24th March 2010 - Bendix Manufacturing Sites Continue Strong Safety Performance and Commitment to Green Initiatives

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety and braking system technologies, continues its long-standing tradition of achieving world-class safety ratings, despite facing limited resources due to economic conditions. Again in 2009, all Bendix facilities realized very strong safety performance as a result of the company’s comprehensive and proactive safety strategy.

Workplace safety is measured annually by Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR), which is the average number of work-related injuries per 100 workers per year. As a whole, Bendix recorded a 0.98 TCIR for recordable incidents per 100 employees in 2009, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 7.0.

The Bendix Acuña I facility, located in Mexico, achieved a rate of 0.27 in recordable incidents per 100 employees, performance that exceeds the standard measure for a world-class safety rating. The accomplishments by the Acuña II; Bowling Green, Ky.; Huntington, Ind.; and Elyria locations were also notable because these sites completed the year with zero lost time injuries. The company’s facility in Bowling Green, Ky., improved 28 percent in 2009 from the previous year.

"Anytime we can avoid accidents and keep our employees safe, it is a great accomplishment. But, to achieve this type of outstanding safety performance at a time when resources are being reduced is an overwhelming success," said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix health, safety, and environment manager. "Our world-class safety could not be realized without the dedication and proactive measures taken by all of the employees at Bendix."

Employing a strong, sustained and proactive safety strategy has made Bendix among the safest in the commercial vehicle industry. The company’s safety programs include auditing to identify unsafe situations and behaviors, behavior-based training, near-miss reporting, and employee safety events to identify areas for improvement. Monthly monitoring of recordable accidents, first aid incidents, and near-misses enables Bendix to detect negative trends and intervene immediately.

Health, safety, and environmental professionals use TCIR as a common method of reporting workplace injuries. Accident and injury statistics are compared across industries and specific measurement periods. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines a recordable accident as a workplace injury that requires medical attention beyond first aid.

Bendix Continues to Make Green Initiatives a Priority

Along with a world-class safety rating, Bendix has announced the results of a successful initiative to make its facilities more environmentally friendly. Although limited resources added to the challenge of this initiative, many of the newly implemented projects completed throughout all Bendix facilities resulted in a reduced environmental footprint.

A company-wide recycling initiative resulted in 71 percent of waste being diverted from landfills. Overall, Bendix recycled more than 1,400 tons of metal and more than 1,300 tons of plastic, paper, wood, and cardboard waste in 2009. The Huntington facility specifically was able to divert 82 percent of plant waste from landfill.

The Bendix green initiative doesn’t stop at recycling. The company also focuses upon energy management and reducing consumption rates. Manufacturing operations in Acuña implemented energy management programs such as shift modifications to reduce power demand, and the replacement of lighting, air conditioning units, and cafeteria equipment with higher efficiency products. These changes resulted in an overall greenhouse gas reduction of 51 percent for both Acuña facilities.

The Bendix Bowling Green facility instituted a washer control project, and reduced the site’s water consumption by an astounding 90 percent. Meanwhile, the Di-Pro facility in Fresno, Calif., participated in the California Clean Energy Network, a program focused on reducing power demand and electricity consumption in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions and power consumption.

"Protecting the environment and reducing our environmental impact benefits the communities we operate in and our bottom line," Gutierrez said. "A large part of this project was to increase environmental awareness across the organization, and as this happens we will continue to take strides toward ‘greening’ our facilities." BENDIXMANUFACTURING SITES CONTINUE STRONG SAFETY PERFORMANCE AND COMMITMENT TO GREEN INITIATIVES

Headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, Bendix also has manufacturing operations in Acuña, Mexico; Huntington, Ind.; Bowling Green, Ky.; and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to its manufacturing locations, Bendix also maintains strategic distribution centers in Huntington, Ind.; Sparks, Nev.; Mexico City, Mexico; and Montreal, Canada.

About Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, air brake charging, and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 2,000 people, Bendix is driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle performance, safety, and overall operating cost. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing plants in Acuña, Mexico; Bowling Green, Ky.; Huntington, Ind.; and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Source: Bendix Commericial Vehicle Systems Press Release