The OSHA division of the U.S. Department of Labor has recognized the Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. (TKI) plant in Burley, Idaho, for continued excellence at the highest level of employee safety and health.
On Oct. 9, 2014, OSHA formally renewed the plant’s Star level of participation in its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) for another five years, extending participation through 2019. The TKI plant was first recognized with VPP Star status in 2006, with the initial designation being renewed for five years in 2009.
The TKI plant is one of only 16 facilities in Idaho recognized as an OSHA VPP location.
“Our employees understand the value of safety,” said Steve Sailors, regional plant operations manager for the Burley TKI plant. “It’s all about teamwork.”
The TKI manufacturing plant employs 12 workers who produce soil fumigant for distribution to agricultural product retailers. With an injury and illness rate well below the national average for its industry, the facility has not experienced a single lost-time incident since TKI purchased the plant facility in September 1999.
During an award presentation ceremony in October, plant safety committee chairperson Chase Thomas said, “The safety culture at TKI Burley is such that there is not any individual here that will allow anyone else to work in an unsafe manner or knowingly expose anyone to hazards. The employees at TKI Burley genuinely care about one another’s safety.”