On Monday, July 15, 2024, McElroy was recognized for its commitment to workplace safety and its participation in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).
Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn presented the company with a proclamation commending leadership and employees at two McElroy campuses, located at 833 N Fulton Ave. and 5305 E. Admiral Place in Tulsa. She and OSHA Consultation Director Jason Hudson also presented company leadership with a flag commemorating McElroy’s SHARP-certified status.
SHARP is an on-site consultation program that offers confidential occupational safety and health services to small- and medium-sized businesses in the U.S., free of charge. Consultants from local agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs.
“We all can use another set of eyes to help make sure we’re doing the right thing here at McElroy and providing a safe workplace for our team,” said McElroy Environmental Health and Safety Manager Tony Little.
While addressing the crowd during the presentation, Osborn commended McElroy ’s continued emphasis on employee safety. McElroy, she said, has a long history of ensuring safe working conditions for the hundreds of team members who come to work each day.
“In my six years as labor commissioner, I have discovered that McElroy is like our flagship,” Osborn said. “Its three sites are consistently trying to do everything they can to keep their employees safe and to meet the qualifications to be a SHARP company. Often, we use McElroy as an example across the state of why companies should want to be involved in this program.”
To become SHARP certified, companies must first reach out to their local OSHA representatives for a consultation visit. During the visit, representatives study the company’s entire workplace, doing walk-throughs of facilities, examining existing safety programs, interviewing employees, and going through the company’s training records. The process is time and labor-intensive, and once completed OSHA representatives provide a report of their findings.
The company has a long history of dedication to workplace safety. In 1964, McElroy founder Art McElroy asked for OSHA to visit and help assure compliance with OSHA standards. This predated federal OSHA requirements and is a testament to McElroy’s culture of safety.
“Even back in those days, Art knew that it would be good to have someone come in and help make the workplace safer for his team,” Little said.
McElroy has been SHARP certified since 1999 and its three campuses are part of 14 SHARP-certified workplaces in Oklahoma. This certification extends from 2024 to 2026.