OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) are designed to recognize and promote worksites with outstanding, comprehensive health and safety programs or a willingness and potential to move towards these high standards. In the VPP, management, employees, and OSHA establish a cooperative relationship at a workplace that has implemented a strong program. OSHA initially verifies that the program meets the VPP criteria, then publicly recognizes the site’s exemplary program and removes the site from routine scheduled inspection lists. OSHA performs periodic reassessments to confirm that the site continues to meet VPP criteria. The VPP concept recognizes that compliance enforcement alone can never fully achieve the objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Good safety management programs that go beyond OSHA standards can protect workers more effectively than simple compliance. For more information about the VPP program, visit OSHA’s website.
