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Featured Article: OSHA & VSRA Partnership: 3rd Year & Going Strong

In 2016, the Virginia Ship Repair Association (VSRA) renewed the longest-running partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  To this day, it continues to grow strong and remains an interactive and effective collaboration tool for private shipyards (and maritime-related businesses).  The Partnership was established in 2002.  In fact, it is the only Maritime OSHA-VSRA Partnership in the entire country in existence today.  There are currently 37 companies that are active partners, sharing our experiences and learning from each other. 

This Partnership creates an invaluable forum for open communication and dialogue between OSHA and the members of the ship repair and shipbuilding communities.  The Partnership’s objective is to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for the dedicated men and women of this industry.  The strength behind the Partnership is open communication about common challenges, followed by unified, strategic actions to effect positive change.  We salute those dedicated EHS professionals who have those candid conversations and implement creative solutions to make our workplace that much safer.

To celebrate 2018 Partnership successes, VSRA held a celebratory lunch on March 7, 2019.  Partnership leaders, Bill Crow, President, VSRA, Stan Dutko, Jr., OSHA Area Director and co-chairs, Tom Binner, BAE Safety Manager and Dawn Kriz, General Dynamics NASSCO Norfolk EHS Director each shared their perspective on 2018 achievements.  These accomplishments included: establishing two subcommittees, one to standardize how the breathe air process works across the industry and another to codify how onsite peer-to-peer assessments will be conducted in 2019. 

While the Partnership’s combined injury rate numbers were below the national industry average, there were still reported injuries within the maritime industry last year.  The idea of a zero-injury rate in ship repair and shipbuilding, while extremely challenging, is possible.  We have never investigated an injury where there were not multiple associated root causes. If we can identify those, prevention is just a step away.  This Partnership is a great opportunity to share those root causes, therefore helping the collective community to prevent injuries and accidents.  This Partnership is an active demonstration of those employers who want to “do the right thing” and enhance their worker safety and health programs for their people.

Through their Partnership programs, OSHA enters into an extended, voluntary, cooperative relationship with employers, employees, and employee representatives.  OSHA thereby encourages, assists, and recognizes Partnership member efforts to eliminate serious hazards and achieve a high level of worker safety and health.  Partnership members remain subject to enforcement, but the Partnership provides an opportunity to proactively cooperative with OSHA to find effective ways to prevent worker injuries, illnesses, and deaths at Partner worksites.  The Partnership provides a forum for a community of proactive-minded members who want to improve safety and health programs to further reduce the injury rate of the ship repair and maritime industry within our port.

About the Author
Dawn R. Kriz, CHMM, MBA is the Director of Environmental, Health and Safety at General Dynamics - NASSCO Norfolk and Co-Chair of the VSRA OSHA Partnership. 

Dawn received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Health Science from Old Dominion University in 1996, a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager certification in 2007 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Strayer University in 2010. While working on her undergraduate degree, Dawn worked for the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) conducting environmental sampling and analyses.  Shortly after graduation, she began a career at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company progressively moving into increasing roles in the Environmental Engineering Department managing wastewater permits and subsequently the hazardous and solid waste programs. In 2007, Dawn took on greater responsibility as she worked for Newport News Industrial, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.  There she developed an environmental, health and safety (EHS) program from the ground up which is still active today. In July of 2012, Dawn began working for General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk as their Environmental Manager.  In February of 2013, she was asked to step into the position of Director of EHS.  This position is unique to General Dynamics and required the consolidation of two shipyards’ EHS departments.  In addition to the consolidation, she and her team were working on obtaining an Environmental Health and Safety Management Certification (ISO 14001 /OSHAS 18001).  The consolidated company was certified in April of 2015.  During this time, Dawn also set up an EHS Department in their new location in Bremerton, Washington. Today, she is accountable for leading EHS compliance for facilities in Norfolk and Portsmouth.  Currently, there are 700 employees and anywhere from 900-1200 contractors onsite daily.  There are approximately eight locations that employees work from on a day-to-day basis all subject to Title V, RCRA, CERCLA, SARA, DOT, NFPA, OSHA, Government Standard Items and many other regulations.  The Company is a proud sponsor of the Elizabeth River Project, manages wetlands and participates in events that help improve the local community. Dawn resides in the Hampton Roads, Virginia with her husband of twenty-three years and their zoo comprised of cats and chickens at the moment.  She enjoys movies, hiking, gardening, travel and spending time with her family.  She is currently the Co-Chair of the OSHA Partnership through the Virginia Ship Repair Association (VSRA).  She volunteers her time in the community by participating in environmental cleanups, supporting the Elizabeth River Project and currently working with Old Dominion University to establish an EHS Scholarship.


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