Delta Air Lines Call Center Receives Star Designation from OSHA

Delta Air Lines reservations call center in Augusta (News - Alert), Ga. Has recently earned the prestigious designation as a Star safety site by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as part of its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

This recognition marks the fist airline call center in the United States to earn the award. The designation of a Star site is given to employers and workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system exceeding OSHA requirements and who have achieved an exemplary record of occupational safety and health.

"Our Augusta Reservations team worked hard in their efforts to achieve Star status," said Steve Scheper, Delta's vice president of Reservation Sales and Customer Care, in a Thursday statement. "We are pleased to be recognized as a leader in call center safety and are committed to maintaining these high standards in partnership with OSHA."

To be considered for VPP participation, OSHA requires that a work site have a three-year injury rate that is lower than the industry average. Star site recognition was earned after Delta’s Augusta call center met a multi-point safety and health analysis and successfully completed a week-long onsite inspection by OSHA staff.

To ensure a complete focus on safety, the Augusta team:

--Established a safety committee to advocate employee involvement and perform twice-monthly office inspections
--Conducted onsite adult, child, and infant CPR classes
--Created a process for reporting hazards that included allowing anonymous reporting and the tracking of the steps taken to eliminate them
--Updated local employee action plans and training for emergency response, workplace violence, ergonomic health and more

"The team's enthusiasm, action and commitment to safety in Augusta have set a new standard for safety compliance not only in the airline industry, but for call center peers in any line of business," continued Scheper.

As the first airline to be recognized by OSHA with VPP status, Delta Air Lines has ensured that several of its destinations carry the designation, including Airport Customer Service in Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis; Columbus, Ohio; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Melbourne, Fla.; and Washington Reagan National Airport.

Delta's maintenance division, Delta TechOps, carries VPP status in the areas of Engine Maintenance; Component Maintenance; Base Maintenance; Quality, Engineering and Training; and Material Services at the Technical Operations Center in Atlanta, as well as Line Maintenance at Washington National Airport.

Delta's Ground Services Equipment team has also achieved VPP status at Delta's largest Hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

While not everyone would associate workplace hazards with the call center industry, the reality is that it can be a source of risk for some employees. As a result, organizations must ensure that the facilities they provide contribute to a safe and comfortable work environment. This can be as simple as ensuring that employees are not sitting in one place all day, doing repetitive actions.

Delta has taken the extra steps to ensure that it provides optimum work environments for its call center agents. By doing so, the airline can ensure more satisfied employees who are better suited to deliver satisfying experiences to customers.

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Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC (News - Alert) and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.

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