Monsanto Staff in Bethlehem Recevies Top Safety Recognition

September, 2005 - Monsanto's Wheat Breeding Station in Bethlehem, has received the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star certification - the agency's top safety classification. The certification was presented on 16th August 2005 to the people at the site during a special ceremony that included Mr. Kobus Lindeque (MD Monsanto Africa), as well as representatives from OSHA, the Monsanto Bethlehem site and Monsanto Management from the company's Headquarters in St. Louis. Missouri, USA

Dr. Danie Theunissen, Research Director for Wheat - Africa, noted that achieving VPP Star certification at Bethlehem has been possible only because of the commitment from all employees, who contribute by making equipment safer, adopting new work processes and working to make safety a core value for site operations. The site as a whole must meet all the safety criteria to be certified.

To earn the Star designation, a site must undergo a rigorous OSHA audit showing that its safety programs and practices reach high levels of excellence. The location must also have an accident rate that is below the rest of the industry.

"Over the past few years, we've all been working to make Monsanto sites safe and healthy places for people to work," said Emer O'Broin, Monsanto's vice president of environmental safety and health. She added that the Bethlehem site safety program contributes greatly to Monsanto's efforts to make its worldwide operations as safe as possible. "OSHA and Monsanto share the belief that every occupational injury and illness is preventable. The team here at Bethlehem is helping to make this goal a reality."

From left: Ron Hagar - Director ESH, Tegnology - St. Louis, Elsabe le Roux (ESH Contact, Monsanto Bethlehem), Michael Martin - Global Lead for Special Crops Breeding - St. Louis, Emer O'Broin - Vice President ESH - St Louis, Kobus Lindeque - MD Monsanto Africa, Dr. Danie Theunissen - Research Director for Wheat - Africa and Luc Moens - ESH Lead, Europe Africa (Supply & Seed) Brussels.