Pearl River Becomes 8th Wyeth Site To Achieve OSHA'S Highest Safety
Recognition
PEARL RIVER, N.Y., July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wyeth (NYSE: WYE)
announced today that its manufacturing and research facility in Pearl
River, N.Y., has earned the highest recognition for workplace safety and
health from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA): the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) "star."
Wyeth Pearl River is the 2,000th site in the U.S. to be accepted into the
VPP, and Wyeth's eighth facility in the country to earn the VPP "star."
"This achievement is the result of a two-and-a-half year effort to make
workplace safety the responsibility of every employee on site," said Mike
McDermott, Vice President, Site Operations, Wyeth Pearl River. "Safety has
always been a top priority in Pearl River, and when we applied for VPP, we
set our sights on being the best in the industry. We worked aggressively to
make improvements in our safety programs, communication, and training, and
we are delighted to be recognized as a VPP 'star' worksite."
OSHA's VPP promotes worksite-based safety and health through
collaboration between management, labor and OSHA by establishing
cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a
comprehensive safety and health management system. Acceptance into VPP is
OSHA's official recognition of excellence in occupational safety and
health. The "star" designation is the highest of three levels of VPP
recognition and is reserved for an elite group of worksites that design
exemplary safety and health programs, achieve injury and illness rates at
or below the national average of their respective industries, and
demonstrate their ability to control workplace hazards. Wyeth earned their
VPP "star" in the general industry category.
According to Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Labor for
OSHA, with the induction of Wyeth Pearl River, just 2,000 of the roughly
eight million worksites in the country have qualified for the VPP. "This is
a significant milestone for Wyeth and for OSHA as Pearl River becomes the
2,000th VPP worksite," said Foulke. "The VPP is a merit-based program that
recognizes those exemplary worksites where employees and management work
together continuously and effectively to minimize hazards, reduce injuries
and illnesses, and enhance safety and health."
In April 2008, a team of OSHA representatives conducted a rigorous,
weeklong safety and health assessment at Wyeth Pearl River. Among the areas
of excellence identified during OSHA's inspection were integration of
safety and health matters into manufacturing process documents, and
improvements in self-inspection processes.
Wyeth Among Safest Employers in the Nation
Wyeth Pearl River, which is one of the largest sites in Wyeth's global
network, is the company's eighth U.S. facility to earn the VPP "star." The
seven other Wyeth sites in the U.S. that have earned "star" recognition are
located in:
-- Andover, Mass.
-- Research Triangle Park, N.C.
-- Sanford, N.C.
-- Chazy, N.Y.
-- Rouses Point, N.Y. -- two sites
-- Richmond, Vir.
Wyeth sites in Cambridge, Mass., Princeton, N.J., and Guayama, Puerto
Rico, anticipate undergoing VPP inspections later this year.
"Wyeth is committed to improving the health of people who use our
products, and that commitment starts at home with our employees," said
McDermott.
Wyeth Pearl River is Rockland County's largest private employer, with
approximately 3,200 people. The site manufactures Prevnar(R) infant
pneumococcal vaccine, Mylotarg(R), which is used to treat a form of bone
marrow cancer, and the Centrum(R) family of multivitamins, the number-one
selling multivitamin in the world.
Researchers at Wyeth Pearl River are focused on the discovery and
development of novel compounds, innovative therapies and preventative
vaccines. Discovery activities are directed to oncology and vaccines
therapies, and chemical and screening sciences.
Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and
health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery,
development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines,
biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines that
improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The company's major
divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort
Dodge Animal Health.
SOURCE Wyeth
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Related links:
http://www.wyeth.com
CONTACT:
Grace Ann Arnold of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals,
+1-845-602-4768; or Ted Fitzgerald of U.S. Department of Labor,
+1-617-565-2074
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