T.O. Haas Tire & Auto Receives OSHA Safety Recognition

The Nebraska Department of Labor officially welcomed T.O. Haas Tire & Auto (www.tohaastire.com) to the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Award Program (SHARP) in September. SHARP is regulated by OSHA and recognizes small employers who operate an exemplary safety and health management system. The store located at 5120 L St. is managed by Mick Lile and is the second T.O. Haas Tire location in Omaha to earn the certification.

Officials from the Lincoln-based company joined the store employees to accept the award. “We’ve been diligently working to reach SHARP certification status at all of our stores,” said owner, George Hoellen. “We’ve identified hazards in the workplace and corrected them; and by sharing information with OSHA officials, we’ve significantly reduced job-related injuries.”

Achieving the award is a difficult process. Only 31 have been issued in the state of Nebraska and T.O. Haas holds over half of those certifications with 16 and another five coming from the states of Iowa and Kansas. Through SHARP, safety has become a key feature of the company’s culture and is demonstrated by regularly scheduled safety meetings and inspections, during which workers have an opportunity to voice their safety and health concerns and receive assurance that real action will be taken to resolve issues brought to the table.

T.O. Haas Tire & Auto operates a chain of 25 retail tire and automotive service facilities in Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. The firm is headquarted in Lincoln. For more information, go to www.tohaastire.com.