MILWAUKEE and BOISE, Idaho, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wisconsin Power Constructors, a Washington Group International subsidiary, has earned one of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) highest safety rankings for its work on a power plant project in Wisconsin.
The company's construction performance at the We Energies' Port Washington Generating Station near Milwaukee has been awarded "Star" status in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). Star status is the highest level available under the program, which recognizes exemplary work sites with comprehensive, successful safety and health management systems.
Wisconsin Power Constructors is providing engineering, procurement, and construction services for a 545-megawatt, combined-cycle facility in Port Washington. The firm completed a similar plant at the site in 2005.
"Designation as a VPP Star site is recognition of sustained excellence in all areas of our safety and health management system," said Brad Giles, Washington Group International's vice president for environmental safety and health. "Other Washington Group sites have also achieved VPP Star status."
OSHA's review of the Port Washington site highlighted several "areas of excellence," including employee integration into site inspections and exemplary owner, management, and craft worker relationships.
"Safety is at the core of Washington Group's values and work practices and is a critical part of successful project performance," said Lou Pardi, president of the company's Power Business Unit, headquartered in Princeton, N.J. "The safety of our workers is always of paramount importance, and we welcome this recognition of our commitment -- and the commitment of our client -- to continue achieving excellence."
Workers at the site, where 100 to 200 crane lifts occur daily, recently surpassed two million hours worked without a days-away injury. All employees are trained and mentored in an extensive safety program, and ongoing meetings and inspections help ensure adherence to established procedures. Approximately 400 union employees work at the project that is scheduled for completion in mid-2008.
At the corporate level, in 2006, Washington Group International became the fifth organization in the United States to be inducted into OSHA's VPP Corporate Pilot Program, joining Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, the U.S. Postal Service, and Dow Chemical Company.
Washington Group International provides the talent, innovation, and proven performance to deliver integrated engineering, construction, and management solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with more than $3 billion in annual revenue, the company has approximately 25,000 people at work around the world providing solutions in power, environmental management, defense, oil and gas processing, mining, industrial facilities, transportation, and water resources. For more information, visit http://www.wgint.com/.
