Skip to content Back to Top

Telalaska, Inc. Receives Vpp Safety Award

Nov. 05, 2002
No. 02-63

On October 30, 2002, Rich Mastriano, Director of the Labor Standard and Safety Division of the Department of Labor presented VPP Merit award under AK OSH Voluntary Protection Program to TelAlaska, Inc. in Unalaska. Ed Flanagan, the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development approved the company for the Alaska Occupational Safety and Health (AK OSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) on August 27, 2002.

TelAlaska is the only telecommunication company awarded that recognition among 850 companies nationwide. Voluntary Protection Programs are designed to recognize and promote effective safety and health management. In the VPP, management, labor, and Alaska OSH establish a cooperative relationship at a workplace that has implemented a strong safety and health program.  Participation in the program is voluntary and does not exempt the worksite from OSH enforcement activities in case of employee's complaints and accident investigations. However the worksite is removed from general scheduled inspections for the approved period of time (from 18 months up to 5 years).

TelAlaska has only nine employees in Unalaska, but the company has several other locations statewide, including Anchorage, Seward, and Nome.


Federal OSHA first adopted the VPP on July 2, 1982. The Alaska OSH has offered the Voluntary Protection Program to Alaskan employers since December 1997. At the present time there are five VPP sites under Alaska OSH: BP Central Power Station (CPS) in Prudhoe Bay, AirLogistics of Alaska in Fairbanks, and UniSea in Dutch Harbor.

Krystyna Markiewicz, Health Consultant and VPP/SHARP Coordinator for AK OSH can be contacted at (907) 269-4958 or krystyna_markiewicz@labor.state.ak.us for more information about the Voluntary Protection Program.

###