Reference no: EM133096150

One of OSHA's cooperative programs in the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). This program focusing on establishing a cooperative relationship between OSHA and companies that have comprehensive safety and health programs and then recognizes the outstanding efforts of those companies. For eligibility, OSHA has extended it to participation by Federal agency worksites and to resident contractors at participating VPP sites, as well. All applicants must provide assurances to OSHA that the employees at that site will support VPP participation, and that all hazards discovered during the onsite evaluation will be corrected within 90 days with proof of abatement, and that any other hazards will be corrected in a timely manner (OSHA.gov 2021).

The Strategic Partnership Program is another cooperative program that enables OSHA and its partners and other stakeholders, to develop a written, signed agreement to work together to address critical safety and health issues and to measure the results. According to OSHA's Small Business Safety and Health handbook, regarding the strategic partnerships; Under the OSHA Strategic Partnership Program (OSPP), OSHA partners with employers, workers, professional or trade associations, labor organizations, and other interested stakeholders . OSHA Strategic Partnerships are unique agreements designed to encourage, assist, and recognize partner efforts to eliminate serious hazards and enhance workplace safety and health practices . OSHA Strategic Partnerships establish specific goals, strategies, and performance measures to improve worker safety and health . Most OSHA Strategic Partnerships are based out of local OSHA Area or Regional Offices (Handbook, 2021). Basically, companies are able to form these strategic partnerships with OSHA as a way to maintain the health and safety of their work forces so that employees can go home safe every day. And these companies must also adhere to all OSHA regulations in order to maintain participation in these cooperative partnerships. OSHA may have a lot of rules and they may seem frivolous sometimes, but they are all there to ensure our safety even if we feel certain actions are safe. Odds are, if there's a regulation on it, it's because someone did something that had a bad result and now we have to follow a new rule.