Willis Corroon, Industrial Indemnity Recognize Ultratech Stepper Safety Program

Ultratech Stepper Inc., a supplier of photolithography systems used for the manufacture of semiconductors, thin film heads for disk drives and micromachining devices, has received an award from Willis Corroon Corporation-San Jose and Industrial Indemnity, in recognition of its outstanding accident prevention record for the period of March 1997 through February 1998.

Presented to Ultratech President and CEO Arthur W. Zafiropoulo in a ceremony held at the company's headquarters in San Jose, the award cites Ultratech's continued commitment to employee safety and excellence in maintaining a safe work environment. Zafiropoulo attributes the company's stellar safety record to its seven-year-old employee accident prevention program, instituted and administered by Director of Corporate Operations Dave Ghosh.

According to Zafiropoulo, the accident prevention program serves as an excellent cost-saving measure for Ultratech and exemplifies the company's proactive approach to employee safety. "We gauge the effectiveness of our safety program by the number of injuries reported and by the cost of our insurance premiums. The program has proven to be successful on both counts, which has ultimately resulted in significant financial savings for the company," he says.

"Prompt and fair medical treatment of an employee who is injured on the job is a key component to employee welfare, controlling both the cost of loss and workforce productivity. We are committed to providing our employees with a safe work environment, while offering them the security of knowing that any injuries will be treated thoroughly," Zafiropoulo adds.

Ronald Marx, senior vice president for Willis Corroon Corp., notes, "Ultratech has proven, once again, that management commitment to safety is in the best interest of both the employees and the company. Ultratech Stepper's program is a model for the industry both in structure and results."

Noted for its excellent commitment to safety prevention in 1994, 1995 and 1996, Ultratech continues to improve its average workers' compensation claim cost, incident rate and claim closing record each year.

The company's accident prevention program is based on a three-tiered approach, the first of which is a company-wide safety committee consisting of 12 members from separate departments. The second component involves preliminary training for new employees as a part of their overall orientation process. The third focuses on consistent dissemination of information through Ultratech's internal newsletter and company-wide e-mails regularly sent to employees by the safety department.