By Merritt H.R. No. 341 76R8427 BE-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Since 1984, the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) 1-2 has promoted a safer and more cooperative work environment for 1-3 countless people, establishing common goals and objectives between 1-4 labor, management, and the Occupational Safety and Health 1-5 Administration (OSHA); and 1-6 WHEREAS, With the cooperation and valued input of individual 1-7 business members and their employees, OSHA and the VPP coordinate 1-8 reasonable, mutually beneficial measurement criteria and action 1-9 guidelines to increase workplace health and safety; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Nationally, more than 400 businesses are now members 1-11 of the VPP; Texas is part of the five-state Region VI alliance, the 1-12 largest such region in the United States, and the Lone Star State 1-13 is home to 78 of the VPP-Region VI facilities, a majority 1-14 participation that promises health and safety benefits for Texas 1-15 workers and businesses alike; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Initializing VPP status and diligent maintenance of 1-17 safety standards have lowered average worker injury rates at 1-18 participating sites, resulting in decreased workers' compensation 1-19 payouts and reduced lost work time, and increased employee morale 1-20 and boosted production; and 1-21 WHEREAS, One important factor in the great success of the 1-22 VPP, and Region VI in particular, has been the leadership of Bob 1-23 Griffin; his successful nine-year tenure as manager of Region VI 1-24 has been marked by steady growth encouraged by his dedication and 2-1 enthusiasm; and 2-2 WHEREAS, A 1961 engineering graduate of The University of 2-3 Texas at Austin, Mr. Griffin is a professional engineer licensed 2-4 by the State of Texas; he has been with OSHA since 1971 and has 2-5 served as area director in both Houston and Little Rock; and 2-6 WHEREAS, The VPP has contributed greatly to the success and 2-7 growth of participating Texas businesses, and Region VI manager Bob 2-8 Griffin has been an integral force behind those advances; now, 2-9 therefore, be it 2-10 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 2-11 Legislature hereby honor the Voluntary Protection Program and 2-12 former Region VI Manager Bob Griffin for the organization's 2-13 continuing efforts to improve the health and safety of Texas 2-14 workers; and, be it further 2-15 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-16 prepared for the Voluntary Protection Program and Mr. Griffin as an 2-17 expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.