When it comes to minding P's and Q's, there's a local chemical manufacturer that's right on track.
PQ Corp. recently joined the ranks of several area companies that have received one of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's most prestigious certifications for safe companies.
VPP, or Voluntary Protection Program, requires companies to undergo a long-term safety training and testing process that leads to the certification, which only about 1,150 companies in the country have, said Bill Grimes, an OSHA spokesman.
"It gets everyone focused on safety and training in the workplace. It's not just the managers telling everyone that it's going to be a safe workplace," he said.
Augusta is home to an unusually high number of companies that participate , Mr. Grimes said.
It's likely that the Houston area is the city with the most such companies, but Augusta comes in near second, he said.
"For a town that size, that's pretty incredible," Mr. Grimes said.
Texas has the most certified companies in the United States. Georgia is No. 2.
The large number of VPP plants in Augusta likely can be attributed to the city's high concentration of chemical-related manufacturers, coupled with the close ties between plants in dealing with safety issues, Mr. Grimes said.
"When it comes to safety and health, there are no trade secrets," he said.
Olin Corp., PQ's neighbor on Doug Bernard Parkway, was instrumental in helping PQ get the status, plant manager John Cobb said.
Olin, also a VPP company, not only answered questions but also worked with PQ employees to help them learn about instituting safe procedures, Mr. Cobb said.
It took two years and 23 books filled with paperwork to get the certification, he said.
But being safe is well worth it, PQ employee William Brown said.
"We're responsible for our actions as well as looking out for ourselves and our fellow employees," he said. "It makes me feel more comfortable."
Reach Adrian Burns at (706) 823-3352 or adrian.burns@augustachronicle.com.
Playing it safe
The Augusta area is home to several of the nation’s safest manufacturing and chemical plants:
- International Paper Lumber Mill, 4206 Mike Padgett Highway
- Milliken & Co ., Kingsley Plant, 2598 Washington Road, Thomson
- Monsanto, 1786 Lovers Lane
- NutraSweet, 1762 Lovers Lane
- Olin Corp., 2402 Doug Barnard Parkway
- Pfizer Chemical, 1736 Lovers Lane
- Prayon Inc., 1610 Marvin Griffin Road
- PQ Corp., 2430 Doug Barnard Parkway
Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
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