Voluntary Protection Programs continue to help reduce workplace injuries
OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs' success in helping protect employees and reducing workplace injuries is demonstrated by VPP star participant Utility Contractors Inc.'s record of zero workplace injuries recorded between 2007 and 2008 after incorporating a daily muscle stretch program into its safety and health management system. Prior to attaining VPP recognition in 2007, UCI had high recordable incident rates because of employees experiencing musculoskeletal injuries.

OSHA Challenge helps improve workplace safety and health
If you are an employer interested in developing an effective safety and health management system that follows the Voluntary Protection Programs' model, then the OSHA Challenge Pilot is the answer. On average, Challenge participants' injury and illness rates decrease by almost 40 percent. Upon successful completion, graduates from the Pilot may be considered for expedited approval to VPP. For more information, visit the Challenge Web page.

Voluntary Protection Programs newest list of participants is available on Web
Visit "recent approvals" on the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) page of OSHA's Web site to view the current list of employers approved for new or continued participation in VPP. We encourage you to examine the entire VPP site to learn more about how cooperative programs can help protect employees and reduce workers' compensation costs.

Revised Voluntary Protection Programs expands participants' eligibility
OSHA is changing its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) to allow participation by companies with mobile workforces. VPP, the agency's recognition initiative for workplace safety and health excellence, will provide new options for construction contractors and other employers who may have employees at various locations. Other VPP changes for eligible organizations include a streamlined application process, outreach and mentoring, and on-site workplace evaluations. These changes are effective May 9. For more information, refer to the Jan. 9 Federal Register.

OSHA Welcomes Delta Air Lines into the VPP Corporate Pilot
Delta Air Lines recently became the eighth approved participant in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Corporate Pilot. Founded in 1928, Delta is one of the world's largest commercial airlines with more than 53,000 employees. Criteria for VPP Corporate status include a substantial commitment to VPP; a comprehensive, organization-wide safety and health management system; and pre-screening processes to ready sites for VPP approval prior to OSHA review. Delta and its subsidiaries combined have 12 active OSHA VPP sites. The company joins seven other VPP Corporate Pilot participants: The Dow Chemical Company, Fluor Corporation, General Electric Company, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Parsons Corporation, Washington Division of URS Corporation, and the U.S. Postal Service.

OSHA Education Center Hosts "Meet and Greet" on Voluntary Protection Programs
The New England OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center, in cooperation with OSHA's New England Region Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) managers, will host an orientation to VPP at the New England Institute of Technology in Warwick, R.I., on Oct. 30. VPP recognizes worksites that are committed to effective employee protection beyond the requirements of OSHA standards, and encourages cooperative relationships among labor, management, unions and government. For more information, contact the New England OTI Education Center at 1-800-449-6742 or email.

Peoria, Ill., Area Office is Sixth Site to Earn VPP Star Recognition
OSHA's Peoria, Ill., Area Office is the sixth OSHA site to earn star status in the agency's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). VPP participation is determined by an independent team of Special Government Employees who conduct extensive on-site evaluations. OSHA's Eau Claire, Wis., Area Office is the next site under review for VPP recognition. OSHA VPP sites include area offices in Columbus, Ohio, Appleton, Wis., Madison, Wis., Des Plaines, Ill., and Milwaukee, Wis.

Voluntary Protection Programs Update
Visit "recent approvals" on the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) page of OSHA's Web site to view the latest list of employers approved for new or continued participation in VPP. We encourage you to examine the entire VPP site to learn more about how OSHA's cooperative programs can help protect employees and reduce workers' compensation costs.

Fluor Corporation Accepted into VPP Corporate Pilot
In August 2008, Fluor Corporation, one of the world's largest publicly owned engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services companies, became OSHA's sixth participant in the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Corporate Pilot. Based in Irving, Texas, Fluor joins General Electric Company, the United States Postal Service, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Dow Chemical Company, and the Washington Division of URS Corporation in the pilot. Criteria include a substantial commitment to VPP, a comprehensive, organization-wide safety and health management system, and prescreening processes to ready sites for VPP approval prior to OSHA review.

VPP Sites to Gather for 24th Annual National VPPPA Conference
Safety, health and environmental professionals, hourly employees and managers from worksites across the country will be gathering together for this year's Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) Conference, Aug. 25-28, 2008, in Anaheim, Calif. The conference focuses on OSHA's and the Department of Energy's premier recognition program--Voluntary Protection Programs--which promote best practices in occupational safety and health. Attendees are invited to participate in two full days of workshops, which are listed online. The VPPPA Expo will feature more than 180 exhibitors, evening receptions and networking sessions. For more information, visit VPPPA Annual National Conference Registration page on the World Wide Web. Onsite registration will be available.

Celebrating OSHA's 2,000th VPP Site
On Monday, July 21, OSHA recognized its 2,000th Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) site, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, in Pearl River, N.Y., for excellent safety and health performance. The facility is a 580-acre site and Rockland County's largest employer, with more than 3,000 employees. This site has a long and distinguished history, going back 100 years when the Commissioner of the NYC Health Department bought the property for producing blood products in both world wars. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., attended the celebration and officially recognized this VPP achievement. The site has a Days Away, Restricted and Transferred (DART) rate 84 percent below the Bureau of Labor Statistics' national industry average-the lowest injury and illness rate of any pharmaceutical company in the United States.

2,000th VPP Site Soon to be Recognized
OSHA is about to recognize its 2,000th Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) site which will join the elite group of employers recognized by OSHA for having exemplary safety and health management systems. A July celebration is planned at the site where Assistant Secretary Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., will officially recognize this achievement. OSHA will reveal the honored site in your next issue of QuickTakes.

OSHA Challenge Administrators Meeting
OSHA hosted an OSHA Challenge meeting on June 19 focusing on data collection, documentation transition, administrator and coordinator recognition, and marketing strategies. Attendees included OSHA Challenge administrators, coordinators and participants, Regional OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) staff, State Plan State representatives, and OSHA National Office staff. Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., OSHA's assistant secretary, recognized Agrifos Fertilizer Inc. of Pasadena, Texas, and Trucco Construction of Powell, Ohio. These OSHA Challenge participants were acknowledged for developing and implementing exemplary safety and health management systems modeled on the rigorous standards of VPP.

Delta Airlines Submits Application to VPP Corporate
Delta Air Lines hopes to join the elite group of organizations currently participating in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Corporate Pilot, which provides streamlined VPP application and on-site evaluation procedures for organizations that meet the Pilot's criteria. Criteria for participation include: a substantial commitment to VPP; a comprehensive, organization-wide safety and health management system; and pre-screening processes to ready sites for VPP approval prior to OSHA review. The five organizations already approved as VPP Corporate participants are The Dow Chemical Company, General Electric Company, the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, the United States Postal Service, and Washington Division of URS Corporation. Additionally, Fluor Corporation recently had their VPP Corporate on-site evaluation and is awaiting approval, and Parsons Corporation has submitted an application to participate.

Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing Achieves VPP Star Status
On April 30, OSHA recognized the Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing of Duluth, Minn., as the first U.S. Air Force inductee to the agency's highly acclaimed Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) with a star rating. This status can only be achieved by an organization's steadfast commitment to demonstrating an effective worksite-based Safety and Health Management System (SHMS). In VPP, management, labor and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented comprehensive SHMS. Approval to VPP at the star level is OSHA's official recognition of outstanding efforts on the part of both employers and employees who have strived to achieve exemplary occupational safety and health records.