Wyeth Pearl River Facility Earns OSHA VPP Star; 2,000th Workplace Recognized In U.S.

Wyeth announced recently that its manufacturing and research facility in Pearl River, N.Y., has earned the highest recognition for workplace safety and health from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) "star." Wyeth Pearl River is the 2,000th site in the U.S. to be accepted into the VPP, and Wyeth's eighth facility in the country to earn the VPP "star."

"This achievement is the result of a two-and-a-half year effort to make workplace safety the responsibility of every employee on site," said Mike McDermott, Vice President, Site Operations, Wyeth Pearl River. "Safety has always been a top priority in Pearl River, and when we applied for VPP, we set our sights on being the best in the industry. We worked aggressively to make improvements in our safety programs, communication, and training, and we are delighted to be recognized as a VPP "star" worksite."

OSHA's VPP promotes worksite-based safety and health through collaboration between management, labor and OSHA by establishing cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system. Acceptance into VPP is OSHA's official recognition of excellence in occupational safety and health. The "star" designation is the highest of three levels of VPP recognition and is reserved for an elite group of worksites that design exemplary safety and health programs, achieve injury and illness rates at or below the national average of their respective industries, and demonstrate their ability to control workplace hazards. Wyeth earned their VPP "star" in the general industry category.

According to Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, with the induction of Wyeth Pearl River, just 2,000 of the roughly eight million worksites in the country have qualified for the VPP. "This is a significant milestone for Wyeth and for OSHA as Pearl River becomes the 2,000th VPP worksite," said Foulke. "The VPP is a merit-based program that recognizes those exemplary worksites where employees and management work together continuously and effectively to minimize hazards, reduce injuries and illnesses, and enhance safety and health."

In April 2008, a team of OSHA representatives conducted a rigorous, weeklong safety and health assessment at Wyeth Pearl River. Among the areas of excellence identified during OSHA's inspection were integration of safety and health matters into manufacturing process documents, and improvements in self-inspection processes.

Wyeth Among Safest Employers in the Nation
Wyeth Pearl River, which is one of the largest sites in Wyeth's global network, is the company's eighth U.S. facility to earn the VPP "star." The seven other Wyeth sites in the U.S. that have earned "star" recognition are located in:

• Andover, Mass
• Research Triangle Park, N.C.
• Sanford, N.C.
• Chazy, N.Y.
• Rouses Point, N.Y. – two sites
• Richmond, Vir.

Wyeth sites in Cambridge, Mass., Princeton, N.J., and Guayama, Puerto Rico, anticipate undergoing VPP inspections later this year.

"Wyeth is committed to improving the health of people who use our products, and that commitment starts at home with our employees," said McDermott.

Wyeth Pearl River is Rockland County's largest private employer, with approximately 3,200 people. The site manufactures Prevnar infant pneumococcal vaccine, Mylotarg, which is used to treat a form of bone marrow cancer, and the Centrum family of multivitamins, the number-one selling multivitamin in the world.

Researchers at Wyeth Pearl River are focused on the discovery and development of novel compounds, innovative therapies and preventative vaccines. Discovery activities are directed to oncology and vaccines therapies, and chemical and screening sciences.

Wyeth

Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The company's major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

SOURCE: Wyeth