REGION X VPPPA CONFERENCE FULL

VPP members must be exceptional in this regard. On a related issue, how can we ensure that the VPP program is meaningful, and becomes even more meaningful over time, to the overarching goal of protecting workers from harm?Įvery one of you is held up to represent an elite corps of businesses that really get the value of a safety culture and are leading the way in promoting it. We are counting on the creativity and passion that is a hallmark of this group to find a solution that works for everyone. How can we institutionalize a funding mechanism that allows us to improve and grow the program within our budgetary constraints?

REGION X VPPPA CONFERENCE FULL

What are your ideas to ensure the full funding of this important program? In recent years, we suggested several possible solutions which faced resistance from many VPP participants. We simply cannot act as if nothing has changed. That downward trend is likely to continue, and it directly impacts our ability to visit worksites and evaluate new and renewing participants. How can we at OSHA sustain the VPP program in a time of shrinking federal resources? The numbers are irrefutable - this year compared to previous years, we have fewer people and fewer dollars for compliance assistance, where the VPP budget is housed. These challenges have prompted us to make changes to the VPP program, and we will continue to adjust going forward, with your input and assistance. We also found that some VPP participants had experienced fatalities and serious enforcement issues, including willful violations, and were still allowed to remain in the program. With the rapid growth of the program, we found it challenging to keep up with the large number of reapprovals we were faced with each year, and reapprovals are important to ensure that all facilities in the program deserve to be in the program. The second challenge we faced was with the integrity of the program. To developing innovative enforcement policies,Īssisting small businesses with compliance, andįor VPP, the resource issue was a special challenge because of the rapid growth of the program during the previous several years that made the program difficult to maintain. Within that reality, we are continuously looking for creative ways to balance many competing and worthy needs,įrom developing new standards that reflect the modern workplace, First, it was clear that we were entering a time of shrinking resources where OSHA, like all government agencies, would be tasked with finding ways to do more with less. When I arrived at OSHA in the Spring of 2009, I was faced with two major challenges with VPP. I'd like to spend a little more time on those two key words - sustainable and meaningful - because they must be at the heart of our ongoing dialog. But we need your help in order to ensure a sustainable and meaningful future. He believes simple changes could have avoided this very painful time in his life.That is why OSHA created the Voluntary Protection Program over 30 years ago and why we are committed to maintaining it. He is passionate about sharing his pre-accident mindset and why he believes this accident happened. Although this has not been easy to recount time and time again, Brandon believes his message needs to be heard. Little did he know this accident would save his life when it should have taken it.īrandon has been speaking about his accident since 2012. Brandon has been a journeyman electrician since 2002 and thought he would be until he retired. His goal is to get his story in front of the one person that needs it!īelieve In Safety is a message which will take you on a journey that Brandon Schroeder began on a fateful day in August 2011. Brandon has spoken for hundreds of companies, from the largest companies in the world to local co-ops. Here he is nearly 10 years later still telling his story and changing safety mindsets. Brandon thought this was a one and done presentation, but what he didn’t know is requests would keep coming. Although he was hesitant to do this, he complied. He was pursued in 2012 to speak to a company about why his accident happened. But after his accident, he knew there was a different journey he was supposed to go on.

He was and is a good electrician, he does what he is told and gets the work done on time. Brandon has been a journeyman electrician since 2002 and thought that was his future. Brandon began his journey as a speaker in 2012 after a work accident in 2011.

Region x vpppa conference