The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health Consultation Department Recertifies Frito-Lay Distribution Center in Phoenix with VPP Designation

(PHOENIX – Dec. 17, 2015) – On Tuesday, Dec. 15 at noon, the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) Consultation Department recertified Frito-Lay North America’s Phoenix Distribution Center  as a “STAR Site” through the Voluntary Protection Program “VPP.” Companies and jobsites that are awarded the STAR designation demonstrate exemplary and comprehensive safety and health management systems.

ADOSH held a VPP recertification ceremony, where the Frito-Lay Distribution Center was recertified with the STAR designation and was presented with a new VPP plaque and flag. During the ceremony, Jessie Atencio, assistant director and consultation and training program manager for ADOSH spoke on the significance of a VPP achievement and its importance to the State of Arizona.

“Safety is built into the culture at Frito-Lay,” said Atencio. “They don’t just talk about safety, they take action and build safety into everything they do.”

VPP is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) highest program of recognition across the United States. It recognizes employers and workers in private and federal workplaces who have exemplified effective safety and health management systems to achieve injury and illness rates that are more than 50 percent below the national average.

“Team safety is extremely important to Frito-Lay and it stands as one of our core business objectives,” said Todd Burson, zone operation manager, Phoenix – Frito-Lay. “Our Frito-Lay Distribution Center in Phoenix focuses on providing a safe work environment for our team, and the VPP Certification serves as a confirmation that we are doing all we can to keep our team safe and achieve our safety goals. We are proud to receive the recognition.”

To qualify for VPP status, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo an onsite evaluation by a team of safety and health professionals. VPP participants and sites earning the “STAR Site” designation are re-evaluated every three to five years in order to remain in the program. VPP participants are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections while they maintain their VPP status.

Currently, only 37 Arizona companies out of more than 135,000 are VPP “Stars.” To qualify for VPP status, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo an onsite evaluation. VPP participants and sites earning the STAR Site designation are re-evaluated every three to five years.

About ADOSH

Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) operates under an approved plan with the U.S. Department of Labor to retain jurisdiction over occupational safety and health issues within Arizona, excluding mining operations, Indian Reservations, and federal employees. This jurisdiction encompasses approximately 2.1 million employees and 130,000 public and private establishments. For more information on ADOSH, Consultation Partnership Programs and the Industrial Commission of Arizona, please visit http://www.ica.state.az.us/ or call (602) 542-5795.