Region IV VPPPA                                  2010 Conference
 

Mentoring & Outreach

Mentoring Benefits At-a-Glance

• One-on-one assistance: A mentor can help your site achieve VPP status and/or improve your current worker safety and health programs.
• Access to resources: A mentor will have access to resources both at their site and others in their network to provide alternatives to resolve safety and health issues.
• Regional networking: The VPPPA Mentoring Program provides information on VPP events and the opportunity to widen your local contacts through regional chapter conferences and educational workshops.
• OSHA recognition: OSHA Regional VPP Managers are notified of all matches relevant to their regions.
• National recognition: Mentoring participants are recognized in national VPPPA publications.
• Associate membership: Participation in the VPPPA Mentoring Program allows mentees to become Associate members of the VPPPA.

Outreach

On August 27, 2001, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao announced a new outreach initiative between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) to assist small businesses in achieving exceptional levels of safety and health excellence.

The initiative builds on the considerable success of existing mentoring and outreach efforts by the more than 800 VPPPA member worksites, who share their safety best practices with other companies to help improve workplace safety, reduce injury rates and expand participation in the VPP.

At present, there are 31 small businesses in the VPP and the new initiative aims to double the number of small businesses in the VPP over the next three years.

VPP Benefits At-a-Glance

• Employers Benefit: Fewer injuries and illnesses mean greater profits as workers' compensation premiums and other costs plummet. VPP worksites have saved more than a BILLION dollars since the program began in 1982.

• Unions Benefit: Labor-management cooperation on safety and health sets the tone for improved cooperation in other areas.

• Industries Benefit: VPP sites are models of excellence that can influence best practices industrywide.

• Mentoring and Networking Opportunities: VPP and membership in the VPPPA offers networking and outreach opportunities with OSHA and other VPP sites to share best practices and learn from their successful safety and health programs. Visit the VPPPA's Mentoring Page for more information.

  VPP sites also assist OSHA by providing Special Government Employees (SGEs) who are trained to assist their local OSHA representatives with VPP On-site Reviews. Visit the SGE page on OSHA's website to find out more.

Information Tools

The following tools will give you more information on the benefits and resources available to small businesses interested in pursuing the Voluntary Protection Programs.

• Visit OSHA's VPP Page for an overview of the VPP process.
   

• Download Are You Ready for VPP? a self-assessment tool and information kit on the program [Downloadable PDF 1.2 MB].

• Access OSHA's Small Business Page, providing information on OSHA resources to assist small businesses in improving their safety and health programs.

• Take advantage of OSHA's Elaws Advisors Tools. These Web-based educational tools designed to help employers and employees understand and comply with labor laws and individual labor rights. The tools, known as elaws Advisors (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses), mimic the interaction an individual might have with a DOL representative by asking questions, providing information and directing the individual to the appropriate solution.

• Download a presentation on the requirements and benefits of the Voluntary Protection Programs for small businesses.
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How can the VPPPA Assist You?

The VPPPA Mentoring Program is an invaluable FREE resource for obtaining advice and guidance from current VPP participants. The VPPPA can match your worksite with member sites that volunteer their time and resources to share their experiences of VPP and provide advice on improving your safety and health programs.

Mentees are matched together with VPP Star sites that volunteer their time and resources to share their experiences and expertise in quality worker safety and health best practices. Visit the VPPPA's Mentoring Page for more information.