Going above, beyond for VPP is everyday business Published April 8, 2009 By Col. Robert Dominguez 350th Electronic Systems Wing Commander HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- The Voluntary Protection Program has been explained as going above and beyond what is required for safety and doing more than just being in compliance. I would hope that for the safety and welfare of their workers, whether it be military, civilian or contractor, that organizations were already doing this before VPP was introduced. As I look at some of the safety initiatives that have taken place in my Wing, such as providing an online safety resource, I see initiatives that were implemented out of concern for the safety of all workers, with the goal of ensuring the safety of all and promoting a positive safety culture. Now we have a label for these initiatives - VPP initiatives. As we look forward, we need to ensure that people know that what they saw as just being part of the safety program, providing recommendations to the safety representative on safety initiatives or voicing concerns, ideas to the facility manager, constitutes the concept of VPP. My hope is that organizations and their leaders will continue to promote safety and a positive safety culture and that going above and beyond what is required is the norm, whether it is referred to as VPP or just safety.