OSHA Pushes Exemplary Safety Award Program Modernization

OSHA is looking for feedback about how the agency can best honor companies that make exceptional commitments to workplace health and safety. 

The Voluntary Protection Program that is in place has recognized workplaces since 1982.  

Dominion’s Millstone Power Station in Waterford was granted “star” status by OSHA in early 2023 after a recent review under the program.

Star status is the program’s highest level of recognition in. 

Solutions Requested

Over the past 40 years, U.S. Department of Labor officials said the program’s success has stretched OSHA resources and made it more difficult to ensure the quality of program applicants’ safety and health management systems.

The program’s modernization project is seeking stakeholder input on issues such as:

• Aligning the program more closely with recent occupational safety and health management practices and system standards.
• How the program can contribute to expanding the use and effectiveness of safety and health management systems.
• Whether and how resources and tools such as “special government employees,” consensus standards, third-party auditors, and other methods could serve to expand the program’s capacity without compromising effectiveness and oversight.
• Whether particular categories of hazards need special attention in the VPP certification process. OSHA is asking a series of questions in 10 sections to elicit useful responses to support the project’s aims. 

Employers should submit comments to OSHA’s Federal eRulemaking Portal, Docket Number OSHA-2022-0012, by April 14, 2023.