Welcome OSHA as a partner - includes related articles on Occupational Safety and Health Administration consultation services and on voluntary protection program - Cover Story

HR Magazine, Oct, 1999 by William Atkinson

And that effort can reap some important rewards. According to OSHA, participation improves safety performance, which can improve employee morale and reduce workers' compensation costs. Participation also may boost productivity: On average, the lost workday rate of VPP sites is more than 50 percent below industry average.

In addition, the program can help improve employee relations and communication because the process gets everyone involved in workplace safety, according to OSHA.

Relationships with OSHA also tend to improve. "Before sites become involved in VPP, they may have a fear of contacting OSHA for information about safety and health," explains Oliver. "However, as we get to know each other, this fear dissipates, and we work together."

Improved community relations is another benefit. When OSHA comes to your site for the VPP ceremony and hangs the VPP flag, a lot of local dignitaries show up for the event.

A final benefit is that the VPP process can help organizations identify performance gaps that need to be addressed in their safety programs. Whether or not a company is ready to apply for certification, the application process alone can help improve safety performance.

Participation in the program often garners long-term results. VPP compliance "requires a long-term commitment," says Oliver. "Most sites that achieve certification retain that certification. Some have been certified for 15 years."

(For more information, see "The Benefits of VPP," above.)

OSHA Expertise

While the consultation program and the VPP receive most of the publicity, Richard Fairfax, director of compliance programs at OSHA headquarters in Washington, D.C., encourages employers to take advantage of one of the most basic sources of cooperation: information and assistance from OSHA and direct contact with local OSHA inspectors.

"OSHA compliance officers are the best trained safety and health professionals in the nation," Fairfax says. "We encourage employers to utilize their expertise. Call them for information. Arrange to visit with them in the area offices. Don't worry that a call or visit to an OSHA office for information or assistance will generate an inspection. We don't have the resources to do an on-site visit like the state programs do, but we can provide useful information to employers if they simply ask."

For more information on how to cooperate with OSHA, see the HR Magazine section of SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.

RELATED ARTICLE: OSHA's consultation services: A GOOD DEAL?

By Robert J. Grossman

In general, small businesses - especially those without formal safety managers or safety engineers on staff - tap into OSHA's consultative services.

John Tarrant, president of Tarrant Manufacturing, a 45-person company in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., that manufactures truck equipment, signed up for the program because he "got sick of surprise inspections and fines.

"We signed on with the consultation program through the New York State Department of Labor," Tarrant explains. "They send their guy out; he does a walk-through and tells us what to do. So long as we agree, we have no problem; we don't get cited. It's helped us reduce our accidents. Now, the consultants visit once a year. It's like training for the big game; we're ready for these guys when they come in."