Can OSHA still conduct an inspection if our facility is in OSHA VPP?
QUESTION: Can OSHA still conduct an inspection if our facility is participating in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)?
ANSWER: Yes and no. When OSHA Compliance Officers arrive at a worksite for the purpose of conducting a programmed inspection, they will provide identification and they will inquire to determine if the worksite is participating in one of OSHA's Cooperative programs such as VPP (Voluntary Protection Program) or SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program).
Worksites participating in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program are deferred from OSHA's programmed inspections, so the inspectors will leave the VPP site without conducting an inspection, and that worksite will be deleted from the inspection list. If the facility is a VPP Applicant site, with an on-site review scheduled within the next seventy-five days, the programmed inspection will also be deferred.
For SHARP sites that are still within their OSHA inspection exemption period, the Compliance Officers will also leave without conducting an inspection. Facilities that are in 'Pre-Sharp' status and working towards achieving SHARP recognition and exemption may be eligible for an eighteen month deferral from OSHA's programmed inspections.
Although VPP sites may be deferred from programmed inspections, participation in VPP does not defer worksites from OSHA's unprogrammed inspections, such as those triggered by an 'imminent danger' situation, death of an employee, a catastrophe causing injury to three or more employee, or a complaint from an employee or other source about workplace conditions. In these circumstances, OSHA may choose to conduct an inspection even though your facility is a VPP site.
It best to always be prepared. If your facility is already an approved VPP or SHARP site, a commitment to an effective safety and health management system is already a part of your workplace. Continuous improvement is the key to maintaining the high standards that you have already reached. Labeling is an important part of any continuous improvement system, and Industrial Safety Solutions is committed to helping VPP and SHARP sites in their continuous improvement labeling goals. SafetyPro industrial label printers and supplies from Industrial Safety Solutions are ideal for all your OSHA, ANSI, RTK, Arc Flash, HVAC, Pipe-Marking, Kaizen and 5s labels, and many other types of industrial labels and signs. SafetyPro is the #1 choice for all your custom labeling needs and comes with free lifetime tech support ensuring you'll always have help with any labeling project. Industrial Safety Solutions is your labeling solution!
Tags: OSHA VPP inspection, OSHA inspection, OSHA VPP
