Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)
VPP: The Voluntary Protection Program
The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) is designed to recognize and promote effective safety and health program management. In the VPP, management, labor and WISHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented strong programs.
Attend this one-day Continuous Improvement in your Workplace Safety Culture Seminar sponsored by L&I's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). The seminar will:
- Introduce you to a worker who suffered a life changing workplace accident but has responded by teaching young workers about safety.
- Provide information on L&I Region 1 Consultation's Blueprint for Safety pilot project, its origins, tools for success, case studies and lessons learned.
- Share the success of Blueprint employers who have enjoyed a 21% reduction of incident rates and earned industry awards for safety leadership.
- Feature speakers from VPP sites who will share methods to assess and improve your safety process and culture.
History
The Voluntary Protection Program, or VPP, is a program of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration, or OSHA, for companies that implement safety and health measures that keep them below the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates for their industry.
Section (2)(b)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is the basis for the VPP, which claims it is in the best interest of the nation to provide all people a healthy and safe place of employment, by stimulating "employers and employees to institute new and to perfect existing programs for providing safe and healthful working conditions." The program began in California in 1979 and was formally announced in 1982.
The VPP program started in Washington State in 1996. The first recognized site was Oxy Chem of Tacoma, who received their flag in January 1997.
VPP information
- Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) and You!
- VPP Benefits.
- VPP Highlights.
- VPP Fact Sheet (F417-221-000).
Program requirements
- Elements for Becoming a VPP Site.
- VPP Self-Evaluation Checklist (
PDF
version (215 KB), 
Word
version (588 KB)).
VPP application
- VPP Application (846 KB DOC).
- VPP Application flowchart and estimated timelines.
- VPP Application Supplement for Sites Subject to the Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard (www.osha.gov).
Annual report for VPP sites
- Annual Report template for VPP Sites (844 KB DOC).
- 2014 Supplement A for all sites (146 KB DOC).
- PSM Supplement B for VPP Annual Self Evaluation (Evaluation Team) (71 KB DOC).
- PSM Supplement B for VPP Annual Self Evaluation (Participant Worksheet) (50 KB DOC).
VPP sites
View the list of VPP Sites| Company | Address | City | # Employees | Certification |
| CH2M Hill | 572 Hatch St | Walla Walla | 13 | Nov. 2009 |
| CMC ICOS Biologics | 2021 20th Ave SE |
Bothell, WA | 202 | Aug. 2012 |
| Columbia Vista Corp. | 18637 Evergreen Way | Vancouver | 85 | Aug. 2005 |
| Dow Chemical | 4800 State Rt 12 | Elma | 57 | June, 1999 |
| GE Contractual Services | 5201 NW Lower River Rd | Vancouver | 19 | Apr. 2006 |
| Georgia Pacific Corrugated LLC | 1203 Fones Rd SE | Olympia | 116 | Aug. 2006 |
| Honeywell Aerospace - Defense | 15001 NE 36th Street, | Redmond | 825 | Feb. 2007 |
| Honeywell, Spokane | 15128 E. Euclid Ave. | Spokane | 250 | Sept. 2005 |
| Insulfoam, Premier Industies | 19041 80thAve. S. | Kent | 58 | Sept. 2007 |
| Intermech Inc. | 2345 Stevens Drive, | Richland | 58 | Aug. 2005 |
| Monsanto Company | 776 S Booker Road | Othello | 51 | April 2011 |
| NAES PSE Ferndale Generating Station | 5105 Lake Terrell Rd | Ferndale | 22 | July, 2008 |
| Nucor Steel Inc. | 2434 Andover St. | Seattle | 318 | Sept. 2007 |
| Oldcastle Precast | 2808 A Street SE | Auburn | 138 | May, 2004 |
| Phillips 66 Pipeline Company | 2423 Lind Ave SW | Renton | 4 | May 2011 |
| Phillips 66 Pipeline Company | 520 East D Street | Tacoma | 7 | March 2012 |
| Phillips 66 Pipeline Company | 6317 East Sharp Ave | Spokane | 13 | Dec 2012 |
| Phillips 66 Pipeline Company | 6864 Stratford Road | Moses Lake | 3 | Feb 2013 |
| PSC (Burlington Env) | 1701 E. Alexander Ave | Tacoma | 12 | March 2010 |
| Schweitzer Engineering | 2250 NE Hopkins Ct. | Pullman | 1931 | Jan. 2006 |
| Simmons Manufacturing Co | 13605 52nd Street East | Sumner | 103 | July 2010 |
| Solvay Chemicals | 3500 Industrial Way | Longview | 27 | July, 2001 |
| Trident Seafoods | 1400 4th Street | Anacortes | 243 | Oct. 2013 |
| United States Gypsum Company | 401 C Street NW | Auburn | 56 | Oct. 2013 |
| US Ecology | 1777 Terminal Dr. | Richland | 20 | Aug. 2007 |
| Weyerhaeuser Coastal Forest Area | 2001 Blue Slough Road | Cosmopolis | 59 | July 2012 |
| Weyerhaeuser Tacoma Distribution Center | 3838 So 74th St | Tacoma | 55 | June 2009 |
| Wheelabrator | 2900 S. Geiger Blvd | Spokane | 40 | Sept., 2004 |
Other links
- OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (www.osha.gov).
- Voluntary Protection Program Participant’s Association (VPPPA) Directory of best practices (www.vpppa.org).
- Region X VPPPA (www.regionxvpppa.org).
- Request Consultation: Find out how L&I Consultants can help you.
- Find an L&I office near you: Get phone numbers, addresses and driving directions.
Related topics
- OSHA Cooperative Program (SHARP) (www.osha.gov).
- L&I Safety and Health Training.
- START: Safety through Achieving Recognition Together.
Washington State VPP best practices
Contact the VPP program
- Phone: 360-902-5431.
- Email: VPProgram@Lni.wa.gov.
