Governor's Awards for Safety Excellence (GASE)

Providing a safe work environment for Pennsylvania's workers requires commitment from employers and employees alike. The highly competitive Governor's Award for Safety Excellence (GASE) recognizes outstanding workplace safety programs and the superior management/employee collaborations that make these programs so successful.

Any Pennsylvania employer can nominate themselves or be nominated by a third party. Nominations are accepted from January 1st through May 1st of the current calendar year.

The initial review of all nominations is conducted by the GASE Review Committee. Information and criteria used to determine semi-finalists include:

• Injuries and illnesses rates vs. same-industry rates
• Reduction in workers’ compensation costs
• Safety program innovation
• Strategic development of safety policy and approaches
• Joint safety program in place
• Cooperative labor/management effort - teamwork

Semi-finalists will be contacted for a virtual review of the nominee’s comprehensive safety program. Following the virtual review, the committee will determine who is eligible for an on-site tour. Site visit reports are used to determine finalists. Recommendations are then forwarded to the Secretary of Labor & Industry who makes the final determination.

Awards are presented by representatives of the Department of Labor & Industry at the organization's workplace. Award winners receive a plaque to memorialize their achievements. Award winners are also acknowledged at the Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference in October.

Valuable best practices from winning finalists are shared across the state.

The GASE Review Committee is open right now and applications for 2025 nominations are now being ACCEPTED.

• Use the Request for GASE Nomination Form and receive a link to the GASE Nomination Form and the GASE Nomination Worksheet.
• Use the worksheet to gather your information and prepare your responses.
• Copy and paste many of your collected responses from the worksheet to the nomination form.

The GASE Review Committee looks forward to learning about your exemplary safety program and the unique efforts used to keep your employees healthy and safe!

Questions? Contact the GASE Program Coordinator at RA-LIBWC-GASE@pa.gov or (717) 772-1917.​​

Key achievements of Buckeye Corrugated

• Exemplary behavior-based safety culture reflected in consistently clean and safe work areas.
• Certified workplace safety committee is a core pillar of their safety program.
• Innovative responses to identified safety issues:
  • Forklift safety strengthened through illuminated pedestrian pathway markings
  • Upgraded guarding exceeding OEM standards
  • Infrared cameras to monitor facility accumulation of heat
• Robust written safety program supported by documented JHAs, JSAs, and lockout/tagout procedures featuring step-by-step visuals written by dedicated EHS staff.
• EHS staff collaborate on a nationwide level to gather and implement best practices.

Key achievements of Etzel Engineer and Build

• Uses 3D site mapping for thorough risk assessment and develops tailored safety manuals for every project. 
• MOPs created with owner collaboration approved through multiple levels and executed with two-person step-by-step verification. 
• Employee hard hats feature a unique code that allows instant access to emergency information via any cellphone.  
• Robust staff engagement in the certified workplace safety committee and a clearly demonstrated safety culture. 

Key achievements of U.S. Facilities

• A deeply ingrained safety culture where employees maintain a strong safety focus
• Lone worker and behavior-based safety programs
• Vendor management program effectively screens out deficient vendors
• Comprehensive site orientation for new and transitioning staff; specialist are brought in for unique hazards, while routine hazards are addressed through an established, well-organized safety process
• A culture of empowerment allows all employees to exercise stop-work authority when safety is at risk

Key achievements of Zartman Construction

• 3D site modeling used for critical operations supporting thorough risk assessments and hazard abatement.
• A consistent safety-first mindset driven by a mature behavior-based safety culture contributing to exceptionally low employee turnover, One hundred, forth-three days without a recordable injury and 2,780 days without a lost-time accident.
• A long-tenured certified workplace safety committee, successful in multiple audits, serves as a key operational partner.
• Significant capital investment in the JJ Keller Safety Suite for Safety Training, incident management and SDS management; cross-training is embedded in annual and new employee programs.
• Employee and leadership safety incentive programs, including the “Safe Super” award and a peer-nominated honor “Nailed-It” for strong safety behaviors amongst employees.