Erie, Pennsylvania-based construction company E.E. Austin & Son, Inc. has completed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Challenge Program under the administration of the West Virginia University Safety and Health Extension.

Though the WVU Safety and Health Extension has overseen the OSHA Challenge Program in five states since 2009, E.E. Austin & Son is the first company to complete the three-stage program to date.

“This accreditation speaks volumes in industries where workplace-related incidents are far too common,” said Robert Moore, specialist and safety instructor at the WVU Safety and Health Extension. “For E.E. Austin & Son, this means a total shift in company culture, a more effective worksite and a decrease in the number of workplace-related injuries and illnesses.”

The OSHA Challenge Program gives general industry and construction employers the tools they need to improve workplace safety and health through a strenuous three-step process. The process includes lessons about initial safety planning and development through the implementation of complete safety and health management programs.

“We provide the tools and training for companies looking to take their safety and health practices to the next level,” said Moore. “Ultimately it requires 100 percent investment and a total commitment on the company’s behalf to complete this rigorous program, and that’s just what E.E. Austin & Son has done.”

For more than a century, E.E. Austin & Son has provided construction services to areas of Pennsylvania and New York. By completing all three stages of the OSHA Challenge Program, the company demonstrates a commitment to occupational safety and health management practices and is eligible to move on to OSHA’s more rigorous Voluntary Protection Programs.

“E.E. Austin & Son has always taken seriously the safety and health of our employees,” explained Dan Keil, safety director of the company. “By completing the OSHA Challenge Program, our employees, management and sub-contractors will know how serious we really are as we strive to create one of the safest and most productive work environments in the region.”

The WVU Extension Service provides educational opportunities to local communities through offices in all 55 West Virginia counties. WVU Extension Service’s programs are accomplished in partnership with individuals, families, businesses, civic groups and governmental organizations statewide and throughout the nation.

To learn more about WVU Extension programs, visit www.ext.wvu.edu, or contact your local office of the WVU Extension Service.

-WVU-

bd/09/23/15

CONTACT: Cassie Thomas, WVU Extension Service
304.293.8735; Cassie.Thomas@mail.wvu.edu

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