AUGUSTA, Ga., Aug. 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) reservations call center in Augusta, Ga. earned prestigious designation as a Star safety site by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as part of its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). This is the first airline call center in the United States to earn the award. Recognition as a Star site is given to employers and workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system exceeding OSHA requirements and who have achieved an exemplary record of occupational safety and health.
"Our Augusta Reservations team worked hard in their efforts to achieve Star status," said Steve Scheper, Delta's vice president of Reservation Sales and Customer Care. "We are pleased to be recognized as a leader in call center safety and are committed to maintaining these high standards in partnership with OSHA."
OSHA requires a work site to have a three-year injury rate that is lower than the industry average to be considered for VPP participation. Star site recognition was earned after Delta's Augusta call center met a multi-point safety and health analysis and successfully completed a week-long onsite inspection by OSHA staff. In their focus on safety, the Augusta team:
* established a safety committee to advocate employee involvement and perform twice-monthly office inspections; * conducted onsite adult, child, and infant CPR classes; * created a process for reporting hazards, including allowing anonymous reporting and tracking the steps taken to eliminate them; and, * updated local employee action plans and training for emergency response, workplace violence, ergonomic health, and more.
"The team's enthusiasm, action and commitment to safety in Augusta have set a new standard for safety compliance not only in the airline industry, but for call center peers in any line of business," said Scheper.
Delta Air Lines was the first airline to be recognized by OSHA with VPP status, and several facilities throughout its operation currently carry the designation, including Airport Customer Service in Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis; Columbus, Ohio; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Melbourne, Fla.; and Washington Reagan National Airport. Delta's maintenance division, Delta TechOps, carries VPP status in the areas of Engine Maintenance; Component Maintenance; Base Maintenance; Quality, Engineering and Training; and Material Services at the Technical Operations Center in Atlanta, as well as Line Maintenance at Washington National Airport. Delta's Ground Services Equipment team has also achieved VPP status at Delta's largest Hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Delta Air Lines operates service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 328 destinations in 56 countries. Since 2005, Delta has added more international capacity than all other major U.S. airlines combined and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 600 weekly flights to nearly 60 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 15,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 481 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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