Nov 7, 2011
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today recognized Delta Air Lines? Dayton, Ohio, location as its newest Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) ?Star? site. Delta ? the first major airline participant in the VPP program ? now operates 14 airport and maintenance locations across the United States with the Star site designation.
OSHA?s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) are voluntary initiatives designed to recognize workplaces with outstanding safety systems and performance. Less than 1 percent of the 10 million work sites in the United States share this distinction. In VPP, management, employees and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system and who have achieved an exemplary record of occupational safety and health among their employees.
?We are very proud of the Dayton team for their unwavering commitment to safety ? one of Delta?s core values,? said Carol Zupancic, Delta?s vice president ? Airport Customer Service. ?OSHA?s VPP Star status validates the Dayton team?s ability to implement and sustain effective safety processes across all departments.?
The Voluntary Protection Programs recognize employers and workers in private industry and federal agencies that have implemented effective safety and health management systems, and maintain injury and illness rates below U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. In the VPP, management, labor and OSHA work cooperatively and proactively to prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses through a system focused on hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, management commitment and worker involvement. Delta?s Dayton location met the multi-point safety and health analysis and successfully completed a week-long on-site inspection by OSHA staff.
The Delta Dayton Airport Customer Service team worked for more than a year to earn Star site status. Their efforts included:
Establishing safety committees to advocate employee involvement through communication and interactive training. Creating a process not only for reporting hazards, but for addressing them and tracking the steps taken to eliminate them. Testing and updating local action plans and employee training for emergency response, workplace violence, and ergonomics.
Delta began participating in the VPP program in 2001 when its 2.7 million-square-feet Atlanta Technical Operations facility became the first maintenance base in the industry to earn Star site status. Other locations with Star status include facilities in Atlanta; Augusta, Ga.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Columbus, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Melbourne, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; Ontario, Calif.; and St. Louis. Additionally, Delta wholly owned subsidiary DAL Global Services maintains Star status at Columbus, Ohio; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Jacksonville, Fla.
Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World’s Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 335 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry?s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline?s service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.