Western Lake Superior Sanitary District’s Dedication to Safety with Minnesota SHARP

Western Lake Superior Sanitary District’s Dedication to Safety with Minnesota SHARP

 

In the early 2000s, the management of Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) recognized a need to drastically improve safety and health. When they learned about the Minnesota Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (MNSHARP), WLSSD began its journey to SHARP with its first On-Site Consultation visit in 2005.

  • The Minnesota OSHA Workplace Safety Consultation (WSC) visits resulted in findings that led to improvements in the safety program, including the addition of a safety manager position.
  • Safety program reviews with employee feedback improved employee hazard recognition and reporting using SharePoint.
  • Added recurring self-inspections and regularly scheduled safety committee meetings and training sessions.
  • The WLSSD safety program has evolved and progressed after 18 years of working with Minnesota’s WSC consultants.
  • Improved the safety culture by giving employees the knowledge and support to make changes throughout the organization and fostering a participatory, trusting relationship with employees.

Employees have transformed from accepting safety hazards as part of their workday to having the awareness to recognize hazards and the fortitude to ensure they are corrected. This culture shift holds true today.

In 2008, WLSSD became the first multi-site public employer to receive MNSHARP status. WLSSD in Carlton, Duluth (Ridgeview), and Scanlon were most recently renewed in 2022 and Duluth (Courtland) most recent renewal was in 2024. Through WLSSD’s dedication to safety and the assistance of MNSHARP consultants, WLSS reduced the Total Case Injury Rate (TCIR) by 55% and reduced the Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) Rate by 80% over an 18-year period.

Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) provides wastewater and solid waste services and oversight for a 530-square-mile region around Duluth, Minnesota that includes nine cities and eight surrounding townships.

The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) acknowledges small and medium-sized businesses that have used OSHA On-Site Consultation Program services and operate exemplary workplace safety and health programs.