S/P2 Newsletter - July 2009

Are you interested in working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to improve your organization's workplace safety and health? If so, you should know that OSHA has a variety of programs for employers of any size to work cooperatively with the agency.

The following are OSHA's major cooperative programs.

Alliance Program. Through the Alliance Program, OSHA works with groups committed to safety health, including businesses, trade or professional organizations, unions and educational institutions, to leverage resources and expertise to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and share information with employers and employees.

For example, through its alliance agreement with the Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR�), OSHA is working to provide CCAR affiliates and others in the automotive industry, including but not limited to youth and Spanish-speaking workers, with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety.

Voluntary Protection Programs. OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) promote effective worksite-based safety and health. In the VPP, management, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system. Approval into VPP is OSHA's official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health.

On-site Consultation and Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). On-Site Consultation is a free, confidential service largely funded by OSHA and delivered by state governments. The consultants provide advice on correcting workplace hazards and can help employers establish or strengthen their safety and health programs. Primarily targeted to small businesses, this service is completely separate from OSHA's enforcement program.

Employers that complete an on-site consultation visit and fulfill other requirements are eligible to participate in SHARP, which recognizes small employers that have implemented exemplary safety and health management systems.

Strategic Partnership Program. In a Strategic Partnership, OSHA enters into an extended, voluntary, cooperative relationship with groups of employers, employees, and employee representatives (sometimes including other stakeholders, and sometimes involving only one employer). Strategic Partnerships aim to have a measurable, positive impact on workplace safety and health by encouraging, assisting, and recognizing the participants' efforts to eliminate serious hazards and to achieve a high level of worker safety and health.

One of these programs may be a good fit for your company or organization. To learn more, visit the OSHA Web site at www.osha.gov. Click on the "Cooperative Programs" link in the blue sidebar to find comprehensive descriptions and contact information for each program.

Even if you're not ready to sign on to a cooperative program, you can still visit with OSHA for information on workplace safety and health. The OSHA Web site has an array of compliance assistance and training resources, including QuickCards, fact sheets, booklets, and electronic assistance tools. You can also call OSHA's toll-free number at 1-800-321-OSHA.