Bulk Mail Center wins coveted OSHA safety award

Warrendale Mail Facility earns prestigious Voluntary Protection Program “Star Award”

PITTSBURGH PA —The Pittsburgh Bulk Mail Facility in Warrendale has earned membership in the prestigious "Star" Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A recognition ceremony will be held at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, May 2 at the facility which is located at 300 Brush Creek Road in Warrendale, PA.

The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) promotes effective worksite-based safety and health. Management, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships to implement a comprehensive safety and health management program. The BMC facility with its 800 employees began this process in October of 2006. Approval of the VPP Star Award is OSHA’s official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employees in achieving exemplary occupational safety and health.

Since the program began, OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses have decreased 46% at the facility. BMC Manager Chris Smith said, “A lot of hard work and cooperation by all of the employees went into the center’s achievement of this special recognition and I am very proud of everyone involved.”

The Pittsburgh Bulk Mail Center encompasses of over 500,000 square feet. Approximately 200 trailers/vans enter and exit the BMC weekly. In 2007, the Pittsburgh BMC processed over 60 million parcels, 4 million letter trays, and 14 million bundles of catalogs. The Pittsburgh BMC directly serves postal customers in western Pennsylvania, western New York, eastern Ohio, and northern West Virginia.

The Postal Service has participated in the VPP program since 2001. “We are committed to working with our partners to achieve safety and health excellence, “Smith said. “This initiative is a triple win; our employees benefit, the organization benefits, and so do our customers.” The Postal Service’s adherence to strict OSHA guidelines is a driving force for the continued safety and health of the more than 700,000 career postal employees at more than 37,000 facilities nationwide.

WHO:
Deputy Postmaster General/COO Patrick Donahoe, Pittsburgh Bulk Mail Center Manager Chris Smith, U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA Area Director Robert Szymankski, and representatives from the American Postal Workers Union and National Postal Mail Handlers Union

WHAT:
OSHA presentation of Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Award and flag raising

WHERE:
Pittsburgh Bulk Mail Center
300 Brush Creek Road
Warrendale, PA 15095

WHEN:
Friday, May 2, 2008
12:15 p.m.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.