When you volunteer for inspections, don’t fear
The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) offered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration should be pursued by many more employers than the number currently taking advantage of the programs, says an occupational health professional who has been involved with VPP for many years.
Though the standards for admission are high, a great many more employers could participate if they would simply apply to the program, says June Brothers, CSP, group director of human resources for Georgia-Pacific, based in Atlanta. She also is chairwoman of the VPP Participants’ Association, based in Falls Church, VA. There is one main problem that discourages some employers and occupational health professionals, she says. "I think part of it is fear of a regulatory agency. It takes a little leap of trust to invite in OSHA, who you normally think of as coming in to inspect you and penalize you."
VPP participants invite OSHA to inspect their work sites more closely and more frequently than they would be subjected to otherwise. Employers invite OSHA to review their records, tour their facilities, and interview employees in private. "That’s a scary idea for a lot of employers, and that’s what stops a lot of employers," Brothers says.
But in return, the participating company is not subject to the routine inspections that any other employer can experience. OSHA inspectors still may show up in response to major accidents or employee complaints, but he says both are less likely when companies are adhering to VPP safety standards.
Brothers says occupational health professionals could do a great service to their clients by persuading them to move away from the traditional, and somewhat justified, fear of OSHA. If an employer fears OSHA inspections and penalties, the VPP actually can be the most appropriate route for that employer.
Under the VPP, the employer can exercise more control over how and when OSHA shows up, and the employer can benefit from a presumption of good will.
"Once you’re in the program, it helps to sustain your safety program," Brothers says. "You know that OSHA is coming back in one year or three years and you have to submit information to OSHA every year about your program, so there is an incentive for continuous improvement."
A side benefit of VPP participation is the community recognition, she says. Getting in the program isn’t easy, but once you’re approved, OSHA makes a big show of awarding the VPP recognition to the employer. OSHA schedules a formal presentation of a VPP flag to be flown at the work site, sends a senior federal official to present it in a public ceremony, and encourages local media coverage.
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