Ryan Cos. Earns Safety Construction Award for Amazon Facility

By Adriana Pop

Minneapolis—Ryan Cos. US Inc. has been awarded a Minnesota Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (MNSHARP) Construction certification for the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Shakopee, Minn. The nearly 1 million-square-foot facility has been under construction since late 2015, and opened in July.

Ryan Team Earns Fourth MNSHARP Award (Front row, left to right: Ken Peterson, Commissioner MN Department of Labor & Industry; Mike Seliga, OSHA Consultation; John Gaddini, Regional Safety Director, Ryan Cos.; Al Green, Senior Superintendent, Ryan Cos.; Diane Randolph, Safety Director, Danny’s Construction; Nick Shaffer, Safety Director, Amerect Inc.; Jared Ziemke, Senior Project Manager, Ryan Cos. Back row, left to right: John Kooistra, Project Engineer, Ryan Cos.; Jim Larson, Safety Consultant, UBSAFE; Joe Dame, Hunt Electric; Mike Spillane, Hunt Electric; Ryan Harstad, Assistant Superintendent, Ryan Cos.

This recognition marks Ryan’s fourth MNSHARP Construction award, which celebrates major construction companies in which managers and employees work together to develop safety and health programs that go beyond basic compliance with all applicable OSHA standards and result in immediate, long-term prevention of job-related injuries and illnesses.

Commissioner Ken Peterson of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry presented the Ryan team with the MNSHARP Construction certification and flag at an award ceremony held at the Amazon facility on August 4.

“It’s an honor to present Ryan (Cos.) with its fourth MNSHARP Construction certification,” stated Peterson. “The Amazon Fulfillment Center is one of only 27 MNSHARP Construction sites ever awarded this certification. It’s a true testament to Ryan’s ongoing dedication to go above and beyond for the health and safety of their workers.”

The MNSHARP Construction program began in Minnesota in 2007. Only construction projects at least 18 months in duration are eligible for participation in the program.

Amazon is planning to hire more than 1,000 full-time employees at the Shakopee-based fulfillment center. The 20-acre project is a point of origin for smaller Amazon.com purchases such as books and electronic gadgets.

The company also announced the facility is making use of “hundreds and hundreds” of robots working alongside human employees. The complex is among more than a dozen of its robotics fulfillment facilities around the country.

Image courtesy of Ryan Cos.

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