.
With a back drop of autumn leaves, and 650 miles to the east, Middletown, NJ, employees gathered outside their Post Office for a celebration of their own which included hoisting the coveted VPP flag.
“This is the third Post Office to earn this prestigious award in the South Jersey District,” said Safety Manager Donna Bowers. “The first two were Cherry Hill and Deptford.”
To become a VPP site, an application is submitted and reviewed by OSHA followed by a rigorous on-site evaluation by a team of OSHA safety and health experts.
The facility can be a small rural Post Office or a massive mail processing plant in a major city — the rules are the same.
For more information check the website http://www.osha.gov/.
Posted on fedsmith.com on November 6,2009
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