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Small Company Achieves OSHA Star Status

April 5, 2000

General Magnaplate Corp., Linden, N.J., is one of only four "smaller" companies to be designated a Star Site by OSHA.

Who says you need to be the biggest company to receive OSHA's biggest honor?

General Magnaplate Corp., Linden, N.J., has been designated a Star Site by OSHA.

This highest designation given by OSHA makes General Magnaplate one of only four "smaller" companies in the United States to receive the honor.

Previously, the company earned the Merit Site award under OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) in which businesses voluntarily work to protect their employees against work-related injuries.

The highest award offered by the VPP, which is the Star Award, is reserved for participants that exceed OSHA standards, thereby making them models for their industry.

Although there are more than 200 large companies in the United States who have been awarded the Star Site Award, there are only four small companies who have received this designation.

The award was presented at a ceremony in Linden early last month.

"We are very pleased to be honored as an OSHA Star Site. We had set out on a mission to fortify the safety program of General Magnaplate's Linden facility by partnering with OSHA in the VPP," said Candida Aversenti, CEO of General MagnaPlate. "We're very proud of the hard work and commitment to safety our employees have demonstrated."

"General Magnaplate has demonstrated that small companies can implement safety and health programs that are effective thereby reducing potential injuries," said Norman Deitch, safety specialist from OSHA's New York office. "The efforts put forth by this company proves that such programs can be effective in not only large businesses, but smaller one's as well."

According to Deitch, General Magnaplate is at least 80 percent below the average number of injuries for their industry.

He noted that in 1998 and 1999, the company had no injuries that resulted in an employee being away from work.

The other small companies who were designated as an OSHA Star Site include Epicor, ELF Industrial Lubricants and Dock Resins Corp. all located in Linden.

General Magnaplate Corp. manufactures surface enhancements for metals and other substances.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.