Division of Workers’ Compensation

Texas Department of Insurance

(800) 578-4677 | tdi.texas.gov | @TexasTDI

September 28, 2015                                                                                                                                MediaRelations@TDI.texas.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                       (512) 676-6595

East Texas Companies Recognized for Exemplary Safety Programs

TYLER — Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Ryan Brannan visited East Texas today to honor two local employers for exemplary workplace safety programs and low rates of injuries and illnesses at the companies’ facilities.

“The injury rate at Texas workplaces has fallen 25 percent since 2005 thanks in large part to the outstanding efforts of employers like these,” Brannan said. “When businesses promote a culture of safety by providing excellent training and empowering workers to report any hazards, everybody wins. Fewer injuries means a more productive workplace and lower insurance premiums.”

The East Texas employers honored with the state’s Lone Star Safety Award, formerly the Peer Review Safety Award, include:

·         Southern Plastics, a plastic manufacturing facility with about 200 employees in Kilgore.

·         Rusk County Electric Cooperative, an electric power distribution cooperative with 70 employees in Henderson.

Both companies were also awarded a Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) designation by the state and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The SHARP award recognizes small, private sector Texas employers for exemplary safety and health programs.

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation provides a variety of services to help Texas employers provide safe and healthy workplaces, including health and safety materials and customized, onsite safety training. For more information on these services, and for eligibility criteria for the SHARP and Lone Star Safety awards, visit www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/safety/index.html.