Bridgestone/Firestone Warren County Plant Recertified for Award

9 May 2000

Bridgestone/Firestone Warren County Plant Recertified for Elite Safety Award

    NASHVILLE, Tenn.--May 8, 2000-- Bridgestone/Firestone's Warren County plant has become the first plant in Tennessee to be recertified and the only tire plant in the United States to meet the rigorous safety standards of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). At a ceremony at the plant today, Tennessee Labor Commissioner and Workforce Development Commissioner Mike Magill presented the plant with the volunteer STAR (Safety Through Achievement and Recognition) Award for this achievement.
    The award is presented to companies that have comprehensive safety and health programs that go beyond Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) minimum standards. STAR participants are a select group of facilities that have designed and implemented outstanding safety and health policies. Bridgestone/Firestone Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Masatoshi Ono, Vice President, Manufacturing Operations Junji Yamamoto, Plant Manager Isaac Motohashi and USWA Local 1155L Vice President Tommy Winkles accepted the award on behalf of the plant.
    "Part of my CEO policy is that there is no job so important and no task so urgent that we cannot do it safely," Ono said. "I am very pleased that this plant has implemented that philosophy to the fullest extent."
    "Safety is a top priority in this plant -- 'safety first' is a phrase that every Team Member takes very seriously," Motohashi said. "Because it is such a part of our day to day operation, there was never any doubt that we would once again achieve Volunteer STAR status. I am very proud of our Team Members for emphasizing safety every day, every moment on the job."
    The Warren plant's selection for the Volunteer STAR Award was based on a self-assessment check-list for the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) reviewed by Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) and a rigorous on-site review by a team of safety and health specialists from TOSHA. The Tennessee Volunteer STAR Award is modeled after the Federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program.
    "The Volunteer STAR in the State of Tennessee is the greatest honor this Department can bestow on a company," Magill said. "We recognize that TOSHA enforcement alone is not enough. Good safety management programs that go beyond TOSHA standards can protect workers more effectively than simple compliance."
    Tennessee's Voluntary Protection Program was introduced in 1996 to recognize and promote effective safety and health management. In the Volunteer STAR, management, labor and TOSHA/Consultative Services establish a cooperative relationship at a workplace that has implemented a strong health and safety program.