Parsons Facility Receives Top OSHA Safety Recognition.

PASADENA, Calif. -- Parsons Technology Development and Fabrication Complex (PTDFC) in Pasco, Washington, has earned the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star status, the top safety recognition from Washington Industrial Safety & Health Administration (WISHA) and U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Programs. Parsons received the award on October 5 at a ceremony at the PTDFC facility.

The PTDFC went through a rigorous 3 1/2-day WISHA audit demonstrating that its safety programs and practices reached the highest level of excellence in workplace health and safety. The WISHA team also reviewed the complex's accident rates that are 89% below the national average for their industry. The PTDFC is one of only 1,351 companies in the United States, and one of only 23 in the state of Washington to achieve VPP Star Status. This is out of 7.2 million worksites overseen by OSHA nationwide.

"Designation as a VPP Star Status is a testament to sustained excellence in all areas of safety and health management at the PTDFC," states Tom Roell, Parsons Group President.

Parsons is fast becoming an industry leader in the area of safety and health. An innovative internal best practices program was recently developed to assist project managers with the implementation and administration of Parsons safety and risk process. This tool has allowed Parsons to substantially reduce accident rates and accident costs associated with our various property and casualty coverages. The National Safety Council has recognized Parsons the past two years for its outstanding safety performance.

PTDFC is a center of excellence delivering proven innovative solutions through integration of conceptual and detailed design, analysis, fabrication, assembly, and testing, complete with installation and operational support.

Involvement in the VPP requires that management, labor, and regulators work together to implement hazard prevention, and safety and health programs designed to safeguard workers. The VPP Star Recognition is reserved for participants that exceed OSHA standards, making them models for their industry. Sites participating in the VPP have overall lost workday rates over 50 percent below industry averages.

The VPP is an employee-driven, management-led commitment to safety and health aimed at reducing accident rates and maintaining high standards of safety performance. The members represent a select group of facilities that have designed and implemented outstanding safety and health programs that stand well beyond minimum OSHA requirements. These organizations have maintained impressive records of reducing accidents and injuries, maintaining the highest standards for safety and health performance, and saving costs associated with accidents, including direct medical expenses, lost time from work, and compensation costs.

Parsons, with over 60 years of setting industry standards, is a leader in many diversified markets such as infrastructure, planning, facilities, industrial processes, communications, transportation, water, environmental, and advanced technology. Parsons provides technical and management solutions to private industrial customers worldwide as well as federal, regional, and local government agencies. For more about Parsons, please visit us at www.parsons.com.