What Does
Voluntary Protection Programs Mean?
The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) is a recognition program administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employers earn the VPP designation by meeting two criteria:
- Having an effective safety management system
- Maintaining below-average injury and illness rates for their industry
Employers must apply to the program to be considered. To earn the VPP designation, they must undergo a rigorous worksite inspection.
Safeopedia Explains Voluntary Protection Programs
OSHA officially launched their Voluntary Protection Programs in 1982, following the success of an experimental program in 1979. In 1998, the program was expanded beyond the private sector to include federal employers.
How to Become a VPP Worksite
To become part of the VPP, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo a rigorous workplace evaluation by a team of OSHA inspectors. This evaluation takes place over the course of multiple days.
An organization that participates in a VPP program must meet the following key elements of the program:
- Leadership and employee involvement
- Hazard analysis
- Hazard control and prevention
- Safety training
Unlike a typical safety inspection, the VPP workplace assessment doesn’t simply look for evidence that the employer is in compliance with all applicable safety regulations. Rather, the goal is to determine whether the site’s safety performance is exceptional.
VPP worksites are then re-evaluated every three to five years to determine whether they can remain in the program.
VPP Designations
Worksites that qualify earn one of three designations:
- Star Site: A workplace that meets all the requirements of the VPP, namely, an exemplary health and safety program along with a demonstrated commitment to continuously improving their safety management system
- Merit: A workplace that has developed and implemented an adequate safety management system but still requires additional steps before earning Star Site status
- Star Demonstration: A workplace with a Star-level safety management system that take a different approach than those outlined by the VPP, giving OSHA the opportunity to test and update its VPP requirements
The Benefits of VPP Designation
According to OSHA, VPP worksites have a DART (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred) rate 52% below their industry average. They attribute this to the improvements employers make to their safety programs in order to earn the Star Site designation and keep it over time.
This reduced injury rate translates to other benefits, including:
- Greater worker satisfaction and retention
- Lower workers compensation premiums
- Fewer delays and interruptions due to safety incidents