The facility is located on fifty-two acres one mile east of the Spokane airport. The facility converts up to 800 tons of solid waste per day into electric power through the use of boilers, which burn the waste and generates steam that drives a turbine converting the waste to electricity. The celebration ceremony and luncheon was held at the Center Stage facility in downtown Spokane for guest, employees and families.

Pictured in Photo (from left to right): Chuck Conklin, Plant Manager receiving VPP plaque from Michael Silverstein, WISHA Assistant Director

Chuck Conklin, Wheelabrator Spokane site plant manager, performed the Master of Ceremony duties for the celebration and introduced the following speakers; The Honorable James West, Mayor City of Spokane; Kent Baughn, Health and Safety Manager of Wheelabrator Technologies; Roger Flint, Director of Public Works and Utilities, City of Spokane: J. Drennan Lowell, President of Wheelabrator Technologies; Jim Schultz, Vice President, Health and Safety of Waste Management; Michael Silverstein, Assistant Director for Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) Services.

Michael Silverstein addressed the audience on the leadership commitment, employee involvement and cooperation of working together in partnership that resulted in the quality of the site’s safety and health programs.

Numerous speakers commented on the site’s work on improving safety and health at the plant and their monumental achievement of VPP STAR recognition through their diligent commitment to continuous improvement.

VPP status is approved by WISHA Services for worksite applicants who have achieved outstanding safety and health programs. Only 1181 sites nationally have achieved this elite VPP status. The Wheelabrator Spokane site was approved as a VPP STAR site on July 10, 2004 and is WISHA’s eighth STAR site.

Michael Wood, WISHA Services, Senior Program Manager along with representatives from WISHA, presented the VPP STAR flag and plaque for recognition as a VPP STAR site.

Pictured in Photo (from left to right: Chuck Conklin receiving WISHA VPP STAR flag from Michael Silverstein.)

The Wheelabrator Spokane site, which employs 37 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. The site maintains their status by continuous improvement of their 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 associated with the operation of waste to energy production processes, including machinery with moving parts, electrical, thermal, energy, material handling, ergonomics, walking/working surfaces, confined spaces, high noise levels falls and chemicals. Despite these hazards, the site’s three-year average injury/illness recordable rate and days away/restricted/transferred work incident rate for 2001-2003 is 14% below and 57% below, respectively, the national average for similar industries.

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.

Picture: Wheelabrator and WISHA Representatives

For more information, contact Chuck Conklin, Plant Manager for the Wheelabrator Spokane site at 509-624-657, Ext 13. 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.