Reed & Reed Recognized for Commitment to Workplace Safety

Augusta– Maine Governor John Baldacci today recognized Reed & Reed, a Woolwich based general contracting firm, for its efforts in providing a safe and health work environment for employees.  At a State House ceremony, the Governor joined Maine Department of Labor officials in certifying the company under the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP.)

The certification covers work at Reed & Reed’s project site at Kibby Township, where the company is prime contractor for the largest wind power project in New England which includes erecting  44 wind turbines.  It is the first SHARP certified wind power project in the nation.

“Workers at the Kibby site face potentially dangerous working conditions each day and Reed & Reed responded by upping its investment in workplace safety,” said Governor Baldacci.  “That work has paid off with a company-wide 60 percent reduction in reportable injury rates and a reduction in the company’s Workers’ Compensation modification rate from a .80 to a .64.”

“The SHARP Award is a tremendous honor for Reed & Reed and all of our employees.  It recognizes the commitment our employees make to themselves and their co-workers,” said Reed & Reed CEO, Jackson Parker.  “And to be the first wind power project in the nation to earn SHARP status tells the world that companies from Maine can compete at every level.”

“Reed & Reed is part of an elite group of Maine employers who have demonstrated high standards and industry leadership in creating a safe and healthy workplace for employees,” said Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor.

The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) offers incentives to private sector employers that take a proactive approach to workplace safety. The SHARP certificate is granted to employers who have demonstrated exemplary achievements in workplace safety and health by receiving a comprehensive safety and health consultation visit, correcting all workplace safety and health hazards, adopting and implementing effective safety and health management systems, and agreeing to request further consultative visits if major changes in working conditions or processes occur that may introduce new hazards. Employers meeting these specific program requirements may be exempt from general scheduled OSHA inspections for one year.

SafetyWorks! consultants worked with the company to improve safety in all operational areas with a focus on injury prevention.  Specific safety improvements involved developing of comprehensive safety training programs, scheduling site inspections, and preparing job specific safety plans and hazard identification tools.

Reed & Reed, Inc is one of northern New England’s largest and most versatile general contractors.  Founded as a bridge building firm in 1928 by Captain Josiah W. Reed and his son Carlton Day Reed, the company has prospered under four generations of family leadership to build a long-standing reputation as one of Northern New England’s top heavy contractors.  In the last decade, the company has emerged as a regional leader in wind power construction, having built the first industrial wind power project in Maine in 2006, followed by the construction of numerous other large scale projects throughout New England in the years since.  The Kibby project site underway now will be the largest wind power site in Maine producing 132 mw of clean, renewable power when it is finished.

SafetyWorks! is an outreach program of the Maine Department of Labor designed to reduce job-related injuries, illnesses and deaths. The program provided safety and health training to over 10,000 Maine workers last year and consultation services to hundreds of employers. SafetyWorks! services are voluntary and offered free of charge.

For more information about the SHARP program or any of the other free safety and health services offered by the Maine Department of Labor SafetyWorks! program, call (207) 623-7900 (TTY: 1-800-794-1110) or visit www.safetyworksmaine.com.