Seven Hoosier companies were recognized with the 2010 Governor’s Workplace Safety Awards for advancing occupational safety and health during the Central Indiana Chapter of American Society of Safety Engineers and Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s annual Safety and Health Conference & Expo in Indianapolis yesterday.

The 2010 Governor’s Workplace Safety Awards are a result of a partnership among government, business and safety leaders: the Indiana Department of Labor, on behalf of Gov. Mitch Daniels, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Central Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers. The focus is on best practices for eliminating job-related accidents and illnesses, and saluting those organizations for which safety is the number one workplace priority.

This year, awards were handed out in five categories: overall safety for general industry; overall safety in construction; education, outreach and partnership for general industry; education and outreach in construction; and partnerships in construction. The 2010 winning companies are:

• Chemical Processing, Essex Group, Inc. in Fort Wayne – overall safety by a small company (under 100 employees)
• OFS Brands, Plant #6 in Huntingburg – overall safety by a medium company (101 to 499 employees)
• Roche Diagnostics in Indianapolis – overall safety by a large company (more than 500 employees)
• Weigand Construction Co., Inc. in Fort Wayne – overall safety by a construction company
• Pharmaceutical Research and Development (Lilly) in Indianapolis – education, outreach and partnership for general industry
• Superior Construction Co., Inc. in Gary – education and outreach in construction
• Indianapolis Roofers Safety Group in Zionsville – partnerships in construction

“It’s encouraging to see the number of applications we received this year from companies going that extra mile for workplace safety. Our honorees today represent the best of the best; they demonstrated a commitment not only to protect their employees, but also to ensure employees understand the importance of those safety efforts. The Indiana Department of Labor is proud to honor these leading companies,” Indiana Commissioner of Labor Lori A. Torres says.

All 2010 recipients demonstrated a strong commitment to workplace safety and health through proactive innovation, education and actual work practices.

Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar notes, “The most rewarding benefit of workplace safety is protecting a company’s most important asset – its workers. Beyond that, a healthier workplace translates into more productive workers and a more profitable workplace.”