TAMUNING, Guam (Press Release) — In a ceremony at the Atkins Kroll Toyota Showroom, the Guam Department of Labor on Tuesday recognized Atkins Kroll Inc., an Inchcape company, as the region and island’s first company to be awarded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program or SHARP certification. As a SHARP site, AK Guam will be exempt from programmed OSHA inspections for two years.
In all of region nine which includes California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands, AK is the only automotive dealership to receive a SHARP certification. Alex Yap, president of Atkins Kroll Inc., said, “Safety is paramount to all that we do here at AK. While achieving this certification was by no means an easy feat, we are committed to providing a healthy and safe work environment for our employees. Protecting them and the safety of our customers was our motivating factor.”
SHARP recognizes businesses that use OSHA’s on-site consultation program services and operates exemplary worksite safety and health programs. The recognition comes after months of collaborating with GDOL’s OSHA on-site consultation division to elevate AK’s workplace safety. The safety and health consultation program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort and helps companies to identify potential hazards at their workplace, improve programs that are already in place, and qualify for SHARP.
Dave Dell’Isola, GDOL director, noted, “This is an impressive achievement for AK and a win for Guam. AK is the first company on the island and in the Pacific to achieve this, even before Hawaii. We hope more companies follow suit and consider working with us to improve overall safety in the workplace.”
Jesse Pangelinan, program manager at GDOL’s OSHA on-site consultation division, said, “I congratulate AK Guam on its recognition from the OSHA national office for SHARP. I have seen AK Guam’s program and team’s efforts improve every year. They’ve reduced the company’s Incidents Rate and DART Rates (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred); improved its safety and health programs; and continuously increased training and hazard identification. I look forward to working with AK to maintain its SHARP status for the future.”
Yap added, “We thank GDOL for its partnership and guidance. Receiving this award means so much to our company as it shows we are doing right by our team and making AK a safer and better place to work.”
About AK
Atkins Kroll, an Inchcape company, is the leading distributor of vehicles in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Micronesia enabling it to provide a full range of products and services in the region. Atkins Kroll is Guam’s oldest corporation established in 1914 and represents Toyota, Lexus, BMW, Chevrolet, Toyota Rent A Car, Avis, Budget and Payless Rental Car, and AC Delco brands.
In December 2021 Atkins Kroll acquired Morrico Equipment, one of Guam’s largest heavy equipment dealerships representing Freightliner, Mercedes Benz, Hyundai Construction Equipment, Kohler Power Systems, Rosenbauer Fire Trucks and Thomas Built School Buses. Morrico Equipment operates new and used heavy equipment sales, rental, parts, diesel fuel delivery, Trashco Guam, and specialized diesel repair service to Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
Atkins Kroll President Alex Yap is presented with OSHA SHARP Certification by Guam Department of Labor Director David Dell’Isola during a presentation in the Atkins Kroll Toyota Showroom on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Atkins Kroll is the first company in Guam to receive SHARP certification. AK Guam is exempt from OSHA programmed inspections for two years.
Atkins Kroll is the first organization in Guam and first automotive dealership in all of region nine to receive OSHA SHARP certification. AK President Alex Yap and AK employees received the official certificate from Guam Department of Labor during a presentation in the AK Toyota Showroom.
