Safety Recognition Program Criterion

Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) and Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Awards

Employers who have effective safety and health programs that result in the prevention of job related injuries and illnesses and who meet certain program requirements may be eligible to participate in the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s safety recognition awards program. This safety recognition is available to both companies in the private and public sector. Participation is on-going as long as the requirements of the program are maintained.

The following factors are considered when reviewing a company’s request to participate in the safety recognition program.

Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program

OSHA defines an establishment as a single physical location where business is conducted or where services or industrial operations are performed.

The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) is for a single fixed worksite. For SHARP all the operations take place at one physical address. Mobile work activities that take place on and off-site and operations at mobile work sites may affect the participation in SHARP and result in a company not being eligible for SHARP. Examples would be construction and construction like activities that take place at various locations on and off premises and may involve activities such as trenching and excavation, confined space entry, working at heights, etc., where injuries and fatalities may result from struck-by, caught in or between, falls and electrocution hazards or other safety or health hazards.

SHARP has certain eligibility requirements that must be met before a company can enter into the program. In addition to the requirements listed in the preceding paragraph other factors that may affect participation in SHARP include:

• Company size

• Completion of full service safety and health visits by the New Jersey On-site Consultation Program. A full-service visit for SHARP is an On-site Consultation visit that provides a complete, safety and health hazard survey of all working conditions, equipment, processes and OSHA-mandated safety and health programs at the worksite.

• Correction of all identified hazards

• Safety and Health Management System (with employee participation)

• An Action Plan with milestone dates to improve the company’s safety and health program

• At least one year of operation history at the fixed worksite

• Illness and injury DART and TRC rates below the national average in the current BLS report

• If covered by OSHA/PEOSH process safety management standard a comprehensive review by a qualified individual to ensure compliance

• OSHA/PEOSH inspection history

• Negative incentive programs that discourage reporting of injuries

• Whistleblower case(s)

• Environmental issues

• Death of an employee

Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Awards Program

In addition to SHARP the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development also has a Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Awards program. Since its inception in 1927, thousands of awards have been earned and the program has played an important role in promoting a safer and healthier workplace.

Companies with a lost time incidence rate of 3.0 or less are currently eligible to participate in the Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Awards. Those employers who participate in the program and go multiple years without injuries receive higher level safety award recognition. Citation of Merit, Division of Public Safety & Occupational Safety and Health, Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development and Governor's Certificates are given to those without any work-related lost time from injury or illness over one year to four consecutive years, respectively. A Governor's Continued Excellence Award is awarded for five or more consecutive years. Applications to participate in the Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Awards are typically completed during January through March (based on the previous year’s OSHA 300 logs).

The application for the Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Awards may be found here.