Kirby Building Systems – Portland Receives Volunteer Star Safety Award

Monday, July 02, 2012 | 04:15am

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis announced that Kirby Building Systems located in Portland, Tennessee, was chosen to receive the Volunteer STAR (Safety Through Accountability and Recognition) award.

“The Kirby Building Systems facility located in Portland has met the evaluation standards required to receive this award by proving their ability to provide an excellent safety and health management system," said Steve Hawkins, Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration Administrator, who presented the Volunteer STAR award today at the company’s facility located at 124 Kirby Drive in Portland. “It is evident that Kirby and the employees of the Portland facility are extremely dedicated to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.”

“I would like to say a special thanks to all of the Kirby Safety teams and teammates for TOSHA’s extraordinary hard work and dedication in obtaining this goal in such a short period of time,” said Thomas McCann, President of Kirby Building Systems.  “Kirby’s Safety teams have worked very hard to improve the safety culture at Kirby Building Systems and our number one goal is that everyone goes home safe everyday.”

The Volunteer STAR award is the state’s highest honor for workplace safety and health and a nationally recognized program. The Volunteer STAR is patterned after the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) and recognizes the best of the best in the area of safety and health programming and performance.

Kirby Building Systems - Portland has 247 employees engaged in manufacture of prefabricated metal buildings.  This is the site’s first time to receive the Volunteer STAR award. There are currently 37 Volunteer STAR sites in Tennessee.

For the three-year period 2009-2011, the site’s safety record is as follows:

  • Three-year Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) is 1.93, 68% below the current Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) industry average
  • Three-year Days Away from Work and Restricted Activity and/or Transfer Incidence Rate (DART) rate is 0.55, 83% below the current BLS industry averages

A plaque of recognition is awarded to the STAR recipient, as is a flag that can be flown at the site. The company is also permitted to use the Volunteer STAR logo on its correspondence and company documents.

The standard for participation in the STAR program is the confirmation of a company’s safety and health program, which helps reduce accidents and injuries.

The program also allows employers to be removed from programmed compliance inspection lists for a period of three years.

For more information on the Volunteer STAR award program and other TOSHA award programs contact TOSHA Nashville office at (800) 249-8510.

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