CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Employees at GE-Aviation's Evendale facility will celebrate today at an outdoor ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m. as the business receives the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's prestigious Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star award for health and safety. This award is a re-certification of the VPP Star award the business first received in 2004. 



VPP STAR status is an elite designation with less than 0.1% of companies achieving this recognition. VPP certifies the workplace has a proactive safety and health program, which includes management systems, employee involvement, worksite analysis and hazard prevention programs. In short, VPP is the commitment to go beyond compliance to achieve workplace safety. 



The Evendale plant is the fourth largest federal VPP Star manufacturing facility in the nation. Here are additional facts about GE'-Aviation's VPP Star facility in Evendale: 



- One of the largest federal VPP Star military suppliers. 



- The largest site in OSHA's Midwest States Region V 



- The largest VPP site in Ohio 



- The largest GE site to achieve VPP 



- Accident rates at the facility 80% better than the industry average. 



The Evendale facility's accident rate is 0.5, which is a 30% reduction from last year and a 75% improvement from 10 years ago. 



Today's celebration will take place on the southern edge of the facility (near Gate 26). The celebration will include OSHA presenting a special flag to GE-Aviation's vice president and general manager of Supply Chain Scott Ernest. Also in attendance will be Evendale Mayor Don Apking, Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich, and U.S. Congressman Steve Chabot. 



GE - Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of jet engines for civil and military aircraft. GE also is a world-leading provider of maintenance and support services for jet engines.