# Presentation: 758494

## Achieving Safety and Health Excellence Through the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP)

**Susan Jordan Sikes, OSHA**
**Regional VPP Manager**

## 
1970: Occupational Safety and Health Act passed
1971: OSHA Began Inspections
Mission: Ensure safe and healthful workplaces by:
Developing and enforcing standards
Assisting and encouraging the States 
Providing for research, information, education and training
Encouraging employers and employees in their efforts to reduce hazards, institute new, and perfect existing programs

- 1970: Occupational Safety and Health Act passed
- 1971: OSHA Began Inspections
- Mission: Ensure safe and healthful workplaces by:
- Developing and enforcing standards
- Assisting and encouraging the States
- Providing for research, information, education and training
- Encouraging employers and employees in their efforts to reduce hazards, institute new, and perfect existing programs

**OSHA Origin, Mission, and **
**Functions**

## OSHA’s Tool Kit

- Standards
- Enforcement
- Education, Training, and Outreach
- Cooperative Programs
- Voluntary Protection Programs
- Consultation Program and SHARP
- Strategic Partnerships
- Alliances

## What is VPP?	

- A process for achieving safety and health excellence by implementing safety and health management systems
- Labor – Management - Government Cooperation
- Official recognition of excellence
- Began in 1982

## Why Pursue VPP?... To Prevent Accidents and Save Money!

**The average lost-time injury cost $30,000****!.....** (The National Safety Council)
**Each heavy construction injury or illness equals 8-9 lost workdays**!.......(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics**)**
**Work injuries cost Americans $131.2 billion in 2000, exceeding the combined profits of the top 13 Fortune 500 companies**!..... (The National Safety Council)

## Why do workplace injuries cost so much?

- Direct Cost:
- Out of pocket expenses not expected under normal cost of doing business
- Indirect Cost:
- Those cost not directly related to the injury, but which occur as a result of the injury

## Accident Costs and Impact on Sales

**Type****	****           Avg.****	****      Avg.****	****Total$ ****	****Sales Needed**
**Injury****	****          Direct$    Indirect$****	****	****	****3%             5%**
**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**
**Amputation  $21,718    $23,890      $45,608****	****      $1,520,260   $912,156**
**Burn               $ 3,846    $ 6,154       $10,000      $   333,320   $199,992**
**Carpal T.       $ 8,305****	****    $ 9,966       $18,271      $   609,033   $365,420**
**Foreign Body $   317     $ 1,427       $ 1,744       $    58,177    $  34,870**
**Laceration     $ 1,101    $ 4,955       $  6,056       $  201,850    $121,110**
** **

## Liberty Mutual Survey 

**Liberty Mutual Survey**

- Survey shows 61 percent of executives say $3 or more saved for each $1 invested in workplace safety
- 95 percent of executives surveyed believe workplace safety has a positive impact on a company's financial performance

## Why Pursue VPP?

- Reduced Illnesses and Injuries:
- On average injury and illness rates at VPP sites are 54% below National averages
- Cost Savings:
- VPP sites avoided 5,638 injuries in FY2000
- Total cost savings approximately $152 million

## Other Incentives...VPP Benefits Business

- Decreased turnover and absenteeism
- Increased productivity
- Exempt from programmed OSHA inspections
- Networking with the best
- Community recognition
- Models of excellence
- Competitive Edge

## VPP Benefits Workers

- Go home safe
- Involvement in S&H
- Pride in work
- Improved morale

## VPP Benefits OSHA

- Partners in excellence
- Accomplishes OSHA’s mission
- More successful than compliance alone
- VPP partners serve as models for their industries
- Helps OSHA promote value of safety and health
- Leverages resources

## VPP is a Win-Win-Win Relationship!

- Trust and cooperation
- Elimination of fear
- Achievement of a common goal....to prevent worker injuries, illnesses and deaths
- Improved relations between labor, management, and government

## Who’s in VPP? Federal & State

*As of  3/20/03*

## Slide 15

## Slide 16

## Union Sites & NonUnion

## Who’s in VPP? Join the ranks of such employers as......

**BP Chemical **
**BF Goodrich Aerospace**
**Delta Airlines**
**Dow Chemical**
**Duracell Global**
**Exxon-Mobil**
**Frito-Lay**
**General Electric**
**Georgia-Pacific**
**IBM Corporation **
**International Paper**
**Lockheed Martin**
**Motorola**

**Nabisco**
**NASA**
**NutraSweet**
**Occidental Chemical**
**Rockwell Automation**
**Sherwin-Williams**
**Solutia**
**Space Gateway Services**
**Texaco**
**Tropicana**
**Tobyhanna Army Depot**
**United Space Alliance**
**US Postal Service**

## VPP Eligibility

- Available in all industries and federal agencies where OSHA has jurisdiction
- Also available in States with their own VPP

## VPP in State Plan States

- Rico

- States with VPP

**VPP in State Plan States**

## Growth of VPP(State Plan States)

## Principles of VPP 

- Focus on individual worksites
- Performance-based criteria
- Beyond compliance
- Self-Sufficient
- Continuous Improvement
- Effective safety and health management systems

## Elements of a Comprehensive Safety and HealthManagement System

- Management Leadership and Employee Involvement
- Worksite Analysis
- Hazard Prevention and Control
- Safety and Health Training

## Where do I sign up?VPP Application Process

- Companies submit an application that includes:
- Management assurances
- Written union support
- Injury and illness rates
- Description of safety and health management system
- Application reviewed for completeness
- Company’s previous OSHA history verified
- OSHA and the site prepare for the onsite review

## Onsite Evaluation

- An OSHA Team visits the site
- Typically lasts 4-5 days
- Evaluation consists of:
- Opening Conference
- Document Review
- Walkthrough of Worksite
- Employee and Management Interviews
- Closing Conference
- Draft Report and Team’s Recommendations for one of three programs

## Three Programs

- Highest level of recognition
- All VPP requirements met
- System operating at least one year
- Rates are below the National Average

**Star**

## Three Programs

- Elements and sub-elements in place
- Systems may not all be at Star quality
- Rates may be above the National Average
- Limited to one 3-year term

**Merit**

## Three Programs

- Must meet Star requirements
- Alternative safety and health methods
- Current Demos:
- Short-term Construction
- Mobile Workforce
- Federal Contractor

**Demonstration**

## Celebration!

- New approvals by Assistant Secretary
- Re-approvals at Regional Level
- VPP Ceremony

## Continuous Improvement

- Annual Self-Evaluation
- On-going dialogue
- OSHA re-visits the site every three to five years.  (12 –18 months for Merit sites)

## VPP Sites Stay Involved!Program Innovations

**VPP Sites Stay Involved!****Program Innovations**

*Mentoring*

*Special Government Employees*

*VPPPA*

## Additional Assistance

- Web Sites:
- www.osha.gov
- www.vpppa.org
- Publications
- VPP Policies and Procedures Manual
- Federal Register Notice
- Brochure
- Training
- OSHA Training Institute- Course #245.
- Special Government Employees Course-if you qualify.