# Presentation: 016432

**Department of Labor**
**Occupational Safety and Health Administration**

**Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs****Office of Partnerships & Recognition**

**OSHA Challenge  - A Roadmap to VPP**

**SHARE**** **
**February** **15, 2007**

## Extreme VPP: Kandahar, Afghanistan By Dave Baker  

## What is OSHA Challenge?

- OSHA Challenge is a cooperative program designed to help Federal agencies and private sector employers qualify for OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs
- The Participant follows a series of guidelines broken down into three stages that follows the VPP Model (Roadmap to VPP)
- OSHA provides incremental recognition to those who achieve predetermined goals i.e. completion of stages 1,2,3 of OSHA Challenge

## Eligibility:OSHA Challenge program

- Open to Federal agencies and all employers under OSHA’s jurisdiction*
- No prerequisites to qualify - Employers must commit to work with a network of volunteers approved by OSHA who are dedicated to help them achieve safety and health excellence and eventual VPP status

## Success Stories from Challenge Graduates

- 	“At first when we mentioned that we were going to apply for the OSHA-Challenge, our employees didn’t understand what that meant to them or the company.  Once we began to discuss what the Challenge was and what benefits it had for the employees and the company, there hasn’t been a week that has gone by where an employee hasn’t come to me asking where we stand with the VPP.  They are excited right now.”
- 	*Safety Director , Garber Bros. Precision Concrete, Inc.*

## Success Stories from Challenge Graduates

- 	“OSHA Challenge helps a company conduct an inventory of their existing safety and health management systems and provides the opportunity to enhance those systems. OSHA Challenge helped C.R. Meyer and Sons to increase employee participation and buy-in of the company’s safety effort and processes – previously it was primarily management that was involved in those processes.”
- 	*Director of Risk Management/Safety *
*   **	**C.R. Meyer and Sons company*

## Definitions

_**Administrator**_: Facilitates implementation of Challenge stages to participating sites
_**Coordinator**_: Chosen by Administrator to help implement programs for the OSHA Challenge Participant
_**Candidate**_: A Department/Agency or company that has applied to Challenge but has not yet been approved as a Participant
_**Participant**_: A Candidate worksite or department/agency/company that has been accepted into the program

## Administrators

- Can be corporations, nonprofits or Federal agencies
- Must have adequate resources (time, personnel, expertise)
- Must have knowledge and experience in SHMS
- Serve as liaison between Challenge Participants and OSHA

## Administrator Roles

- To guide Participant sites through a structured process, from Stage to Stage, through a combination of:
- Training and evaluation*
- Regular communications
- Onsite visits*
- Data collection to track progressTo evaluate and report on Participants’ progress to OSHA on a quarterly and annual basis

## Coordinators

- Must be knowledgeable and experienced in implementing and evaluating SHMS
- Should have performed safety and health audits or VPP onsite evaluations
- Example
- Completion of SGE or 2450 courses are helpful training
- May perform hands-on program administration duties on behalf of Administrator

## Candidates and Participants

- Candidate: In process of being approved for Challenge through application process
- Candidate Statement of Commitment
- Challenge Information Form
- Baseline OSHA 300 log information for last calendar year (preferably 3 years)
- Vetting by OSHA Regional Office
- Letter of Acceptance from OSHA
- Participant: Application complete and Letter of Acceptance signed

## Challenge Process

- Contact an Administrator or OSHA
- Submit application to gain acceptance into the program
- Complete and have verified required actions at each of the three Stages
- Communicate regularly with Administrator/Coordinator
- Graduate from program after completion and verification of Stage 3
- Complete VPP application

## OSHA’s Role

- Program design and policy
- Recognition and monitoring of Administrators and Participants
- Program evaluation

## Three Stages of Challenge

- Participants can begin at any stage and are required to show progression in each stage through knowledge and action requirements related to:
- Management leadership and employee involvement
- Worksite analysis
- Hazard prevention and control
- Safety and health training
- Each stage requires certain knowledge, documentation and verification of Participant achievement by the Administrator before progression to the next stage

## OSHA CHALLENGE STAGES

**Stage 1**** - Assess, Learn, Develop **
**Stage 2**** - Implement, Track, Control**
**Stage 3**** - Reassess, Monitor, Continuously **
**Improve**

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Four main elements of Stage 1**_**:**
- Management Leadership and Employee Involvement
- Worksite Analysis
- Hazard Prevention and Control
- Safety and Health Training

## Management Leadership and Employee Involvement

- Begin demonstrating visible, serious, and committed safety and health leadership by publicly accepting ultimate responsibility for safety and health at the participating facility and taking other appropriate actions to begin developing a culture, creating systems, and establishing policies and procedures that support a safety and health work environment for an entire Department, Agency, or facility.

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Management Leadership**_
- Vision
- Policy Statement
- Strong leadership role
- Set goals and objectives
- Establish clear lines of communication
- Clarify responsibility, authority, and accountability

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Employee Involvement**_
- Perception survey
- Employees must be educated concerning:
- Their rights under the OSH Act
- Their participation in the Challenge Program
- Fundamentals of VPP

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Contractor Worker Coverage**_
- Develop plan for managing & overseeing contractors
- Establish safety and health performance criteria as a part of contractor selection process
- Require contractors to adhere to the Department/Agency/site safety and health procedures
- Require contractors to have systems in place to identify, correct, and track uncontrolled hazards

## Worksite Analysis

- Begin to develop a system for identifying basic safety and health hazards, evaluating their risks, prioritizing them, and recommending methods to eliminate or control hazards to an acceptable level of risk.

