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Rotating Equipment Repair, Inc.'s Owner and President Kurt Weis (left) receives the SHARP award from OSHA representative Nick Antonio.
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SUSSEX, Wis. -- When a Sussex Fire Department ambulance pulled up in front of Rotating Equipment Repair, Inc.'s (RER) headquarters on June 18th it wasn't for a problem, but a celebration. Fire department personnel came to congratulate RER's owner and employees on receiving the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) award from the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) WisCon occupational safety and health consultation program and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
RER's SHARP honor is one of only 15 in Wisconsin and about 1,400 nationwide. The privately-held company provides on-site industrial pump repair services for the power generation, pulp and paper, and petrochemical industries in the United States and internationally. The 40-person company also operates a full-service machine shop in Sussex for the fabrication, machining and repair of all replacement parts. Some of the pumps RER repairs are two stories tall.
To achieve the SHARP honor, RER demonstrated a commitment to the health and safety of their employees and met or exceeded all of the requirements for participation in this voluntary program. The company had comprehensive safety and health evaluations from WisCon and corrected all hazards identified. RER also partners with the Sussex Fire Department and C&I Safety Consultants to provide safety training for employees.
RER Owner and President Kurt Weis' comments reflected the theme of the celebration - teamwork.
"Whatever we do at RER, we do as a team," Weis said. "We always try to do what's best for our people and our customers and it pays dividends in the long run."
RER staff and management's unity of purpose and family atmosphere are keys to the company's success according to Plant Manager Bob Merriman and Assistant Plant Manager Tony Emanuele.
"This is a great working environment," explains Merriman. "The owners treat the employees really well and it's like a family working together."
"All staff participate in ensuring the safety and health of all of us," said Emanuele, who oversees RER's safety and health activities and received a plaque of appreciation from Weis during the award ceremony for his contributions to RER achieving SHARP status.
RER employees were joined at the celebration by Sussex Village president Tony Lipinksi and Village Trustee Tim Dietrich, as well as a representative from U.S. Senator Russ Feingold's office. U.S. Senator Herb Kohl and U.S. Representative James Sensenbrenner sent congratulatory letters, while State Senator Ted Kanavas and State Assemblyman Don Pridemore also sent their good wishes.
WisCon Program Manager Terry Moen, WisCon Safety Consultant Program Supervisor Dick Lentz and WisCon Environmental Health Specialists Kim Dietz and Jeanette Tierney, along with Nick Antonio from the Milwaukee-area OSHA office presented RER's owner and employees with their SHARP award.
Part of WisCon, SHARP honors small and medium employers that operate exemplary safety and health management systems, while also maintaining an injury and illness rate below the national average for their industry.
The voluntary WisCon Program provides free assistance to employers to establish and maintain a safe and healthy workplace. WisCon consultants conduct on-site facility visits to identify safety and health hazards and recommend control measures; conduct industrial hygiene monitoring for chemical, biological, radiological, and physical hazards; perform ergonomic evaluations; assess the employer's safety and health programs; present occupational health and safety-related training; and evaluate the employer's comprehensive safety and health management system.
Attached to the University of Wisconsin-Madison since its founding in 1903, the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene provides public, environmental and occupational health laboratory and consultation expertise to a wide variety of national, state and local partners. As the state's public, environmental and occupational health laboratory, the WSLH plays a vital role in maintaining the health and safety of Wisconsin's citizens, protecting the environment and providing training to other professionals. Staff also serve as members of the UW-Madison faculty.
Rotating Equipment Repair, Inc.'s Plant
Manager Bob Merriman (left) and
Engineering Manager Tim Reetz show off
the SHARP commemorative t-shirts made for staff.
Rotating Equipment Repair, Inc. refurbishes pumps from
power plants and other industries, both in the U.S. and
internationally. The pump at the bottom of the photo
has been newly refurbished. The pump in the middle
just arrived at RER's Sussex, WI machine shop for repair
work. The structure at the top of the photo is the
"mobile tool box" RER field technicians take with them
when re-installing refurbished pumps.
Story and Photos By: Jan Klawitter, WSLH Public Affairs and Training Manager
Date: June 23, 2009
