Voluntary Protection Programs: Difference between revisions

'''Voluntary Protection Programs''' (VPP) is a Department of Labor initiative administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that recognizes over 2,100 worksites across the United States and territories for exemplary safety and health performance, reducing injury and illness rates by up to 52% below industry averages by 2025 through cooperative partnerships between employers, workers, and OSHA at sites like ExxonMobil and NASA. Launched in 1982 as OSHA Instruction STD 8-1.1, it offers three participation levels—Star, Merit, and Demonstration—engaging over 750,000 employees with rigorous onsite evaluations, annual self-assessments, and recertification every three to five years, fostering a safety culture that has saved billions in workers’ compensation costs since its inception.

The Voluntary Protection Programs are sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the Department of Labor, managed through OSHA’s Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP) via 10 regional VPP managers and over 2,000 compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs).<ref>"VPP Organization," OSHA, https://www.osha.gov/vpp/vpp-programs, accessed February 19, 2025.</ref> Funding comes from Congressional appropriations, with FY 2025 at $620 million for OSHA, supporting evaluations, training, and administration across federal and 29 state-plan jurisdictions, with volunteer Special Government Employees aiding reviews.