NORWICH – Wednesday the Unison Industries manufacturing facility in Norwich became one of the few New York State businesses to earn federal recognition for its safety practices.

Unison was honored by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) with the agency’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR designation for its outstanding health and safety record.

Of the nearly 7 million workplaces in the United States, only 1,756 are VPP Star certified sites.

“At Unison, the safety of our employees is our greatest priority,” said Unison’s Director of Operations Gary Cummings.

“What the business has done here is truly an extraordinary accomplishment. There are very few businesses in the state that have been able to achieve as much and the people here should be extremely proud of themselves,” said OSHA representative Chris Adams.

OSHA’s VPP programs aim to establish worksite based safety and health. Star is the highest level of VPP certification from OSHA.