FRESNO, CA — In 1982, OSHA created the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) to recognize and partner with worksites that implement exemplary systems to manage worker safety and health. On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 10:30 a.m., the Fresno Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC), 1900 E St, Fresno, CA, 93706, will join an elite group of national companies that have achieved the “Star Site” honors under the OSHA initiative in a special ceremony that will include raising a VPP flag, a trophy presentation, a luncheon, and guest speakers.

“Our success with VPP is an example of outstanding collaboration,” said Bob Baker, plant manager of the Fresno P&DC. “I feel proud that all our employees in the facility played a role in what we accomplished. When we work together as a team, we develop better procedures that serve our employees and ultimately our customers.”

VPP is a program where industry and labor join in a cooperative effort and work under OSHA guidelines to implement exemplary systems to improve worker safety and health. Successful implementation of the Postal Service Program Evaluation Guide (PEG) prepares USPS worksites for VPP recognition, starting with talks to all employees over a period of time that explain the benefits of VPP.

After a commitment by employees and concurrence by union and management, an application to OSHA is the next step to recognition. This was prepared by the Fresno facility VPP and PEG Coordinator, Debbie Diaz, who described specific processes in safety procedures, injury and illness rate information, general information on the facility, including letters from the union president and management citing a commitment to the process. Once reviewed, the application was submitted to Postal Service headquarters in Washington, DC, and then to OSHA.

Once the VPP Team was formed by the leadership of Baker, comprising of union stewards, management and employees, the VPP Team Members were sent to training so the Safety Team could later educate and train employees at the facility and prepare for the 2009 OSHA on-site inspection.

The Fresno P&DC was inspected by OSHA in a week-long, on-site review, and ultimately awarded Star Site status in May 2009. The Fresno P&DC has earned the honor to fly the VPP Flag as long as it maintains its safety certification by OSHA.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.