I’d like to tell you about the Dighton Power Plant in Massachusetts, a shining example of workplace safety and health. The U.S. Department of Labor recently renewed Dighton Power’s ‘Star Level’ designation, recognizing the plant’s commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for its 15 employees.
Located in Dighton, Massachusetts, the power plant operates as a natural gas facility that generates electricity for the New England power grid. Owned by Starwood Energy Group Global, the plant uses an Alstom GT-11N2-EV gas turbine with DLN silo and MXL upgrade package, Nooter Eriksen HRSG, and Alstom VAX steam turbine. The facility has a capacity of 175 MW and falls under the jurisdiction of the NPCC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation).
Since 2005, Dighton Power has held OSHA’s ‘Star’ status, the highest level of recognition within the agency’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). This prestigious designation is awarded to companies that demonstrate exemplary workplace safety and health management systems. In December 2022, after an evaluation by a team of OSHA safety and health experts, the plant earned its latest VPP star renewal.
According to OSHA Regional Administrator Galen Blanton in Boston, “The Dighton, Massachusetts, facility continues to maintain a high level of workplace safety and health. The site focuses on employee education and training for hazards prevalent in this industry, such as falls and electrical.”
The Voluntary Protection Programs foster cooperation between management, labor, and OSHA to promote effective worksite-based safety and health management systems. By participating in the VPP, employers and employees can create safer and healthier work environments, and in turn, receive official recognition from OSHA for their outstanding efforts.
Dighton Power is part of the NAES family of companies, the power generation industry’s largest independent services provider. NAES manages more than 50,000 MW of generation and employs over 4,000 team members. Their vast experience in operations, maintenance, fabrication, grid management, regulatory compliance, and technical support allows them to build, operate, and maintain both traditional and renewable energy resources.
Dighton Power’s continued commitment to workplace safety and health serves as an inspiration for other facilities in the energy industry. By fostering a culture of safety, employee education, and hazard mitigation, the plant demonstrates the benefits of investing in comprehensive safety and health management systems.
About OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)
The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) acknowledge private industry and federal agency employers and workers who have established effective safety and health management systems and maintain below-average injury and illness rates. In VPP, management, labor, and OSHA collaborate proactively to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses through hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, and management commitment and worker involvement. To participate, employers must apply to OSHA and pass a thorough onsite evaluation. VPP participants are re-evaluated every 3-5 years and are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections while maintaining their status. VPP has three levels: Demonstration, Merit, and Star. Demonstration tests safety practices, Merit recognizes good safety and health systems, and Star is awarded to the best performers.
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