VPP requires team effort, involvement

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. C. Michaela Walrond
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Hanscom AFB --  As the busy months of summer unfold, the importance of safety both in and out of the office is paramount, and a matter that requires processes such as the Voluntary Protection Program implemented daily.

The Voluntary Protection Program, created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1982 and formally introduced to the Hanscom community May 2006, emphasizes worker safety and health, and the identification and elimination of hazards by involving employees and managers in the process. 

"The Air Force is rising to meet the challenges of VPP, and bases within Air Force Materiel Command are among the first selected to implement this program," said Galen Williams Electronic Systems Center Safety Office director.

"Because this process cannot be successful without the entire populace standing as one, Hanscom units have selected a team leader from each wing for VPP," Mr. Williams said. 

"Under that team leader is a workgroup composed of four primary leaders for each VPP tenant: management leadership and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training," Mr. Williams said. The VPP process emphasizes holding managers accountable for worker safety and health, the continual identification and elimination of hazards and the active involvement of employees in their own protection, according to an OSHA pamphlet in a VPP Kit. 

This idea of getting the community involved in everyday safety practices is something that starts with training and educating the public, Mr. Williams said. "Getting people engaged and taking personal responsibility for their own safety is the key. The ultimate goal is to ensure employees return home the same way they came to work, and that the processes and equipment that we have in place are safe." 

According to the OSHA Web site, www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html, the process of VPP starts with performance-based criteria that are initially established for a managed safety and health system.

After the criteria are established, VPP then invites sites to apply for the program and will assess applicants against the criteria. Part of this system includes a review of the site's application along with an onsite evaluation by OSHA safety and health experts. Depending on the outcome of the evaluation, sites will qualify for one of three programs: Star, Merit and Star Demonstration, the Web site states.

 "Hanscom is moving forward with VPP, and we hope to be able to submit our application to OSHA for review by March fiscal year 2008," Mr. Williams said.

 Once the application is submitted, OSHA will evaluate Hanscom's safety processes, interview employees and supervisors on base and then determine what level the base qualifies for, he said. 

"A Star site recognizes that we have met all the requirements, and a Merit site stipulates that we are there but we still have a little more work to be done," Mr. Williams said. "Based on the VPP standards, Hanscom is already meeting these goals and doing what is required. However, it is the mindset of the Voluntary Protection Program that's new," Mr. Williams said. 

This new way of thinking requires individuals to be engaged in daily safety practices, Mr. Williams said. 

Another method in involving people is education. "Part of the education process is going online and taking the VPP 101 course on CenterNet. It lays out all the principles and guidelines of VPP," he said. 

How to participate in workplace safety: 
In addition to education, participation in safety practices is another aspect that OSHA will look at in their evaluation of Hanscom, Mr. Williams said. 

"Participation and employee involvement can be something as simple as attending safety meetings, putting on a safety training session or class, giving safety briefings or identifying a hazard in the workplace," Mr. Williams said. If something unsafe is recognized, individuals are encouraged to use their chain of command first to report a problem. This can be done by letting a supervisor or coworker know about a hazard, or even by identifying a different approach to doing something to prevent a hazard, Mr. Williams said. 

If a problem is identified that requires the attention of the ESC Safety Office, individuals can fill out a Hazard Report online through the CenterNet under "Safety and Security," Mr. Williams said. In the report, which can be anonymous, individuals can describe the hazard and location, along with any recommendations for the problem. Once submitted, the Safety Office is notified of the problem. If the hazard happens to be in a facility, the building manager for that site is also notified, he said.  

Is VPP different from other safety programs? 
"VPP isn't different, it's integrated into our current [safety] practices like Operational Risk Management, Air Force Special Operations for the 21st Century, Wingman BOLDFACE and our current Air Force Occupational Safety and Health standards. If we are doing all those things, we are doing VPP. The primary thrust of VPP is involvement from employees and managers," Mr. Williams said. 

Proof of the success of this program, Mr. Williams said, is a reduction in accident rates for Hanscom, along with personnel who are both aware of VPP principles and practice them daily.