(Tamuning, Guam) – In a ceremony at the Atkins Kroll Toyota Showroom, the Guam Department of Labor (GDOL) today recognized Atkins Kroll Inc., an Inchcape company, as the region and island’s first company to be awarded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) certification. As a SHARP site, AK Guam will be exempt from programmed OSHA inspections for two years.
In all of region nine which includes California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands, AK is the only automotive dealership to receive a SHARP certification. Alex Yap, President of Atkins Kroll Inc., said, “Safety is paramount to all that we do here at AK. While achieving this certification was by no means an easy feat, we are committed to providing a healthy and safe work environment for our employees. Protecting them and the safety of our customers was our motivating factor.”
SHARP recognizes businesses that use OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program services and operates exemplary worksite safety and health programs. The recognition comes after months of collaborating with GDOL’s OSHA On-site Consultation Division to elevate AK’s workplace safety. The safety and health consultation program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort and helps companies to identify potential hazards at their workplace, improve programs that are already in place, and qualify for SHARP.
Dave Dell’Isola, GDOL Director, noted, “This is an impressive achievement for AK and a win for Guam. AK is the first company on the island and in the Pacific to achieve this, even before Hawaii. We hope more companies follow suit and consider working with us to improve overall safety in the workplace.”
Jesse Pangelinan, Program Manager at GDOL’s OSHA On-Site Consultation Division, said, “I congratulate AK Guam on its recognition from the OSHA National Office for SHARP. I have seen AK Guam’s program and team’s efforts improve every year. They’ve reduced the company’s Incidents Rate (IR) and DART Rates (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred); improved its safety and health programs; and continuously increased training and hazard identification. I look forward to working with AK to maintain its SHARP status for the future.”
Yap added, “We thank GDOL for its partnership and guidance. Receiving this award means so much to our company as it shows we are doing right by our team and making AK a safer and better place to work.”
Atkins Kroll is the first organization in Guam and first automotive dealership in all of region nine to receive OSHA SHARP Certification. AK President Alex Yap and AK employees received the official certificate from Guam Department of Labor during a presentation in the AK Toyota Showroom.