Two STERIS Corporation sites, the St. Louis Operations and St. Louis Distribution Center in St. Louis, have earned membership at the "Star," or highest, level in the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's prestigious Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).
"Both the St. Louis Operations and St. Louis Distribution Center of STERIS Corp. have demonstrated excellence in their comprehensive safety and health management," said Charles E. Adkins, CIH, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City. "Their outstanding efforts have included management commitment to safety and health, and employee involvement in safety and health programs."
STERIS Corp.'s St. Louis Operations division has 220 employees who manufacture hand hygiene and hard-surface disinfectants. The 25 employees at the company's St. Louis Distribution Center receive and distribute the product. A VPP recognition ceremony was held at the plant in St. Louis.
Almost 2,000 worksites nationwide have earned entry into OSHA's VPP. Requirements include a high degree of management support and employee involvement; a high-quality worksite hazard analysis, prevention and control program; and comprehensive safety and health training for all employees. Each of these elements must be effective, in place and in operation for at least one year before a company can apply to join the VPP. Companies in the VPP achieve injury and illness rates averaging 50 percent lower than others in their industries.