USA: OSHA’s Voluntary Projection Program Awards Continental Maritime With STAR STATUS

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc announces that its subsidiary, Continental Maritime of San Diego (CMSD), has been recognized for exemplary shipyard safety and received “star” status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Projection Program (VPP).

“Receiving this status is the most important recognition our employees can receive because working safely is our top priority,” said Daniel Flood, vice president and general manager, CMSD. “We have instilled awareness and accountability across the board, and becoming a ‘star’ work site celebrates the excellent safety culture maintained by our workers. We look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with OSHA to further promote safe working habits throughout our company.”

OSHA’s VPP acceptance process requires a strong working relationship with management and labor and proven safety excellence that goes beyond mere compliance with OSHA standards. The VPP recognizes those sites that implement a comprehensive safety and health management system resulting in lower injuries.

CMSD received “star” status, which is designed for exemplary work sites with comprehensive, successful safety and health management systems. Companies in OSHA’s Star Program have achieved injury and illness rates at or below the national average of their respective industries. These sites are self-sufficient in their ability to control workplace hazards.

In VPP, management, labor and OSHA work cooperatively and proactively to prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses through a system focused on: hazard prevention and control; work site analysis; training; management commitment, and worker involvement. To participate, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo a rigorous on-site evaluation by a team of safety and health professionals. VPP participants are exempt from OSHA-programmed inspections while they maintain their VPP status.

Continental Maritime of San Diego (CMSD) is a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries and is a certified Master Ship Repair Contractor for the U.S. Navy. Its skilled professionals have performed hundreds of ship repairs for the Navy and Military Sealift Command. CMSD does emergent repair on all types of major surface vessels, including CVN, CG, DDG and FFG, and all types of amphibious ships, including LHD, LHA, LSD, LPD and auxiliary ships. Its work also includes repairs and alterations to a wide range of combatant systems; hull, mechanical and electrical systems, and habitability.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing nearly 38,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding.

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Source: huntingtoningalls, September 30, 2011