VPP: Welco - Marysville achieves top recognition

Welco Lumber Company Marysville site achieves top recognition for occupational safety & health as Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR.

Welco Lumber Company is one of the largest western red cedar manufacturers in the United States and produces cedar fencing and raw dimension stock. The Welco Lumber Company plant is located on approximately fifteen acres off Interstate 5 in Marysville. On January 13, 2005, the Marysville site celebrated achieving the prestigious VPP STAR status with an award ceremony followed by a catered luncheon for guests and employees which was held at the Marysville Opera House.

Pictured in Photos: (from left to right Aaron Reardon, Snohomish County's Chief Executive; Dick Stroble, Welco President and CEO addressing audience.)

Dick Bullard, Vice President and General Manager, acted as the MC for the ceremony and introduced Dennis Kendall, Mayor of Marysville; Aaron Reardon, Snohomish County's Chief Executive; Rachelle Hein, NW Regional Representative representing Senator Patty Murray; Mel James, Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) Compliance and Consultation Program Manager; Greg Baker, Welco Lumber Company Marysville Plant Manager; Joe Michael Evans, Safety Committee Chairman and Dick Stroble, President and Chief Executive Office they all addressed the audience on the leadership commitment, employee involvement and quality of the site’s safety and health programs.

Numerous speakers commented on the tremendous efforts expended by the plant and the results achieved with its safety and health program. Mel James presented information on the reduced workers’ compensation costs which represent a 92% decrease in claims cost from the two years’ experience before VPP was adopted compared to the two years after where VPP status was achieved. Dick Stroble, Welco President and CEO, commented that achieving VPP status was one of the most significant accomplishments achieved by Welco Lumber Company in its 40-year history.

Mel James, WISHA Services, Compliance and Consultation Program Manager along with representatives from WISHA, presented the prestigious VPP status flag and plaque for continued recognition as a VPP STAR site.

VPP status is approved by WISHA Services for worksite applicants who have achieved outstanding safety and health programs. Nationally, only 1188 sites have achieved this elite VPP status. Welco, which was approved as a STAR site on October 25, 2004, is WISHA’s eighth STAR site.

The Welco Lumber Company Marysville site, which employs 155 workers, earned its VPP STAR through commitment, leadership and extensive employee participation in developing a continuously improving safety and health program and safety record. The site applied for the VPP and received an on-site review by a team of six WISHA safety and health professionals to achieve VPP STAR status. The site maintains its status by continuous improvement of its safety and health programs, conducting comprehensive annual self-evaluations on their safety and health programs and receives a comprehensive onsite review every three years by WISHA staff.

The worksite’s potential hazards, which are associated with cedar lumber production processes, include machinery with moving parts, electrical, thermal, energy, material handling, ergonomics, walking/working surfaces, confined spaces, high noise levels falls and hazardous chemicals. Despite these hazards, the site’s three-year average injury/illness recordable rate and days away/restricted/transferred work incident rate for 2000-2002 is 15 below and 29% below, respectively, the national average for similar industries.

Picture: VPP Plaque presented by Mel James to Greg Baker.

Picture: Safety Committee members receiving VPP flag.

WISHA’s review team observed that management and employees are committed to continuous improvements of the site’s safety and health program. The safety and health program provides excellent protection from the potential hazards at this worksite.

	For more information, contact Lynn Fleming, Human Resources and Safety Manager for the Welco Lumber Company Skookum Division Shelton site at 360-651-1575. For more information about WISHA’s Voluntary Protection Program, in which WISHA and Washington companies work together to improve safety and health programs, call WISHA, Kenneth Werenko, Safety and Health VPP Specialist, 360-902-5515.
Picture: Safety Committee members receiving VPP flag.