FCA US Recognized as Health, Safety and Energy Leader in Automotive Manufacturing

News provided by

Apr 27, 2015, 01:30 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

More manufacturing facilities certified in both ISO 50001 and OHSAS 18001 than any other automotive company in North America
Thirty-one sites certified in 24 months
Certified facilities account for 98 percent of manufacturing's total energy usage
Plants reduced injuries by 33 percent and energy consumption per vehicle by 8 percent in one year
Certifications build on core values of World Class Manufacturing methodology

FCA US LLC has achieved a significant milestone by having the most manufacturing facilities certified in both Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001:2007 and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 50001:2011 of any North American automotive company.

Thirty-one facilities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico were evaluated in less than 24 months by an accredited, third-party certification body. Recognized internationally, OHSAS 18001 focuses on worker health and safety, and ISO 50001 focuses on energy management and conservation.

"FCA US is proud to lead the automotive industry in North America with these health, safety and energy certifications," said Greg Rose, Director - Environment, Health & Safety (EHS), FCA North America. "This is a significant achievement that would not have been possible without the continued support, dedication and hard work of our plant employees."

In 2013, the FCA US Sustainability Plan established a company-wide goal to certify plants operating in 2012 to both OHSAS 18001 and ISO 50001 standards by December 2014. Through a collaborative effort, the corporate EHS and energy groups worked with cross-functional teams at the plants to develop a systematic approach to achieving this goal by integrating the Company's manufacturing methodology, World Class Manufacturing (WCM).

WCM is a comprehensive operating system covering every aspect of manufacturing with a focus on reducing waste, increasing productivity, and improving quality and safety in a systematic and organized way. It also engages the workforce to provide and implement suggestions on how to improve their jobs and their plants.

The WCM methodology is organized into pillars, allowing for greater focus on and coordination in specific areas of manufacturing. The energy, environment and safety pillars support the Company's efforts toward achieving its sustainability goals, as well as an integrated path toward ISO and OHSAS certification. WCM and ISO/OHSAS work together to help the plants eliminate workplace injuries and reduce company-wide energy usage, the ultimate objective of all programs. As a result of these efforts, FCA US manufacturing facilities in North America reduced injuries by 33 percent and energy consumption per vehicle by 8 percent in the program's first year.

In order to sustain these certifications, each FCA US facility now conducts annual audits and is re-certified every three years by an external registrar. There are teams in place at each facility to ensure the benefits achieved by these standards are maintained.

"Our facilities are able to sustain the ISO and OHSAS certifications because employees are using consistent practices to maintain the standards in production and non-production capacities," said Rose. "By changing how employees view their workplace, we increase the probability of a long-term commitment to these standards."

OHSAS 18001 is an international standard with requirements for developing an occupational health and safety management system, helping organizations control health and safety risks while improving performance.

ISO 50001 includes globally recognized requirements for developing an energy management system, which is crucial in improving energy performance and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

About FCA US LLC
FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."

Follow FCA US news and video on:
FCA Content On Demand (COD): www.fcacod.com
Company blog: blog.fcanorthamerica.com
Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com
FCA360: 360.fcanorthamerica.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChryslerGroup
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/chryslergroup/
Media website: media.fcanorthamerica.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/fcacorporate
Instagram: http://instagram.com/fcacorporate
Streetfire: www.streetfire.net/uploaded/chryslervideo.htm
Twitter: www.twitter.com/fcacorporate
Twitter (Spanish): www.twitter.com/fcausespanol
YouTube: www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo