By Merritt H.R. No. 337 76R8300 BE-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) work sites 1-2 establish and maintain excellent safety and health programs in 1-3 workplaces that are recognized by the Occupational Safety and 1-4 Health Administration (OSHA) as models for others to emulate; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Cooperative interaction with OSHA gives companies 1-6 the opportunity to provide OSHA with valuable input on safety and 1-7 health matters and to provide industry with examples of effective 1-8 methods for accomplishing workplace safety and health objectives; 1-9 and 1-10 WHEREAS, While protecting workers from occupational safety 1-11 and health hazards, companies following the management guidelines 1-12 mandated for VPP membership experience decreased costs associated 1-13 with workers' compensation and lost work time, and often experience 1-14 increased production and improved employee morale as well; and 1-15 WHEREAS, VPP participants are a select group of facilities 1-16 that have designed and implemented health and safety programs that 1-17 meet specific criteria: "Star" participants meet all VPP 1-18 requirements; "Merit" participants have demonstrated the potential 1-19 and willingness to achieve Star program status and are implementing 1-20 planned steps to fully meet the requirements; while 1-21 "Demonstration," or "Demo," participants are contracting entities 1-22 that do not own the operating facility, but demonstrate all 1-23 guidelines of a "Star" program; and 1-24 WHEREAS, Through the VPP, management, labor, and OSHA 2-1 establish a cooperative relationship at each workplace to implement 2-2 strong programs designed to recognize and promote effective safety 2-3 and health management; and 2-4 WHEREAS, Region VI of the VPP is an area that consists of 2-5 Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas; a majority of 2-6 VPP sites are located within the Lone Star State, which is home to 2-7 78 of the 108 VPP facilities in Region VI; and 2-8 WHEREAS, These Texas sites, and their individual VPP 2-9 designations, include: in Alvin, Mundy at OXY Alvin (Demo), Mundy 2-10 at Solutia Chocolate Bayou (Demo), Solutia Chocolate Bayou (Star), 2-11 Occidental Chocolate Bayou Plant (Star), Equistar Tech Center 2-12 (Star); in Austin, Austin Industrial at Huntsman (Demo), Huntsman 2-13 Chemical Research Labs (Star), IBM Corporation (Star), Facilities & 2-14 Plant Service at IBM (Demo), Motorola, Inc., Ed Bluestein Plant 2-15 (Star), Motorola, Inc., Oak Hill Plant (Star); in Bay City, H. B. 2-16 Zachry Company Industrial Maintenance Service Division at Equistar 2-17 Matagorda (Demo), Equistar Matagorda (Star); in Bayport, Occidental 2-18 (Star); in Baytown, Bayer (Merit), Exxon Chemical Olefins Plant 2-19 (Star), Chevron Cedar Bayou (Star); in Beaumont, Mobil Chemical 2-20 Polyethylene Plant (Star), Mobil Chemical O/A Plant (Star), 2-21 Occidental (Star), Mobil Chemical Specialty (Star), Mobil Oil 2-22 (Star), Mobil Lube & Blending (Star); in Bullard, IP Texas Super 2-23 Tree (Merit), IP Super Tree Nursery (Star); in Camden, Champion 2-24 (Merit); in Carrollton, IP Dallas Container Plant (Star), 2-25 Halliburton-Otis Engineering (Star); in Channelview, Austin 2-26 Industrials at Equistar (Demo), Equistar Petrochemical (Star); in 2-27 Conroe, Huntsman Chemical (Star); in Corpus Christi, Hoescht 3-1 Celanese Technical Center (Star), Occidental Corpus Christi (Star), 3-2 Mundy at Hoescht Celanese (Demo); in Corrigan, Champion (Merit); in 3-3 Dallas, Occidental Dallas Silicates Plant (Star), Mary Kay 3-4 Cosmetics, Inc. (Star); in Deer Park, Occidental (Star), Akzo 3-5 (Merit), Rhom & Haas (Merit); in Freeport, Dow Texas Operations 3-6 (Star); in Gregory, Occidental Ingleside Plant (Star); in 3-7 Henderson, IP Henderson Lumber Mill (Star); in Houston, Mobil 3-8 Chemical (Star), Texaco, Inc., Technology Department (Star), United 3-9 Space Alliance (Star); in Ingleside, Dupont Corpus Christi Plant 3-10 (Star), Aker Gulf Marine (Star); in Iraan, Marathon Oil-Yates Field 3-11 (Star); in Jewett, Houston Industries (Merit); in LaPorte, Dow 3-12 Chemical (Star), Mundy at Dow (Demo), Geon (Star); in Longview, 3-13 Gregg Industrial Insulators, Inc., at Texas Eastman (Demo), Texas 3-14 Eastman (Star); in McKinney, Fisher Controls (Star); in Mont 3-15 Belvieu, Exxon (Star); in Nacogdoches, IP Nacogdoches Composite 3-16 Panel (Merit); in New Boston, IP New Boston Lumber Mill (Star); in 3-17 Pasadena, Mundy at OXY (Demo), Occidental PVC Resins Plant (Star), 3-18 Equistar Polymers Bayport (Star), Equistar Bayside (Star), Mobil 3-19 Mining and Minerals Operations (Star); in Port Arthur, Huntsman 3-20 Chemical (Star); in Port Lavaca, BP Chemicals (Star); in Port 3-21 Nechez, Huntsman (Star); in Seguin, Motorola, Inc., Automotive and 3-22 Industrial Engineering Group (Star), Motorola Automotive (Star); in 3-23 Sherman, Fisher Controls (Star); in Temple, Tenneco Packaging 3-24 (Star); in Texarkana, KerrMcGee Chemical Corp., Forest Division 3-25 (Star), KerrMcGee Wood Preserving (Star); in Texas City, Catalytic 3-26 Industrial Maintenance Company at Sterling Chemicals, Inc. (Demo), 3-27 Sterling Chemicals, Inc. (Star); in Victoria, Equistar (Star), 4-1 Equistar Chemical LP (Star); and in Wichita Falls, Vetrotex Certain 4-2 Teed Corporation (Star); and 4-3 WHEREAS, These companies are most deserving of commendation 4-4 for their efforts to protect the health and safety of Texas 4-5 workers, and it is indeed fitting to recognize them at this time; 4-6 now, therefore, be it 4-7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 4-8 Legislature hereby recognize March 3, 1999, as Texas Voluntary 4-9 Protection Program Participants' Association Day and extend to all 4-10 those affiliated with the 12th Annual Region VI VPPPA Conference 4-11 now being held in Austin best wishes for continued success in their 4-12 efforts to create safer and healthier workplaces.