The National Safety Council (NSC) earlier this week announced that Atlanta-based UPS will be the 2007 recipient of NSC's Green Cross for Safety Medal. NSC made the announcement during the opening session of its Congress and Expo in San Diego.
The Green Cross for Safety Medal cites UPS, the world's largest package delivery company and the country's third-largest employer, for its exemplary century-long commitment to workplace safety, NSC said.
"Great business leaders recognize that embracing safety and health practices to ensure the well-being of their employees is not just a moral obligation, it's also good business," NSC President and CEO Alan McMillan said "UPS shows real commitment and leadership in protecting the safety of its employees, doing more and working harder to reduce injuries."
A Century of Safety
UPS will celebrate its 100th birthday next year, and safety has been part of the company's leadership philosophy from the start, according to NSC.
Safety guidelines originally were developed for the company's bicycle messengers and then for drivers of the Ford Model T. In 1917, drivers were given their first defensive driving handbook.
Today, UPS invests more than $300 million a year in safety-related training, including 26 formal UPS safety training courses taught in more than 1,700 facilities. UPS employees receive more than 1.3 million hours of safety-related training annually.
Today, UPS' 102,000 drivers worldwide log more than 2 billion miles a year and average less than one accident for every million miles driven, according to NSC.
The Circle of Honor
More than 4,200 active UPS drivers have achieved membership in the company's elite Circle of Honor by steering clear of accidents for 25 years or more. Of those, 107 have gone 35 years or more without an accident, and six have gone 40 years or more.
Collectively, UPS's active Circle of Honor drivers have racked up nearly 117,000 years of accident-free driving.
UPS also has tapped non-management employees to lead more than 2,400 Comprehensive Health and Safety Process committees nationwide. These committees are credited with helping reduce workplace injuries by 62 percent over the last five years. The committees' responsibilities range from safety training to analysis of work practices and behavior to facility and equipment audits and recommending work process and equipment changes.
"With more than 407,000 employees moving nearly 15 million packages and documents a day worldwide, safety must be an important part of every employee's daily work," UPS Chairman and CEO Michael Eskew said. "But we have made a truly concerted effort within UPS to elevate the efficiency, health and safety environment for our employees. We believe it's more critical today than ever."
UPS Will Receive Medal in April
Established in 1999, the Green Cross for Safety Medal recognizes organizations and their leaders for outstanding achievements in safety and health, community service and responsible citizenship. To be considered, an organization and its leadership must demonstrate a superior record in advancing safety and health practices consistent with NSC's mission.
NSC will present the medal to UPS April 11 in Washington, D.C.