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GE Appliances Decatur Plant Wins Top Company Environmental, Health and Safety Award

GE Appliances Decatur Plant Wins Top Company Environmental, Health and Safety Award

Published 05-09-00

Submitted by General Electric Company

In a special ceremony held today at
the GE Appliances Decatur Refrigerator Plant, President and CEO Larry Johnston
presented General Electric's (GE) highest environmental, health and safety
Excellence Award in the world for best overall performance to the operation's
1,400 employees. In presenting the award Johnston said, "I want everyone to
know that I'm extremely proud of all our Decatur employees for finding so many
ways to produce refrigerators safely and efficiently. Everyone here should be
proud of having created what is truly one of the best work sites on the
planet."
GE based the Decatur award on the plant's success in significantly
reducing workplace injuries and in adapting its manufacturing operations to
more environmentally friendly processes. Johnston told employees today that
"this is a major accomplishment for the entire workforce, and for our
business. You are among the best in the world."
"This is a goal we set for ourselves over five years ago," said manager of
plant operations, Tom Rossi. During those five years the Decatur plant became
the first GEA plant to earn OSHA's Star Status. By gaining that designation,
the Decatur plant joined an elite group composed of less than 1 percent of all
U.S. worksites. Only 442 worksites are designated as STAR Status worksites
under OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).
Only 27 other Alabama worksites have attained the level of safety required
to earn VPP STAR Status. No other appliance manufacturer in the U.S. has
earned this honor.
Other accomplishments that brought Decatur the EHS Excellence Award
include:
* A 30 percent reduction in workplace injuries classified as "reportable"
by OSHA.
* A 45 percent reduction in workplace injuries causing lost work time for
employees.
* A 21 percent reduction in hazardous waste generation.
* A reduction in landfill waste of 12 percent.
* An increase in recycled cardboard of over 10 percent.
* The elimination of toluene-di-isocyanate from the manufacturing process.

In accepting the EHS Excellence award, Rossi said, "This award represents
the commitment and concern of our people in maintaining a safe and
environmentally friendly workplace. It is their willingness to take on
difficult challenges that allows all of us to enjoy the benefits of a
workplace with extraordinarily high standards in safety, quality and
productivity. Our employees have made this plant a standout for GE and for
the appliance industry. We are extremely proud of our people and we are
extremely proud of this recognition."
The Decatur plant manufactures over one million top-mount no-frost
refrigerators per year in sizes ranging from 14 to 18 cubic-feet. GE
Appliances, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is a world leader in major
appliances, home water filtration systems and consumer service management. In
addition to the GE brand, the most widely recognized and most requested name
in appliances, GE sells major appliances under the Monogram(TM), GE Profile
Performance(TM), GE Profile(TM), and Hotpoint brands. GE, the world's most
respected and America's most admired company, has been bringing good things to
life for over a century.

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General Electric Company

General Electric Company

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified technology and financial services company. GE operates in more than 150 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. GE works on things that matter. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE's approach to corporate citizenship and to business are driven by a common understanding of the role we can play….the best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest global challenges.

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