OSHA recently scheduled a public meeting to discuss the future direction of its Voluntary Protection Programs, which bring management, labor and the agency together to work cooperatively and proactively to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses through hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis and training.

The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 17, 2017, in the Frances Perkins Building at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., and will include comments and suggestions from the public on potential avenues for action. Some sample questions include:
• What can the agency do to enhance and encourage the efforts of employers, workers and unions to identify and address workplace hazards through the VPP?
• How can the agency support increased participation in VPP while operating with available resources and maintaining the integrity of the program?
• How can the agency modify VPP to enhance the efforts and engagement of long-term VPP participants?
• How might the agency modify Corporate VPP for greater leverage and effectiveness?
• How can the agency further leverage participant resources such as Special Government Employees?

To participate in VPPs, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo an onsite evaluation. Union support is required for applicants represented by a bargaining unit. VPP participants are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections while they maintain their status, which is re-evaluated every three to five years.

Those wishing to attend the meeting must register by July 10 at VPP Stakeholder Meeting Registration. (https://reg.abcsignup.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0019-0016-b6d21cbf3980471ea6e0bf2b391faacb) Attendees can choose from several levels of participation in the discussion. For those who may not be able to attend in person, a docket (https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=OSHA-2017-0009) has been opened to receive comments. The docket closes Sept. 15, 2017.

OSHA plans to hold a second public meeting in conjunction with the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association's National Conference the week of August 28th in New Orleans.