May 17, 2004—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a new factsheet concerning OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (.pdf file). The factsheet explains the scope of the program, its selection process, the various participation levels, general requirements, OSHA responsibilities, and the evaluation process.
Created in 1982, OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs recognize and partner with businesses and worksites that show excellence in occupational safety and health. Sites are committed to effective employee protection beyond the requirements of OSHA standards.
VPP participants develop and implement systems to effectively identify, evaluate, prevent, and control occupational hazards to prevent employee injuries and illnesses. As a result, the average VPP worksite has a lost workday incidence rate at least 50 percent below the average of its industry. In return, OSHA removes participants from programmed inspection lists and does not issue citations for standards violations that are promptly corrected.
