ProVia Safety Staff Receives Special Government Employee Certification from OSHA
Five ProVia employees were sworn in on May 5 as Special Government Employees for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Voluntary Protection Program.
OSHA ensures safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach and education. The Voluntary Protection Program is a cooperative relationship between management, labor and OSHA whereby the workplace has implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system. In 2007, ProVia underwent onsite evaluations by OSHA professionals and designated a VPP worksite. Through inclusion in the VPP, OSHA recognizes the outstanding efforts of ProVia and its employees who have achieved an exemplary occupational safety and health record.
The Special Government Employee program is vital because it offers additional resources to maintain OSHA protocols and VPP sites. The SGE candidates receive free training and earn credits for their Certified Safety Professional status. Upon certification, the trained ProVia employees can assist OSHA in conducting on-site investigations, perform annual self-evaluation reviews, and provide outreach and mentoring.
Nancy Mugavero, VPP Manager of OSHA Region V, along with the assistance of Keven Sell, CEO of United Group Services, provided training and instruction at ProVia’s Walnut Creek facility. Employees sworn in as Special Government Employees are:
- Marie King, Safety Coordinator, Strasburg
- Jeffrey Orr, Safety Coordinator, Cherry Ridge
- Scott Bane, Safety Coordinator, Booneville
- Brad Yoder, Safety Coordinator, Walnut Creek
- Zak Burch, Safety Assistant, Strasburg
Mike Yoder, ProVia’s director of environmental and safety, says, “This program is beneficial because it allows our safety coordinators to collaborate with other professionals in the industry. It also gives us opportunities to directly engage with OSHA’s VPP directors and allows our Special Government Employees to receive information to keep our workforce safe. Safety should never be a proprietary issue – exchanging ideas and information with other companies and keeping employees safe is the goal. ProVia employees benefit from having trained SGEs on-site as we continue to evaluate our safety site plans to reach our goal of all ProVia facilities becoming VPP sites.”
Marie King, safety coordinator at the Strasburg facility, says, “Attaining this certification has sharpened my skills in the safety field so that I can provide a safer work environment here at ProVia, as well as serving others in the VPP’s Region V.”
