Think SHARP

Exemplary Safety and Health Equates to Prestigious SHARP Certification

What is SHARP?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) created the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) award to recognize small business owners who operate an exemplary safety and health management system (SHMS). Once SHARP certified, employers are exempt from OSHA inspections for a period up to two years, apart from a serious accident, fatality or employee complaint. Small and medium-sized businesses throughout the U.S. can earn a SHARP award, and for a Florida company the approval process begins with a recommendation to OSHA from USF SafetyFlorida.

How can your company become SHARP?

Companies interested in pursuing SHARP status must first request a safety and health consultation from USF SafetyFlorida. The on-site consultation involves a comprehensive safety and health hazard survey of the worksite(s) involved, including equipment and work processes. Other qualifying requirements for the SHARP program include: • Have at least one year of operating history at the company or worksite; • Implement, demonstrate and maintain a safety and health management system (SHMS) that, at a minimum, addresses the major elements of

OSHA’s 1989 Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines; • Lower the company’s Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate and Total Recordable Case (TRC) rate below industry national average; • Correct all hazards identified by the consultant; • Agree to notify the USF SafetyFlorida Consultation Program prior to making changes in working conditions or work processes that may introduce new hazards into the workplace. Florida’s SHARP Companies This year 15 Florida companies qualified for OSHA’s SHARP award.

SHARP Renewal

If a company wishes to renew its SHARP certification, the application process must begin during the last six months of its exemption period. The company must also undergo a comprehensive visit by a USF SafetyFlorida consultant to ensure its SHMS has improved or maintained. Furthermore, the employer must meet all SHARP eligibility requirements, agree to conduct self-evaluations and provide a written report based on the elements of OSHA 1989 Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines and OSHA’s required injury and illness logs.

SHARP Deferral

If a business meets most but not all of OSHA’s SHARP eligibility requirements, a USF SafetyFlorida consultant may recommend a business for an inspection deferral up to 18 months, provided the company has: • Completed a hazard identification survey with a USF

SafetyFlorida consultant and corrected all identified hazards; • Implemented, demonstrated and maintained a SHMS that, at a minimum, addresses the major elements of OSHA’s 1989

Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines; • Implemented an action plan with established abatement dates that completes the necessary items that prevented the company

from reaching SHARP status during the original survey. (N) Accuform Manufacturing, Inc. (R) American Thermoplastic Extrusion Company (N) Big Top Manufacturing Company (R) Canterbury Tower (R) Class B Inc (R) Cypress Cove Care Center, LLC (R) Daws Manufacturing Company, Inc (N) Legendary Marine, LLC (R) Melitta USA, Inc (N) Metal Industries, Inc (R) Portus Stevedoring, LLC (N) New Limeco (N) Tintometer, Inc. (N) Ajax Building Corporation

Construction SHARP Pilot Program (N) STILES Construction

SHARP Key:

(N) = new (R) = renewal (D) = deferral

Big Top Manufacturing's Belief In Creating Safer Workplaces Leads To SHARP Recognition

Since 1979, Big Top Manufacturing, located in Perry, Florida, has been designing, manufacturing, and installing custom tension fabric shelters throughout the world. The company serves customers across a broad array of industries including military, construction, aviation, marine, and mining and minerals. Each of its structures are manufactured and fabricated at the company’s facility in Perry. The structures are then disassembled and shipped to the customer’s site where Big Top’s installation crews erect the finished product. The manufacturing process occurs at a roughly 130,000 square feet facility, where steel tubing for the frames are cut, shaped, and welded; and the fabric coverings are cut and seamed with radio frequency fabric welding machines. The establishment employs approximately 120 employees in its various operations throughout the year.

As with many companies, Big Top Manufacturing has strived for many years to maintain a safe and healthful workplace for its employees, and always looking to keep its safety and health initiative fresh. The company sought a third party’s assessment and recommendations on how to improve its safety and health management system, which led it to USF SafetyFlorida. Thus began a long term partnership between the company and a SafetyFlorida consultant. Over the years, the consultant made visits to the establishment, identifying hazards and suggesting training and other recommendations. The most recent visit resulted in only two hazards being identified as well as all attributes of an effective safety and health management system identified and determined to have been effectively implemented. Recognizing the steadfast commitment exhibited by management, combined with the high level of employee involvement in the establishment’s safety program, and other considerations, the consultant nominated Big Top Manufacturing for recognition under OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.

The Administrator for OSHA’s Region IV, approved the award for the company for the period of November 30, 2019, through November 29, 2021. The award may be renewed if the company maintains its exemplary approach to managing workplace safety and health.