ASA Supports the Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act

The Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act (H.R. 2844) would require the Secretary of Labor to establish a voluntary protection program (VPP), recognizing employers’ voluntary commitment to establishing comprehensive safety and health management systems.  This legislation encourages collaborative partnerships between the regulated community and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), such as VPPs, benefits both parties by improving compliance efficacy, reducing financial and administrative costs for both parties, and strengthening trust and transparency between the agency and employers.

Expanding compliance assistance initiatives such as VPPs, as proposed in H.R. 2844, would promote a more proactive approach to workplace safety. By encouraging employers to design and implement their own comprehensive safety and health management systems, VPPs empower businesses to take ownership of their safety performance and enables OSHA to formally recognize and reward employers who demonstrate a strong commitment to worker safety and compliance. These recognized employers benefit from the ability to undergo regular self-evaluations, maintaining high safety standards while avoiding routine inspections that disrupt daily workplace operations.

VPPs have a proven success rate at reducing occupational injuries and illnesses, per OSHA’s own data. The average VPP worksite has a Days Away Restricted or Transferred (DART) case rate of 52 percent below the industry average.  Further, self-reported 2021 injury and illness rates suggest that site-based non-construction VPP participants avoided approximately 4,035 Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) injuries within their respective industries, putting those businesses 54 percent below the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) TCIR rate. The construction industry is no different; in the same year, construction and mobile workforce VPP participants were, on average, also 54 percent below the BLS TCIR Rate for their industry.

Moreover, VPPs help reduce financial and administrative costs for both employers and OSHA. Employers that participate in VPPs experience fewer workplace injuries and illnesses, leading to lower workers' compensation costs, reduced downtime, and increased productivity. Further, by maintaining safety and health programs, these employers require fewer OSHA inspections, allowing the agency to focus its limited resources on higher-risk workplaces and truly bad actors who fail to commit to maintaining a safe workplace. This improved efficiency reduces the administrative burden for both parties, streamlines compliance processes, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement; ultimately saving time and money while enhancing workplace safety.