Mid-Valley Commercial Construction Inc., a locally owned union subcontractor focusing on commercial framing, drywall, taping, acoustical ceilings, and insulation, has achieved a milestone in its ongoing commitment to workplace safety and health: graduation from Oregon OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).
SHARP, primarily set up to help small- and mid-sized businesses, coaches employers on how to effectively manage workplace safety and health. The program encourages Oregon employers to work with their employees to identify and correct hazards and to continuously improve. In turn, companies are recognized for their success in reaching specific benchmarks during the five-year program. An employer may graduate from SHARP after five years of participation.
Mid-Valley Commercial Construction, based in Salem, has completed its SHARP journey, graduating in December 2023. The SHARP evaluation of the Salem-based company included multiple visits by Oregon OSHA consultants to job sites. The company demonstrated a high level of commitment to safety and health training for its workers. It also made excellent use of job hazard analysis, a method of identifying, assessing, and controlling hazards associated with specific jobs. And it consistently maintained a days away, restricted, or transferred (DART) rate well below the industry average.
“It is evident that ongoing commitment to employee safety and health from all levels of the company is expressed with leadership and field personnel,” stated the SHARP evaluation.
Mid-Valley Commercial Construction’s commitment to the program was unwavering. Dennis Cox, the company’s former safety manager, initiated the company’s involvement in SHARP in 2018, according to Mike Brunenkant, safety manager for the company and a certified construction health and safety technician.
Brunenkant said the SHARP evaluations and consultation services helped him “navigate the ever-changing landscape of COVID regulations, ensuring that our safety program remained robust.” He added, “Having graduated from SHARP, Mid-Valley anticipates continuing our relationship with Oregon OSHA to prioritize the safety of our employees.”
Jesse Vigil, president and owner of Mid-Valley Commercial Construction, said: “Our team’s safety and health is a top priority. When our employees are safe and healthy, they can perform at their best, contributing to the success of the company.”
The benefits of the SHARP program, which is part of Oregon OSHA’s consultation services, include lower injury and illness rates, decreased workers’ compensation costs, increased employee morale, and lower product losses.
Learn more about SHARP and Oregon OSHA’s free consultation services, which include hazard assessments, recommendations to control and eliminate hazards, written program evaluation, and hands-on training. Consultations involve no fault, no citations, and no penalties. Oregon OSHA consultants in workplace safety, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics can help employers reduce accidents and related costs and develop comprehensive programs to manage safety and health.