Wackenhut Recertifies Star Status in DOE Protection Program

August 28, 2008

Wackenhut Services, Inc. Nevada (WSI-NV) has been awarded its second recertification in the U.S. Department of Energy Voluntary Protection Program (DOE VPP). “This is a prestigious honor for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) security contractor,” says Xavier Aponte, Nevada Site Office (NSO) VPP manager, “and the NSO is pleased for their success.”

A DOE headquarters team visited NTS for the evaluation. The program highlights worker health and safety. Activities included safety and health program reviews, employee interviews, and walk-throughs of several WSI-NV work locations to recertify the company at the highest level as a STAR participant.

WSI-NV received its first STAR certification in 2000. It now held the status for eight consecutive years – the longest of any security contractor in the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) complex.

“The WSI-Nevada Team commitment to excellence in worker health and safety is much more than a DOE VPP certificate and flag that recognizes this achievement; it is, without question, the demonstration of performance excellence in a program by employees, for employees,” says WSI-NV General Manager Dave Bradley.

The DOE created the VPP in January 1994 to recognize and encourage excellence in occupational safety and health protection. The program closely parallels the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) VPP.

DOE-VPP also includes coverage of radiation protection/nuclear safety and emergency management because of the type and complexity of DOE facilities. Much like the OSHA program, DOE-VPP provides several proven benefits to participating sites, including improved labor/management relations, reduced workplace injuries and illnesses, increased employee involvement, improved morale, reduced absenteeism, and public recognition.

The DOE-VPP has three levels of recognition: STAR, MERIT and DEMONSTRATION. Contractors whose programs meet the requirements for outstanding safety and health programs receive STAR recognition. Contractors with highly effective programs who commit themselves to attain STAR status within a five-year period receive MERIT recognition. DOE uses the DEMONSTRATION program to recognize existing achievements in unusual situations about which more information is needed before approval requirements for the STAR program are determined.

According to Aponte, the VPP is designed around five basic elements, or tenets:

• Management/leadership
• Employee involvement
• Worksite analysis
• Hazard prevention and control
• Safety and health training.

“Contractors that choose to apply to the VPP must develop robust safety and health management systems and demonstrate effective implementation of safety and health procedures. These contractors are subject to frequent DOE reviews,” Aponte says. STAR sites are reevaluated every three years; MERIT and DEMONSTRATION sites are evaluated annually.

“Certification in the VPP represents that a company has maintained injury and incident rates below national industry averages, developed outstanding worker safety and health programs and has a strong commitment to safety in accordance with the five tenets,” Aponte says.

WSI-NV entered the program at the STAR level in November 2000 and had its first STAR recertification in December 2003. WSI-NV is currently one of only two NNSA VPP contractors and the only NNSA security contractor in the program. The other NNSA VPP contractor is Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, LLC which manages and operates the Kansas City Plant. They entered the program at the STAR level in March 1996.

“The expectations in VPP are that STAR contractors are performing above and beyond established regulatory requirements,” Aponte says. “That puts WSI-NV in a very elite group.”