Global solutions leader acknowledged for exemplary industry health and safety practices

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded Black & Veatch, a global leader in critical infrastructure solutions, with its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) star status for exemplary worksite safety achievement.

The VPP Star is OSHA's highest level of recognition of companies that have employed effective safety and health management systems and kept injury and illness rates below the Bureau of Labor Statistics' industry averages.

The OSHA award recognizes health and safety achievements of Black & Veatch’s telecommunications mobile workforce in New York and New Jersey.

“This award highlights the value that Black & Veatch places on its people — from employee-owners to subcontractors — and our core value of ensuring everyone makes it home safely,” said John Johnson, vice president for Black & Veatch’s environment, safety, health and sustainability practice. “By creating safe working conditions, distributed infrastructure projects stay on time and on budget, and our clients and the communities they serve reap the benefits.”

OSHA employs strict safety guidelines to keep U.S. workers safe, and companies honored with a VPP Star not only meet basic requirements but also exercise health and safety protocols above industry standards. Black & Veatch’s protocols include a behavior-based safety program, feedback that engages subcontractors to ensure best practices, and the company’s “people matter most” safety program, which includes targeted training sessions aimed at encouraging safe behaviors.

“Black & Veatch is the first company in their industry to achieve VPP Star. Their accomplishment shows that a comprehensive safety and health program is essential in all businesses, and critical in high-risk industries,” said Richard Mendelson, OSHA regional administrator. “An effective program can be implemented in the most challenging workplaces when worker safety and health is a core value of the company.”

Contact Black & Veatch for more information.

Editor’s Notes:

• OSHA's VPP Program works with employers committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. VPP programs bring company management, site employees and OSHA together to work proactively to focus on hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, management commitment and worker involvement to prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

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