The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will hold a stakeholder meetingJuly 17, 2017, in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future direction of the agency’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). The discussion will include comments and suggestions from the public on potential avenues for action.

OSHA is seeking to reshape VPP so that it continues to represent safety and health excellence, leverages partner resources, further recognizes the successes of long-term participants, and supports smart program growth. Some of the questions OSHA invites stakeholder input 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?

The meeting will be held July 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Frances Perkins Building, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210. Those wishing to attend must register by July 10 at VPP Stakeholder Meeting Registration.  Attendees can choose from several levels of participation in the discussion.

For those who may not be able to attend in person, a docket has been opened to receive comments. You can provide your input and/or read others’ comments here https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=OSHA-2017-0009. The docket closes Sept. 15, 2017.

We anticipate hosting a second stakeholder meeting tentatively scheduled to occur in conjunction with the VPPPA National Conference the week of August 28th in New Orleans.

For more information about the stakeholder events, click here. We look forward to hearing from you about this important discussion.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.