RICHMOND —
The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) project, headed by systems contractor Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass, honored its workforce Wednesday during a recognition ceremony for achieving Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Status.
VPP Star Status is one of the highest recognitions for safety practices awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
More than 600 construction workers, government officials and community leaders attended the event at the BGCAPP construction site, as OSHA Region 4 Representative Michelle Sotak presented a plaque and the prestigious VPP Star flag to the workforce.
Sotak commended the workforce and the management team for their commitment to make BGCAPP one of the nation’s safest construction projects.
“We have made a commitment to come to work each day believing that zero accidents is achievable,” said Bechtel Parsons Project Manager Tom McKinney. “This award is a testament to everyone’s commitment and ownership of our safety and health program.”
BGCAPP Site Project Manager Jeff Brubaker agreed.
“We should all take great pride in sharing this accomplishment, as achieving Star Status is evidence of the strong support and commitment shared by everyone to protect the workforce, the environment and the surrounding community,” he said.
Several dignitaries also shared remarks, including Regina Crawford, field representative for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Madison Judge-Executive Kent Clark; Jim Richmond of the Army’s Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program; Col. Brian Rogers, Blue Grass Army Depot commander; and Robert Akin, president of the Central Kentucky Building & Construction Trades Council.
Michael Todd, a union electrician, spoke of the project’s robust safety culture. He encouraged all workers to get involved in the safety program, partner with one another and share ideas on ways to continuously improve worker safety.
Several BGCAPP workers received awards for participating in the project’s VPP Star team. The Star team is a voluntary, employee-based safety group which helped implement VPP and promotes the importance of establishing personal responsibility and ownership for a positive safety culture.
The BGCAPP project joins the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, a sister site at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado, in obtaining this prestigious safety status. The Bechtel Pueblo Team earned VPP Star Status certification there in 2008 and recently was recertified under the program.
The BGCAPP is being built to safely and efficiently destroy a stockpile of chemical weapons in storage at the Blue Grass Army Depot.
The plant will destroy 523 tons of munitions containing blister and nerve agents. The pilot plant is under construction and work is progressing on a variety of facilities to support chemical demilitarization operations.
Visit the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives website at www.pmacwa.army.mil for more information.
Local News
Related Photos
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Jeff Brubaker, site project manager for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, is pictured in January 2011 inside the Control and Support Building. The construction project was recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for its safe work environment. Photo by Nancy Taggart/photo@richmondregister.com
OSHA recognizes depot for safety
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