Voluntary Protection Program Occupational Safety and Health

Voluntary Protection Program

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has undertaken to develop a matrix that guides employers at work places that would significantly reduce their vulnerability to terrorist attacks as well as reduce the effect of the explosion if any arises hence increasing the internal security of each employee within the premises among other major policies formulated to protect employees at workplaces (Counter Terrorism, 2011).

Voluntary Protection Programs therefore works with OSHA and national Bureau of Labor Statistics in ensuring the safety of the employees at work. VPP is mandated with recognizing employers and employees within the private sector and federal agencies that have effectively implemented the safety and health management systems. They also recognize such organizations that have maintained the injury and illness rates of the employees below the average of the national Bureau of Labor Statistics (United States Department of Labor, 2013).

The VPP they work in cooperation with OSHA and Labor to combat fatalities, illnesses and injuries in a proactive manner through a system designed to focus on -- hazard prevention and control, training, worksite analysis, as well as ensuring managements that are committed to the objectives and workers involvement in the program.

In order for an organization to participate, they are to submit an application to that effect as well as be rigorously evaluated at their worksite by a team of safety and health professionals. There is need to get the support of the union and these members are reevaluated after every three or five years. Effectively, having met the threshold of the VPP, the members are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections.

This above then is the major point of criticism that the VPP has faced of late. There are activists as well as some health unions who feel that this exemption is the main target of several organizations. There is a general feeling that many organizations use the VPP disguised so as to escape the OSHA inspections. There are also fears that the standards are bound to be compromised with the VPP once the exemption has been acquired since the monitory role by the unions may not be enough.