Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet
Emphasis on safety brings two awards for packaging maker Buckhorn Inc.

DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. (Oct. 19, 2006) – Buckhorn Inc., whose employees have worked more than a year without a “lost-time” injury or illness, today received two awards that reflect the company’s emphasis on safety at its plant in Dawson Springs.

Buckhorn received a 2006 Governor’s Safety and Health Award and was recertified for SHARP – the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program. Plant Manager Tom Blade was presented the awards by Philip J. Anderson, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Labor (DOL), an agency of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet.

“A fundamental goal of our cabinet is to improve workplace safety, in keeping with Governor Ernie Fletcher’s belief that a healthy work force is indispensable to strong communities and a healthy economy,” Anderson said. “We are pleased that Buckhorn shares that vision.”

The Dawson Springs plant is a leading manufacturer of reusable plastic packaging products such as collapsible bulk boxes, lids, modular nesting systems, bakery trays and agricultural containers, among others.

The Governor’s Safety and Health Award is for employers and employees who together have achieved a specified streak of hours worked without a lost-time episode or who have gone one year without a recordable injury or illness.

SHARP certification is currently reserved for small employers – 250 or fewer workers – that have demonstrated excellence in occupational safety and health in a “high hazard” industry. Companies must meet Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the program. DOL presents the award. Kentucky has had its own, federally approved Occupational Safety and Health program since 1973.

Buckhorn, which believes in the 3 P's of quality: People, Product and Performance, has been a SHARP participant since May 2004 and is one of three Kentucky companies currently holding SHARP certification. Others are Uncle Charlie’s Meats, a wholesale food distributor in Richmond, and E.D. Bullard Inc., a maker of hardhats and other protective equipment in Cynthiana.