SHARP Award Identifies Role Models in Safety

SHARP stands for Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program. It's a rigorous program that sets businesses apart from their competitors as role models for worksite safety and health.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has an on-site consultation program available to businesses to help them identify hazards in the workplace and create safety programs and procedures to maintain a safe worksite.

HISTORY

Originally created for all businesses to have access to compliance assistance resources, OSHA found that large corporates were participating in SHARP, leaving fewer resources for small businesses that didn’t have the capacity to manage their safety programs without support from OSHA. In November 2014, OSHA revised SHARP by setting a size requirement for participation, so OSHA’s resources could be more accessible for smaller businesses. The change only affects those trying to participate in the program after November 2014.

BENEFITS OF SHARP

By achieving SHARP status, businesses maintain exemplary safety and health programs and are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections for up to two years and subsequent renewal for up to three years.

SHARP certified businesses protect employees and create a Safety-first culture by

• Protecting workers from safety and health hazards that may exist in their workplace
• Working with OSHA to identify and implement best practices to protect employees
• Developing an innovative safety and health program
• Improving communication among workers and management
• Becoming a leader in the industry by providing a safe and healthy workplace

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CLEVELAND DIVISION

Olympic Steel’s Cleveland, OH division first achieved SHARP recognition in 2011. Since then, they’ve renewed their SHARP status every three years. Congratulations to them for their latest renewal, effective January 2025 – January 2028!

LEARN MORE

If you’re interested in learning more about SHARP, visit osha.gov. If you have questions about how this program or Olympic Steel’s Safety Programs, reach out to Tony Dominic, VP – Safety, Health and Environment, at Tony.Dominic@olysteel.com.

Note: Participation in SHARP does not eliminate the responsibilities and protections included in the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Safety First. Always. And, it starts with me.