The ABB transformer factory in Bland, Virginia received the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Star Certification on May 4, 2011. Only 55 businesses in the state of Virginia have received this certification, and ABB in Bland is the second ABB facility to receive the certification. The certification signifies that the ABB Bland site is one of the very best, a member of an elite group of businesses that share a common goal to create workplaces that are among the safest in the nation.
"Today marks a praiseworthy milestone in our Health and Safety journey that has taken tremendous effort from 100 percent of our employees and demonstrates what is possible with a true culture shift," said Del Misenheimer, general manager of the ABB facility in Bland. "We are all proud of this accomplishment and understand that this is only one more step in our continuous improvement."
The VPP certification recognizes employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintained injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries
Why have VPP?
VPP contributes to developing a sound safety culture which provides a safer place to work. From 2006 to 2010, the ABB facility in Bland reduced their Incident rate by 62 percent, their Lost Time Incident rate by 85 percent and their Workers Compensation costs by 42 percent, all of which contributes significantly to the bottom line in controlling costs as well as increasing productivity and on-time delivery of products.
ABB's facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin was the first ABB location to receive VPP status. New Berlin employees assisted their colleagues in Bland in the final hours of their VPP audit preparation.
"It has always been a goal of ABB to become VPP throughout the organization," said Misenheimer. "The success of the Bland plant, with the assistance of the New Berlin plant, is a prime example of what ABB can do together as we combine our skills, knowledge, leadership and determination into a mission."
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 124,000 people. The company's North American operations, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, employ about 16,000 people in 20 manufacturing and other major facilities.
