The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) administers the nation's premier safety and health recognition program. Created in 1982, OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) recognizes and partners with worksites that show excellence in safety and health. VPP Sites are committed to effective employee protection beyond the minimum requirements of OSHA standards. VPP participants develop and implement systems to effectively identify, evaluate, prevent, and control occupational hazards to prevent employee injury and illness. All types of workplaces, including federal agencies, are eligible to join the VPP.
Participation in the VPP does not eliminate the rights or responsibilities of employers or employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. OSHA enforcement inspections will result from formal complaints, workplace accidents or fatalities, chemical leaks and spills, and other significant events. However, to demonstrate the cooperative nature of the VPP, OSHA removes VPP participants from programmed inspection lists, and does not issue citations for standards violations observed during the scheduled on-site evaluations that are promptly corrected.
