Bremen’s Maine Cat Catamarans has joined 67 other worksites in Maine to be recognized under the federal Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, also known as SHARP.
Maine Cat has been building composite sailing and powered catamarans since 1993, according to the company’s website.
Maine Commissioner of Labor Jean Paquette announced Maine Cat’s SHARP award in a press release Jan. 16.
“SHARP companies know that a safer facility is not only good for Maine workers, but also good for their businesses. Better safety means less lost time due to injury and illness as well as lower workers’ comp costs,” Paquette said.
Gov. Paul LePage also weighed in on the award.
“We congratulate Maine Cat for earning SHARP certification. They demonstrate to their industry that making safety a priority pays off,” LePage said.
According to the release, a company must undergo a comprehensive audit, correct all identified hazards, demonstrate that effective safety and health programs are in place, and maintain injury rates below the industry average in order to qualify for the SHARP designation.
In return, after receiving the award, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration exempts the company from its general inspection schedule for two years.
“It’s huge that we’re actually recognized as one of the 68 safest shops in Maine,” said Dick Vermeulen, owner of Maine Cat. “That’s a big-time deal.”
East Boothbay’s Hodgdon Shipbuilding is the only other currently SHARP-certified business in Lincoln County, according to OSHA’s website.
Fewer than 2,000 worksites across the country have earned the certification, according to the Department of Labor’s release.
According to Vermeulen, Maine Cat’s 12 full-time employees are responsible for their impeccable safety record through their implementation of recommendations from SafetyWorks!, a consulting program from the Department of Labor.
“They’re extremely helpful. They’re the reason we got the award really,” Vermeulen said of SafetyWorks! “Their help through the years has made our shop safer and safer until we got to the point that we were recognized as one of the safest shops in Maine.”
Though 22-year-old Maine Cat has spent “a considerable amount of money” over the years on safety, Vermeulen said the process has really been a progressive “fine-tuning” through implementing small lists of improvements provided by SafetyWorks!
“SafetyWorks! is a great organization, absolutely one of the best things we have to help us here in the shop,” Vermeulen said, specifically giving credit to SafetyWorks! representatives Jane Garland and Meg MacLeod.
According to the program’s website, SafetyWorks! is free of charge and cannot issue citations or fines. For more information about its offerings, visit www.safetyworksmaine.com or call 623-7900.
For more information on Maine Cat Catamarans, visit www.mecat.com or call 529-6500.
