During their first year and a half in business, All 4 Paws Animal Hospital in Apex has built a reputation for their wonderful treatment of cats, dogs, ferrets and an assortment of other pets.
Lately, it has become apparent that they also take pretty good care of their employees.
All 4 Paws recently became the first veterinarian practice in North Carolina to earn Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program status.
N.C. Department of Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry last week presented owners Dr. Emily Dorsett and Dr. Hilarie Jerauld with a certificate and SHARP flag during a small, informal ceremony at the animal hospital.
“You are the first (veterinarians) in the state to receive this and I think that is just wonderful,” said Berry. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication but it is something that benefits everyone. You take good care of animals and people.”
SHARP recognizes small to mid-size employers that have developed and maintained effective safety and health programs.
To earn SHARP status, business owners must abide by Occupational Safety and Health Association consultants’ recommendations, score well on OSHA assessments and maintain injury and illness rates below the national average.
Benefits from SHARP include increased productivity, lower compensation costs and reduced OSHA inspections.
“We’ve always wanted to do things the right way and do what is best,” said Dorsett. “People are so good to their pets but we sometimes forget about people. When we heard about SHARP we wanted to become involved and become a role model for the community. We are so happy this was available to us.”
North Carolina currently leads the nation with 118 SHARP sites and Berry hopes that number will continue to rise.
“It is a wonderful program,” said Berry. “OSHA people come out at no charge and make sure you are in compliance and they don’t have any citation pads with them. They are there to help you.
“SHARP is good for everybody, especially during this economy. It helps businesses save a lot of money on workers’ compensation. I hope more people hear about this and we become inundated with phone calls.”
For more information on SHARP visit www.nclabor.com.
Post a Comment
