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ONTARIO, Calif., June 19 /PRNewswire/ — Toyota North American Parts Center California (NAPCC), the automotive warehouse parts operation in Ontario, Calif. that supports accessory and replacement parts business for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., announced today that it has achieved Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star status, the highest level of safety and health management bestowed from the Occupational Safety and health Administration in California (Cal/OSHA). The honor marks the first time an automobile company in the U.S. has been recognized with VPP Star status.
The OSHA VPP Star Program recognizes leaders in occupational safety and health that are successfully protecting workers from death, injury, and illness by implementing comprehensive and effective safety and health programs. To achieve VPP Star status, Toyota NAPCC excelled in a rigid set of qualifications, including management leadership and employee involvement; worksite analysis; hazard prevention and control; and safety and health training.
“Respect for People and Continuous Improvement are Toyota’s guiding principles,” said Jane Beseda, Group Vice President and General Manager Customer Services Division, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS). “The VPP Star status demonstrates our commitment to protecting our associates and dedication to improving environmental health and safety across all of our businesses. We’re very proud to join a very elite group of worksites through this achievement. Our ultimate goal is to have all of Toyota’s North American parts operation sites earn VPP Star status.”
The award is the hallmark of OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) in which employees, management and OSHA all work together to implement safety and health programs and processes that protect workers more effectively than simply complying with OSHA regulations. The program also recognizes participants for their dedication to safety excellence. As the highest honor given by the VPP, the Star award is reserved for participants that exceed OSHA standards, thereby making them models for their specific industries.
“We are impressed with Toyota’s management and employees for their dedication to safety practices in the workplace,” said DIR Director John Duncan. “They have put in place creative and industrious methods to promote a safe working environment and are an exemplary model to follow among California’s more than 1.2 million employers, especially in the automotive industry.”
“Besides having essential safety programs in place, the Star award requires evidence of a high level of employee involvement,” said Beseda. “This award is truly representative of Toyota’s commitment to safety, and a testament to the teamwork and dedication that Toyota associates demonstrate on a daily basis.”
Fewer than 1,900 out of approximately 8.9 million work sites throughout the United States have earned federal or state VPP Star recognition. In the State of California, only 64 out of 1.2 million worksites have achieved VPP Star status.
About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs over 36,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.6 million vehicles in 2007. For more information about our company, please visit , and .
About OSHA
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA, protects workers and the public from safety hazards through its Cal/OSHA, elevator, amusement ride, aerial tramway, ski lift and pressure vessel programs, and provides consultative assistance to employers.
Zoe Zeigler
ToyotaMotor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
(310) 468-4868

Media Contact:
Rebecca Lee
GolinHarris for Toyota
(213) 438-8827

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

LEIPZIG, Germany, May 30 /PRNewswire/ —

- The World’s Largest Transport Summit Released its Findings, a Set of
Key Messages, in Leipzig on Friday at the Conclusion of the Three Day
International Transport Forum

ITF President and Finnish Minister of Transport, Anu Vehviläinen,
presented the Key Messages of the three-day International Transport Forum on
“Transport and Energy: the Challenge of Climate Change” in Leipzig on Friday.
ITF President Mrs. Vehviläinen said, “There was a productive and vivid
exchange among the different Forum Members. While there were different
assumptions and preconditions in some countries, in many regards, interests
were converging and similarities were revealed.”
Secretary General Jack Short highlighted the growing challenge to find
the right balance between supporting the economic drivers of trade and
mobility and reducing transport’s energy intensity and emissions. Regarding
the sector’s overwhelming dependence on oil (95% of transport’s energy is
based on oil) the worldwide growth of transport and the necessity to mitigate
greenhouse gas emissions of the transport sector, Short called for a
low-carbon transport system “as soon as possible”.

The Key Messages of the International Transport Forum call for a
strategic approach to meeting the energy and climate change challenge, based
on a package of policy measures. This includes technology development,
strengthened research into new technology and fuels, increased use of
information technology and integrated mobility management as well as a wide
variety of non-technology policy tools with potential to improve economic
efficiency and reduce emissions.

These latter measures should encourage behaviour change and include
improved organisation and telematics to optimise the modes, more effective
use of rail, inland waterway and short sea shipping for freight transport,
enhanced promotion and service quality of public transport and rail, as well
as support for non-motorised means of travel such as walking and cycling,
especially in cities, measures to manage traffic demand and reduce congestion
as well as pricing mechanisms to encourage behavioural change and ensure that
externalities are taken into account.

Transport must “urgently” address the long-term supply of energy. In the
shorter term, opportunities should be seized to promote the significant
fuel-efficiency improvements to existing technology, attained through
combinations of instruments such as regulations, economic and fiscal
incentives and information campaigns designed to encourage consumers to opt
for the most fuel efficient technologies. As one example, training in
eco driving and equipment of vehicles with feedback instrumentation to
support fuel-efficient driving has been shown to be a “promising way
forward”. “Transport policy must give incentives for more energy-efficient
behaviour,” stressed the ITF Secretary General.

Also biofuels can play a useful role in reducing CO2 emissions. But
production of biofuels must be pursued in an environmentally, economically
and socially sustainable way.

In the future, transport ministers want to intensify exchange with
scientists and, particularly, other social interest groups. “At the Forum we
have initiated an important dialogue which we want to continue. This will
allow us to find ways to reduce transport and traffic’s dependence on oil and
reduce climate damaging emissions,” Vehviläinen said.

At the 2008 International Transport Forum were representatives from 53
countries, amongst them for the first time a delegation from India. Almost
900 participants as well as more than 100 journalists from 12 countries
followed the three-day conference with high-ranking keynote speakers,
workshops, panels, an exhibition, and the Open Forum.

“Transport and Globalization” will be the theme of the next International
Transport Forum, 27 to 29 May 2009 in Leipzig.

Michael Zirpel
Head of Communications ITF
Tel. 33-1-45-24-95-96
Email: michael.zirpel@oecd.org

International Transport Forum