By Darst, Paul
FAIRMONT - The U.S. Occupation Safety and Health Administration recently recognized a West Virginia organization with one of its top awards.
The NASA Independent Verification and Validation Facility in Fairmont received OSHA's Star Worksite Award, according to a news release from NASA. The announcement was made during an Oct. 24 event at the facility in Fairmont.
U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va.; Rob Strain, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center; Bryan O'Connor, chief of safety and mission assurance for NASA and Jeffery Funke, area director for the U.S. Department of Labor, were among those who attended the event.
The Star Worksite Award is part of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs, according to information from OSHA. It is the program's highest designation and is reserved for those organizations that meet all of the VPP program requirements.
The IVV facility is the sixth of NASA's 10 centers around the country to be designated a Star Worksite, according to information from NASA. IVV is the second worksite in West Virginia to receive the award. The otheris Allegheny Energy Inc., which includes its Rivesville and Harrison power plants.
NASA's IVV Facility was established in 1993 as part of the agency's strategic plan to improve safety in the wake of the Challenger disaster. For the past 15 years, NASA workers and contractors at the facility have been responsible for testing software used for space flights.
The facility also is involved in developing the next generation of spacecraft for the United States. Today, three NASA workers and 46 contractors are working on Project Constellation, which is geared to returning Americans to the moon, and eventually taking them to Mars.
OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs are designed to promote worksite safety and health, according to information from the administration. As part of the program, management, labor and the agency must work together to form worksite plans for safety and health.
Being approved for VPP is recognition of a worksite's efforts toward improving safety and health, according to OSHA.
Copyright State Journal Corporation Oct 31, 2008
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