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Conduct Baseline Safety and Industrial Hygiene Hazard Analysis**_
- Establish initial (baseline) levels of department/agency/site and contractor employee exposure
- Review previous accidents, injuries, and illnesses
- Review complaints of workplace hazards
- Review previous studies
- Conduct a hazard analysis of routine jobs, tasks, and procedures

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Conduct Baseline Safety and Industrial Hygiene Hazard Analysis (cont’d**_**)**
- Hazard analysis of significant change
- Pre-use analysis
- Industrial Hygiene Program (Stage 2 action)
- Routine self-inspections
- Accident investigations
- Hazards reporting system
- Trend analysis

## Hazard Prevention and Control

- Begin to develop systems to prevent and control hazards in the total site.

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Certified Professional Resources**_
- Ensure that outside resources are available if needed to conduct baseline hazard analysis

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Hazard Elimination and Control Methods**_
- Begin identifying and selecting the most appropriate hazard control and elimination methods to address the most serious known hazards identified through the baseline analysis
- Establish and implement a system that prioritizes hazards
- Implement an action plan
- Enforce selected controls and incorporate into training
- Require subcontractors to adopt an equivalent plan

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Hazard Control Program**_
- Establish a Hazard Control Program that meets the minimum requirements of OSHA
- Hazard controls follow hierarchy of controls:
- Engineering
- Administrative
- Work Practice
- PPE

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Occupational Health Care Program**_
- Department/Agency/site conducts a review of OSHA 300 logs, insurance claims, accident investigations and insures all records are complete
- Department/Agency/site employees must have access to health care services based on results of a baseline survey

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Preventive Maintenance of Equipment**_
- Department/Agency/site has an inventory of equipment that requires preventive maintenance
- Require contractors to have equivalent system

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Tracking of Hazard Correction**_
- Develop and establish a hazard tracking system
- Subcontractors should implement an equivalent system
_**Emergency Preparedness and Response**_
- Provide and plan for emergency care
- Establish written emergency procedures
- Train employees
- Require compliance by subcontractors

## Safety and Health Training

- Begin to provide training to safety and health and other staff to help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to perform their safety and health responsibilities in the total site.

## Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop

_**Training for Managers, Supervisors, and Non-Supervisory Employees **_
- Develop relevant training using worksite analysis activities
- Provide qualified trainers/instructors
- Require attendance
- Ensure OSHA required training is performed

## Required Stage 1 Documentation

- Vision and Policy statements
- Accountability Plan
- Budget documents showing allocated S/H resources
- Injury and Illness records
- Baseline hazard analysis results
- Written hazard control programs
- Accident investigation forms and reports

- Written contractor policies
- Baseline assessment results and plan to address needed changes
- Trend analysis results
- Hazard Correction Action Plan
- Hazard correction tracking system
- PM Inventory
- Written emergency procedures

## Stage 2:Implement, Track and Control

- Continue to enhance and develop your SHMS
- _Fully_ implement and tweak your SHMS
- Begin to incorporate policies for contractor  contractor S&H programs requirements

**Notes:**
In Stage 2 you will review your programs, continue to evaluate controls for effectiveness, implement an industrial hygiene program to control health issues and verify all training is complete.  In this stage you will also begin to incorporate policies verifying contractor compliance with safety and health program requirements.

## Required Stage 2 Documentation

- Job Hazard Analysis forms and records
- Routine self-inspection forms and records
- Employee Hazard reporting forms
- Minutes, charters, mission statements of S/H teams
- Updated Contractor program
- Trend analysis results

- Written IH program
- Documentation showing implementation of hazard controls
- Written preventative maintenance schedule and system
- Updated Emergency Procedures
- Training matrix and records

## Stage 3:Reassess, Monitor, Improve

- Monitor your SHMS
- Refine and enhance your SHMS
- Reassess and _continuously_ improve your SHMS

## Required Stage 3 Documentation

- All Stage I & II documentation completed and updated
- Hazard Analysis form showing analysis of non-routine tasks or significant changes
- Pre-use analysis forms and results
- Annual self-evaluation of the site’s Safety and Health Management System
- Follow-up cultural survey and results

## OSHA Recognition 

**OSHA offers recognition letters at:**
- Initial commitment and acceptance
- The completion of each of the three stages
**Examples:**
- Letters from OSHA Area and Regional Office levels for Stage One and two completions respectively
- Letter from Assistant Secretary for OSHA upon completion of Stage Three.
**Participant names are often displayed during OSHA presentations around the country, and are posted on OSHA’s web page**

## Benefits of OSHA Challenge

**Few restrictions for employer eligibility  **
**Generally, Participants can develop their SHMS at their own pace**
**Stage requirements and electronic stage tracking tools are provided by OSHA for all Participants**
**Adopting and implementing the VPP Model through OSHA Challenge can significantly reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace**

**Increased opportunity for employees at Agency facilities  and other operations to be involved in the safety and health management process**
**Improved production - Fewer losses leads to more production! **
**Opportunity for participants to apply for VPP status after completion of Stage Three**
**Participants receive recognition from OSHA, i.e., congratulatory letters and names are often displayed during OSHA presentations and are posted on OSHA’s web page**

## ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH ?

- ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH ?

## WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO INQUIRE ABOUT PARTICIPATION?

- WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO INQUIRE ABOUT PARTICIPATION?

- Contact Jim Boom or Christian Wojnar in the Office of Partnerships and Recognition at 202 693-2213
- More information can be found on OSHA’s website at:
- _[http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/challenge.html](http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/challenge.html)_
-   Are you good enough?  The Challenge is yours; the
- rewards great. Good Luck.  See you at the Top!