AFMC Command News

AFMC executive director, union reps visit General Electric

  • Published
  • By Capt. Paul Baldwin
  • Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  When a General Electric employee at Evendale, Ohio, arrives at work, he or she can hop on a golf cart, navigate through a seven-million square foot facility marked with compasses at every intersection, catch up on the latest news from one of more than 60 super-sized flat screen TVs, and arrive at a workstation complete with an adjustable table that can be raised or lowered with a simple foot pedal.

GE cares about its employees. However, the golf carts and large TV screens weren’t bought solely for their pleasure. The entire facility is set up this way for GE to have a successful Environmental, Health and Safety program for its employees. In fact, GE’s safety program is so good that it earned recognition as a “Star” facility in 2003 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program, or VPP.

“We had a good safety program before VPP,” said Tim Meyers, the EHS manager for GE at Evendale. “But we wanted to get better.”

Just like GE executives, Air Force and Air Force Materiel Command leaders understand there is always room for improvement, even for an active and robust Air Force and AFMC safety program.

“If something can be done to decrease work force accidents we want to do it,” said Barbara Westgate, AFMC executive director.

OSHA’s VPP is what the Air Force was looking for to turn its safety program up a notch. VPP promotes worksite safety and health at all levels of an organization.

The Air Force recently chose five AFMC bases, and four other bases, to begin the process of VPP certification. To help AFMC leadership better understand VPP, Mrs. Westgate, along with more than 20 union and AFMC leaders, visited GE aviation headquarters in Evendale, Ohio, July 27.

“[GE] is the fourth largest VPP site in the United States,” said Mr. Meyers. “[The “Star” recognition] doesn’t mean you are a perfect site. VPP allows you to build your [EHS] program and grow it.”

Attaining “Star” recognition was a three-year process. GE earned its “Star” in 2003. An OSHA “Star” recognition signifies an exemplary health and safety program. “Merit” and “Star Demonstration” designators recognize sites that address unique safety and health issues.

Involvement with VPP has been a positive experience for GE at Evendale and its 7,000 plus employees. Accident rates continue to decline and employee satisfaction has increased. That’s because employees believe in the program and take an active role in its success, said GE officials.

As the tour of the 400-acre facility started, it was immediately obvious how much VPP was integrated into the daily routine at GE, said Mrs. Westgate. Large safety signs hung from the ceiling rafters urging workers to consider safety in all matters. Signs about safety glasses were everywhere, and extra safety goggles were located at every major work station, in case workers had misplaced their own.

Another eye-catching initiative was the 60 super-sized flat screen televisions placed throughout the facility.

“The TVs get the employees’ attention because we put things on them that they’ll want to look at, like stock prices, Reds scores, weather,” said Mr. Meyers. “And, in between those things we display safety messages or information on the latest accident and how it is being corrected.”

During the tour the group noticed compasses painted on the floor at every intersection.

“We recently changed our evacuation plan and employees must evacuate in a certain direction,” said one of the tour guides. “These compasses clearly direct employees so that there is no confusion during an emergency.”

The VPP team that focuses on ergonomic issues played a significant role in GE’s high safety performance. Any employee at GE can make a request for an ergonomic study at their work station. One particular improvement was the acquisition of adjustable tables.

“The lift tables are good because an employee on the first shift may be much taller than the employee working the second or third shift at that same work station,” said Brent Quebman, a GE employee and VPP team leader. “The lift table allows our employees to lower and raise the table with a foot pedal, which obviously helps with their specific ergonomic needs.”

The ergonomic initiatives at GE are important for the company’s EHS program. The average age for hourly employees at GE is 53. Mrs. Westgate took special interest in the ergonomic improvements. AFMC has an aging work force as well, and the ergonomic issues facing employees are critical to their health and safety, she said.

“It’s important we get people what they need,” said Mr. Quebman. “Although we can’t get them everything, we always get vendors and outside companies to give us ergonomic ideas and assessments.”

According to Mrs. Westgate, it was evident that VPP at GE isn’t just a safety program that gets occasional attention. It’s a way of doing business and on the minds of the employees and by management every day.