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The OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is surely one of OSHA's’ success stories.

First introduced in 1982 it was at first looked on with suspicion... establish a relationship with OSHA?, Invite them into our facility? Today there are over 1100 federally covered VPP STAR facilities in the US.

STAR is the highest level of recognition earned when all VPP requirements have been met. Those states that manage their own OSHA program have state run VPP efforts – such as California, North Carolina, Kentucky and Utah. My former employer, Rohm and Haas, is proud to claim 14 STAR sites with 2 more in the application process.

A number of major corporations use the VPP requirements as their safety management system requiring their plant managers to achieve STAR. With VPP size doesn’t matter – a small facility with 10 employees can earn a STAR. Today VPP is best described as a cooperative relationship between management, labor and OSHA. Participating companies meet the VPP performance criteria. Most STAR sites can claim an injury and illness rate well below their industry peers (OSHA claims 52%) and the benefits that come with excellent safety performance – improved productivity, lower worker compensation costs, and higher employee morale. Also being in VPP benefits the company in that they are exempt from routine OSHA inspections, enjoy positive public recognition and are able to network with other VPP companies at annual national and regional VPPPA (Voluntary Protection Participants Association) conferences. The VPPPA is a very active organization with conferences and training. The VPP program elements are essentially a safety and health management system based on known best practices. In fact, in 2006 OSHA reached a formal agreement with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to recognize and give “credit” for one another’s systems. ACC member sites must implement and undergo a third party audit for the ACC Responsible Care Management System (RCMS). A VPP STAR plant will have a less extensive RCMS audit (which is a cost savings) as so many safety elements are already present. Likewise an RCMS plant is expected to have an easier route to STAR.

The basic VPP program elements, last published in the Federal Register in 2000, can be summarized as:

Management leadership and commitment,

Employee involvement,

Worksite analysis,

Hazard prevention and control

Safety and health training.

A facility doesn’t have to fully meet all the STAR criteria to be accepted. MERIT level recognizes a facility that has implemented some of each of the criteria above or may not have a safety record that meets or exceeds the BLS average for their industry. This latter criterion is a showstopper. A STAR plant must meet or beat the BLS injury rate for it’s SIC code. OSHA negotiates a timetable with MERIT sites to meet all STAR criteria.

Two powerful VPP culture change elements in my experience are management leadership and employee involvement. Both are factors that can improve a safety culture. To qualify for VPP STAR, OSHA looks for strong management commitment and safety leadership from the top down. Safety policies, communication, recognition, clear responsibilities and resources for safety and health are required. As for employee participation in the safety system at a facility, VPP recognizes this as an essential factor. Not only must the employees be in favor of VPP but the company must make available active, meaningful ways for employees to contribute to the safety process such as safety teams, committees, safety observations, training, safety audits, inspections, procedure writing and safety incident analyses. An excellent mechanism for employee involvement is a project team charged with the implementation the VPP STAR elements. A goal to achieve STAR is one that employees can partner with management. Personally I have seen such a partnership for safety and VPP change the relationship with labor and management for the better. It is well recognized among safety professionals and experts like Michael Topf, and Dan Petersen, that employee participation, and empowerment in the safety process is a major factor in achieving safety excellence. Employees that are involved feel ownership, believe in the safety process, are concerned for their own safety and their co-workers. These employees will eventually influence their peers to work safely and follow safety procedures. A gradual increase in the number of employees involved and quality of that participation can change a safety culture. OSHA expects that excellence in safety and health is clearly evident in a STAR facility’s culture.