The Silverstreet Chip Mill has once again proved that safety is important as it was recertified in the South Carolina Palmetto Star Volunteer Protection Program.

The International Paper mill was first awarded the Palmetto Star in August of 2004.

This program, which is voluntary, provides recognition to qualified employers, who exceed the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 in providing their workers a safe and healthy worksite.

“It is not easy to do this and you have to work at it,“ said International Paper Chip Mill Team Member Jimmy Bell.

“You worked hard to get the star status, and keeping the star status is even harder,“ said South Carolina Volunteer Protection Program Coordinator Sharon Dumit.

“This means you work in one of the safest work places,“ International Paper East Region Chip Manager Fred Pennington told the 17 team members. “This did not happen by mandates, but because you wanted it to happen. There is no finish line. You want to go home the same way you were when you came to work.“

Palmetto Star sites are not expected to be perfect, but the sites are expected to effectively protect their workers from the hazards of the workplace through their safety and health systems. A Palmetto Star site is one that has proven it is able to function independently of OSHA and is self-sufficient in its ability to control hazards at the work site.

“Safety is an important factor and I thank International Paper for being a great corporate citizen in Newberry County,“ said Senator Ronnie Cromer.

To qualify, an applicant must demonstrate management's commitment to safety, assess hazards that may be present within the workplace, maintain a system for hazard correction and control, provide employees safety and health training, and assure employee participation in safety and health programs.

Finally, the company must have a total injury/illness incident rate and a total lost workday incident rate that is 50 percent or below the state average for the applicant's industry for each of the last three years.

“Exercising safety and care prevents injury and death. Keep on marching,“ State Representative Walt McLeod told the crowd.

The state's director of labor, licensing and regulation determines approval for participation. By approving an application for participation in the Palmetto Star, OSHA recognizes that the applicant is providing, at a minimum, the basic elements of ongoing, systematic protection of workers at the site.

“Keep up the good work,“ voiced County Councilman Bill Waldrop at yesterday's ceremony.