In a special ceremony held today at

the GE Appliances Decatur Refrigerator Plant, President and CEO Larry Johnston

presented General Electric’s (GE) highest environmental, health and safety

Excellence Award in the world for best overall performance to the operation’s

1,400 employees. In presenting the award Johnston said, “I want everyone to

know that I’m extremely proud of all our Decatur employees for finding so many

ways to produce refrigerators safely and efficiently. Everyone here should be

proud of having created what is truly one of the best work sites on the

planet.”

GE based the Decatur award on the plant’s success in significantly

reducing workplace injuries and in adapting its manufacturing operations to

more environmentally friendly processes. Johnston told employees today that

“this is a major accomplishment for the entire workforce, and for our

business. You are among the best in the world.”

“This is a goal we set for ourselves over five years ago,” said manager of

plant operations, Tom Rossi. During those five years the Decatur plant became

the first GEA plant to earn OSHA’s Star Status. By gaining that designation,

the Decatur plant joined an elite group composed of less than 1 percent of all

U.S. worksites. Only 442 worksites are designated as STAR Status worksites

under OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

Only 27 other Alabama worksites have attained the level of safety required

to earn VPP STAR Status. No other appliance manufacturer in the U.S. has

earned this honor.

Other accomplishments that brought Decatur the EHS Excellence Award

include:

* A 30 percent reduction in workplace injuries classified as “reportable”

by OSHA.

* A 45 percent reduction in workplace injuries causing lost work time for

employees.

* A 21 percent reduction in hazardous waste generation.

* A reduction in landfill waste of 12 percent.

* An increase in recycled cardboard of over 10 percent.

* The elimination of toluene-di-isocyanate from the manufacturing process.

In accepting the EHS Excellence award, Rossi said, “This award represents

the commitment and concern of our people in maintaining a safe and

environmentally friendly workplace. It is their willingness to take on

difficult challenges that allows all of us to enjoy the benefits of a

workplace with extraordinarily high standards in safety, quality and

productivity. Our employees have made this plant a standout for GE and for

the appliance industry. We are extremely proud of our people and we are

extremely proud of this recognition.”

The Decatur plant manufactures over one million top-mount no-frost

refrigerators per year in sizes ranging from 14 to 18 cubic-feet. GE

Appliances, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is a world leader in major

appliances, home water filtration systems and consumer service management. In

addition to the GE brand, the most widely recognized and most requested name

in appliances, GE sells major appliances under the Monogram(TM), GE Profile

Performance(TM), GE Profile(TM), and Hotpoint brands. GE, the world’s most

respected and America’s most admired company, has been bringing good things to

life for over a century.