The Waldoboro Fire Dept. will be honored in a ceremony prior to the Tues., Feb. 12 meeting of the Board of Selectmen. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m.
Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette announced Dec. 28 that five municipal departments in Maine earned the Safety and Health Award for Public Employers (SHAPE). The SHAPE certification recognizes public-sector organizations that voluntarily undertake a rigorous safety achievement program for their workers.
In addition to Waldoboro, recipients are the Harrington Fire Department, the Kittery Water District, the Durham Fire Department and the Houlton Water Company.
“We congratulate these local fire and water departments for becoming SHAPE certified,” Paquette said in a press release.
“Organizations that achieve SHAPE status demonstrate that focusing on worker safety is of utmost importance,” she said. “These departments know that keeping workers safe is not only good for the people of Maine, but also good for their communities and their taxpayers. Better safety means less lost time due to injury and illness as well as lower workers’ comp costs.”
“I think it’s a wonderful thing,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Craig Cooley said Dec. 31. “I am very pleased that the officers and members of the Waldoboro Fire Dept. have earned the Safety and Health Award for Public Employers, this truly demonstrates that the members are striving to provide a safe and healthful workplace, which will benefit everyone in Waldoboro.”
“We have a great team that puts a lot of effort into making it a well rounded department. I’m very proud of their accomplishment,” Cooley said.
The award is part of SafetyWorks! an outreach program designed by the Dept. of Labor to reduce job-related injuries, illnesses and deaths. Its services are available by request and free of charge. According to the website at safetyworksmaine.com, the voluntary program does not fall under the auspices of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and cannot issue citations or fines.
The SafetyWorks! project provides a number of services to public and private organizations, including a telephone help line, help identifying and correcting workplace hazards, air and noise monitoring, training on a variety of safety and health topics and help improving a company’s health and safety program. SafetyWorks! also has a lending library of safely videos and can provide publications and statistical information.
The awards bring the total of all SHAPE organizations in the state to 49 and the total of SHAPE fire departments to 25. Well-rounded safety and health programs, such as those implemented by SHAPE departments, results in lower numbers of employee injuries and illnesses and provides for better employee morale and retention, the press releases said.
The SHAPE award was originally conceived in 2005 as a way to recognize public-sector employers and employees who are striving to provide a safe and healthful workplace. It is given only to exemplary public-sector employers after a thorough review and inspection of the employer’s safety and health policies and procedures by a SafetyWorks! consultant.
Dept. of Labor spokeswoman Julie Rabinowitz said the Waldoboro Fire Dept. would receive its plaque at the Feb. 12 ceremony.
Those wishing to learn more about the SHAPE designation and SafetyWorks! and those seeking services should call toll-free 877-723-3345. Online forms are available at the website for videos, publications, training, or consultation.
The Maine Department of Labor provides equal opportunity employment and programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
