Nucor Steel Gallatin became Kentucky’s 13th Voluntary Protection Partnership (VPP) Star Site.
Nucor Steel Gallatin employees prepare to raise the flag recognizing the plant as Kentucky’s 13th Voluntary Protection Partnership (VPP) Star Site (provided photo).
Danny Davis, acting director of the Division of Education and Training in the Labor Cabinet’s Department of Workplace Standards, attended today’s VPP flag raising ceremony at the company’s steel mill in Ghent, Kentucky.
“Congratulations to Nucor Steel Gallatin on this significant achievement,” said Gov. Matt Bevin. “The safety and health of Kentucky’s workforce are of paramount importance, and we are grateful for Nucor’s dedicated efforts in pursuit of continual improvement. As Kentucky takes its place as America’s center for engineering and manufacturing excellence, companies like Nucor are setting a powerful national standard for workplace safety.”
Nucor Steel Gallatin, in Ghent, is part of Nucor Corp., which is the largest steel producer in the United States and North America’s largest recycler. The company has more than 200 facilities primarily located in the United States and Canada. Approximately 480 teammates currently work at the mill in Kentucky, and the company recently announced investments of more than $800 million to expand the plant.
“We congratulate the entire Nucor Steel Gallatin team for valuing the importance of workplace safety and completing the comprehensive program required to be recognized as a VPP Star site,” Acting Labor Secretary David A. Dickerson stated. “Voluntary, proactive programs like VPP play an important role in creating safer workplaces across the state. The program is the gold standard for implementing and maintaining safety and health management systems, and we urge other companies across Kentucky to follow the lead of Nucor Steel Gallatin and our other VPP sites.”
The Division of Education and Training oversees the Voluntary Protection Partnership program in Kentucky. To receive VPP status, companies such as Nucor Steel Gallatin, must meet rigorous qualifying criteria and undergo an extensive on-site evaluation. The program is very similar to federal OSHA’s VPP program. To maintain the designation going forward, companies must demonstrate continual improvement in safety and health.
Nucor Steel Gallatin becomes the 26th Nucor facility to be recognized as a VPP Star site, demonstrating the company’s commitment to workplace safety.
“We began our VPP journey two years ago, and through the hard work and commitment of each and every one of our teammates, the Nucor Gallatin mill has achieved this distinction and become a safer place to work,” John Farris, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Gallatin, said. “I am very proud to be a part of this team.”
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