Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins take safety honors

The Aerospace Industries Association recognized Lockheed Martin for overall excellence and Rockwell Collins for the greatest reduction in illness and injury rates as part of the 2007 Worker Safety Awards announced on April 11.

AIA president and chief executive officer John Douglass said the companies' records show the premium the aerospace and defense industry places on safety.

"We recognize Lockheed Martin and Rockwell Collins as industry leaders when it comes to worker safety," Douglass said. "Their efforts have been highly successful and they can serve as role models for what is possible regarding safeguarding employees."

Lockheed Martin, based in Bethesda, Md., swept all three subcategories of general excellence, which covered aircraft manufacturing, missile and space vehicles, and aerospace components. The three excellence categories were awarded based on low workplace injury and illness rates and excellent safety program elements for the company's U.S. operations.

Rockwell Collins, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, took the award for the company showing the most progress on worker safety between 2005 and 2006. The company showed the greatest reduction among its industry peers in its incident rates, lost workday rates, and lost workday case rates calculated as a percentage of change from one year to the next. The demonstrated excellence of Rockwell Collins' Safety Management System contributed to the dramatic safety improvement performances of its U.S. operations during this period.

AIA started the awards program in 2006, not only to recognize excellence but provide a forum for sharing statistics and best practices for worker safety. They were handed out during the AIA Environment, Safety and Health Committee spring meeting.

Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association represents the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, space systems, aircraft engines, materiel, and related components, equipment services and information technology.