March 7, 2001 Press Release

SGMA MEMBERS JOIN OSHA IN FACTORY TOUR

SAIPAN. As part of a 3-day training conference on health and safety, officials from the U.S. Department of Labor's Region IX OSHA Division and nearly 60 representatives from 31 member factories in the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association (SGMA) went on tour of a factory owned by Tan Holdings Corporation yesterday. OSHA officials commented favorably on the significant efforts by this and other Saipan factories to create model worker conditions for the industry's approximately 15,000 employees.

"We've seen a lot of impressive work in safety and health here. Overall it's been an impressive whirlwind tour," said OSHA Administrator Frank Strassheim of the Tan factory. "The facility is cool, a very well lit work environment. It seems very pleasant for the workers."

While on the tour, Tan Holdings' Director of Health & Safety Ron Biggers introduced his company's efforts to involve everyone from the chief executive on down to entry-level factory employees in ongoing safety efforts. "We've created a safety committee with eight employees who are responsible for communicating in their own languages to other employees," said Biggers. "A handout and their photographs have been distributed to all staff so they have someone to go to with questions and concerns. Safety information is also easily available on billboards around the factory."

While noting that virtually all of SGMA's 31 member factories had made great improvements, Strassheim singled out four companies as deserving of special recognition for their special efforts to create safe working environments for their employees: Tan Holdings, La Mode, Uno Moda and Sam Marianas.

As part of strict safety policy at Tan Holdings' garment factories, it is pointed out to members of SGMA and OSHA that fabric cutters wear metallic mesh gloves in order to safely cut cloth without injuries.	Members of OSHA and SGMA watch as a state-of-the-art computerized cutting machine safely cuts fabric.