CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - USG Interiors, Inc., a subsidiary of USG Corporation (NYSE:USG), announced today that its plant in Cartersville, Ga., has earned the prestigious VPP Star award for its outstanding safety performance and processes. Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) presented the award and a special flag during a ceremony at the plant.

The Cartersville facility, which manufactures grid used in ceiling systems, is the first USG plant to earn the VPP Star.

The award is the hallmark of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) in which employees, management and OSHA all work together to implement safety and health programs and processes that protect workers more effectively than simply complying with OSHA regulations. The program also recognizes participants for their dedication to safety excellence. As the highest honor given by the VPP, the Star award is reserved for participants that exceed OSHA standards, thereby making them models for their specific industries.

"Besides having essential safety programs in place, the Star award requires evidence of a high level of employee involvement," said Cartersville Plant Manager Matt Taylor. "This award is truly representative of USG's dedicated commitment to safety - the company's No. 1 core value. It is also a testament to the teamwork and commitment to safety that Cartersville employees demonstrate on a daily basis."

The VPP audit team also recognized the plant for demonstrating best practices in the areas of housekeeping, machine guarding and ergonomics. These best-in-class awards are unusual for a first-time Star qualifier.

To qualify for VPP Star consideration, Cartersville plant employees focused on improving housekeeping, hazard recognition, engineering controls, training and safe operating procedures over a period of several years to improve the facility. As a result of this commitment, employees of the Cartersville plant achieved a high level of sustained safety performance that warranted applying for the Star recognition. The qualification audit was conducted in August 2003.

During the visit, an OSHA VPP officer led the audit team, which included representatives from VPP members Delta Airlines in Atlanta and Pratt & Whitney based in Columbus, Georgia, in a series of employee interviews about the plant's operations, training and safety programs. The auditors reviewed documentation and reports regarding safety programs at the facility, and conducted a comprehensive inspection, applying OSHA safety standards.

Cartersville employees emphasized the specific improvements made at the plant during the past few years to ensure the safest working environment possible. In their presentation to the auditors, the plant team highlighted the tools they use regularly to maintain a focus on safety and overviewed their training programs and the plant's safety committee activities. They also discussed positive changes that have occurred over the past few years and specific safety enhancements that have been made regarding light curtains, area guarding, enhanced ergonomics, noise reduction and improved ventilation systems.

USG Interiors, Inc. is a subsidiary of USG Corporation, a Fortune 500 company with business units that are market leaders in their key product groups: gypsum wallboard, joint compound and related gypsum products; cement board; gypsum fiber panels; ceiling panels and grid; and building products distribution. For additional information, visit the USG Web site at www.usg.com.

USG Corporation

USG Corporation

USG Corporation is a Fortune 500 manufacturer and distributor of high-performance building systems through its United States Gypsum Company, USG Interiors, Inc. and L&W Supply Corporation subsidiaries. Headquartered in Chicago, USG serves the residential and non-residential construction markets, repair and remodel construction markets, and industrial processes. USG's wall, ceiling, flooring and roofing products provide leading-edge building solutions for customers, while L&W Supply center locations efficiently stock and deliver building materials nationwide. For additional information, visit the USG Web site at www.usg.com.

More from USG Corporation