Kentucky Celebrates Safest Year for Workplace Safety

– Special to WEKY AM 1340 –

The largest annual gathering of workplace safety professionals from companies all across Kentucky gathered in Covington this week for the state’s premier occupational safety and health conference and exposition.

Representatives from 48 companies who earned the prestigious Governor’s Safety and Health Award during the last year were in attendance to help celebrate Kentucky’s all-time low Injury and Illness Rate.

“The recipients of the 48th Governor’s Safety and Health Award are a major reason why Kentucky’s workplaces recorded their safest year in history,” Gov. Bevin said. “In order for the Commonwealth to become the greatest version of itself, we must keep the health and safety of our workforce a top priority. I am delighted to congratulate each company for achieving this high honor by being leaders in this area. Together, we can find ways to continue raising the bar of excellence and making our workforce the safest and strongest in the nation.”

The Labor Cabinet also used this week to draw attention to a renewed focus on workplace safety education and training called “KY SAFE.”

“’KY SAFE’ is our effort to re-brand the education and training services that the Cabinet provides to all two million workers in Kentucky,” Labor Secretary Derrick Ramsey stated. “We want to eliminate hazards before injuries occur by building better partnerships with Kentucky employers and their employees. Between our free on-site surveys, online training modules, statewide OSHA training seminars and partnership programs, the Labor Cabinet is working tirelessly to advance health and safety in the Commonwealth. We want to urge employers of all sizes to contact us on ways we can help safeguard their workplace before a needless injury or illness occurs.”

Co-hosted with the Kentucky Safety and Health Network (KSHN), this year’s conference also featured $40,000 in Scholastic Achievement for Education (SAFE) Award scholarships to college students and an additional $20,000 to a new initiative to train thousands of students who will graduate from high school with an OSHA 10-Hour card.

“The 2017 conference theme is ‘Made Safely in Kentucky,’” KSHN President Lisa Curtis said. “This theme is meant to highlight the many products and services provided by Kentucky businesses that put safety first and increase the awareness of workplace safety and health through education and training.”

The Labor Cabinet’s Division of Occupational Safety & Health Education & Training leads the Cabinet’s proactive efforts to create safe and healthful workplace conditions, including overseeing a new web-based training service called eTrain (www.KYSAFE.KY.GOV). This new online training module will offer a variety of safety and health training topics, certificates, and live and recorded webinars all at no cost.

In addition to eTrain, the Cabinet provides free consultative services to employers across Kentucky on ways to increase workplace safety – including how to improve Injury and Illness Rates. Services include free on-site consultations to all employers, as well as other compliance assistance, educational materials, and class-style training for all employers.

Last year, the Division conducted 350 free on-site visits, or “consultative surveys,” for employers across Kentucky. As a result of these confidential surveys, employers corrected 3,813 serious conditions that could have affected up to 108,307 employees and could have resulted in enforcement penalties of up to $26,691,000.

Based on a mathematical calculation from a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report that describes the number of recordable incidents per 100 full-time employees, Kentucky’s rate improved from 3.8 in 2014 to 3.7 in 2015 – reflecting the most recent data available and the lowest rate in Kentucky’s history. This rate has steadily declined since it was first calculated in 1996 when a rate of 8.4 was reported.

2017 Governor’s Safety and Health Award Recipients 

Abel Construction Company, Inc. – Louisville

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. – Calvert City

Amfine Chemical Corporation – Hopkinsville

Atlas Machine & Supply, Inc. – Louisville

Big Rivers Electric Corporation – Sebree Station – Robards

Carhartt, Inc. Madisonville Cutting – Madisonville

Carhartt RCV Customer Service Center – Hanson

Catlettsburg Refining LLC – Catlettsburg

Charah, Inc. – Mill Creek Station – Louisville

Cintas Distribution LLC – Grayson

Daicel Safety Technologies America, Inc. – Beaver Dam

Daicel Safety Tube Processing, Inc. – Beaver Dam

Dana Incorporated Louisville KY – Louisville

Domtar Hawesville Mill – Hawesville

Donaldson Company, Inc. – Nicholasville

Farmers Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation – Glasgow

Firestone Building Products – Florence

Firestone Industrial Products – Williamsburg

H. B. Fuller Paducah, KY – Paducah

Heaven Hill Brands – Bardstown

Henderson Services, LLC – Louisville

Interplastic Corporation – Ft. Wright

J-Lok Corp. – Earlington

Joy Global, Inc. – Lebanon

LG&E Cane Run Station – Louisville

LexPlastics – Lexington

Lockheed Martin – MFC – Lexington

Madisonville West Side Wastewater Treatment Plant – Madisonville

Maker’s Mark Distillery – Loretto

Mid-America Conversion Services, LLC – Kevil

Multi Packaging Solutions of KY – Louisville

Ops Plus, Inc. – Louisville

Owensboro Municipal Utilities – Customer & Shared Services – Owensboro

PIC Group, Inc. – Louisville

PIC Group, Inc. – Harrodsburg

Raytheon Company – Louisville

Sargent & Greenleaf, Inc. – Nicholasville

Sekisui Specialty Chemicals America LLC – Calvert City

SFC Global Supply Chain, Inc. – Walton

Southern States Cooperative – Winchester

Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc. – Edmonton

Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc. – Scottsville

Swift & Staley, Inc. – Kevil

Tower International – Shepherdsville

Toyota Boshoku Kentucky – Harrodsburg

Toyota Boshoku Kentucky – Lebanon

Wabash National – Cadiz

Wacker Polymers – Calvert City

Additional information is available at http://labor.kentucky.gov.