Bill Would Allow Businesses to Design Their Own Safety Management Systems

FEDA has joined other business advocacy groups in supporting a bill that encourages employers to design and implement their own comprehensive safety and health management systems.

The Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act, H.R. 2844, would require the secretary of labor to establish a voluntary protection program (VPP) that recognizes employers’ voluntary commitments to establishing comprehensive safety and health management systems. Such a program would enable the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to formally recognize and reward employers who demonstrate a strong commitment to worker safety and compliance. Recognized employers would then have the ability to undergo regular self-evaluations, maintaining high safety standards while reducing the need for routine inspections that can disrupt daily operations.

According to OSHA’s own data, VPPs have a proven success rate at reducing operational injuries and illnesses. The average VPP worksite has a Days Away Restricted or Transferred (DART) case rate of 52 percent below the industry average and, in 2021, the number of self-reported injuries or illnesses was 54 percent below the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ total case incident rate.

The bill is currently being considered by the House Committee on Education and Workforce. In a letter to committee members, signed by FEDA and other trade associations, the Coalition for Workplace Safety noted that VPPs would reduce the administrative burden for businesses and OSHA, streamline compliance processes and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

“The establishment of VPPs significantly strengthens collaboration between OSHA and the employers by fostering a cooperative approach to workplace safety,” the letter states. “This collaboration builds mutual trust and transparency, helping employers to see OSHA as more than just an enforcement agency.”