NAICS Code: 562998 - All Other Miscellaneous Waste Management Services

Employees: 32

K-Plus employees, respectively assuming the duties of permit-required confined space entrant and attendant, cleaning a rail car.

K-Plus Industrial Services, Inc. is a full service maintenance and industrial cleaning service company. It provides comprehensive industrial cleaning services to almost any type of plant or factory. To ensure the company was meeting OSHA’s requirements for confined space entrants, it sought out an industrial hygienist from the Illinois On-Site Consultation Program. The consultant performed a survey of the worksite in February 2013 and guided K-Plus toward a full evaluation of all aspects of their safety and health program. Consultation performed a comprehensive evaluation of the company’s safety and health program in May 2013. This visit included a review of all records and written programs, as well as an evaluation of the worksite and employee interviews.

During the initial survey, the consultant identified hazards such as a locked exit door that was not maintained free of all obstructions, and removal of venting caps (bung caps) on a flammable cabinet that caused the cabinet to not meet minimal fire resistance requirements. K-Plus immediately rectified the issues by installing panic bars with alarm connection to indicate use of the exit door and installing bung caps on the flammable cabinet.

In August 2013, the company achieved recognition under the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). SHARP acknowledges small and medium-sized businesses that have used OSHA On-Site Consultation Program services and operate exemplary workplace safety and health programs. Small businesses that achieve SHARP status receive a deferral from OSHA or the State Plan programmed inspections for the period that the SHARP designation is valid. Acceptance of a worksite into SHARP is an achievement that identifies the employer as a model for occupational safety and health among its business peers.

Following its SHARP recognition, K-Plus continued to work with the Illinois On-Site Consultation Program to build on the company’s improved safety culture by implementing new programs to encourage employee involvement. The company also partnered with outside professional safety trainers to create a more detailed and better structured training program for all employees.

K-Plus Industrial’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR) has steadily declined since achieving SHARP status. The EMR dropped from .93 in 2012, the year prior to SHARP recognition, to .83 in 2020. Insurance companies use EMRs to determine an employer’s workers’ compensation premiums – a lower EMR means a lower workers’ compensation premium.

K-Plus has maintained an accident free workplace since 2002, with a Days Away, Restricted Time (DART) rate of zero. Since becoming a SHARP member, the company has been able to maintain that success while nearly tripling in size. K-Plus had 35 employees in 2020, up from 13 in 2013. The company received its most recent SHARP renewal in August 2020.

The On-Site Consultation Program has been a valuable resource for K-Plus when seeking information on current safety and health trends or suggestions for improvements. “Our relationship with the On-Site Consultation Program is an asset for our goal to continually improve the safety culture of our company. Having professionals with a ‘second set of eyes’ has helped K-Plus identify and correct any deficiencies in our programs and practices that may have been overlooked,” said Matthew Woods, Director of Safety and Human Resources.

Companies interested in SHARP can contact their local OSHA On-Site Consultation program to discuss details and schedule an on-site safety and health evaluation. To locate the On-Site Consultation program nearest you, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit www.osha.gov/consultation.