Safety Professionals Join Forces with Voluntary Protection Group

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly advance workplace safety and health. The 18-month agreement will focus on helping the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) modernize and expand its long-standing Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).

MOU objectives include providing OSHA with a framework that identifies components of occupational safety and health management system consensus standards that meet requirements for VPP qualification and requalification. ASSP and VPPPA will also work together to develop recommendations for a construction and demolition-specific VPP.

Standards emphasized in the MOU include U.S.-based ANSI/ASSP Z10 and global standard ANSI/ASSP/ISO 45001. Other standards related to efforts around construction and demolition operations include ANSI/ASSP A10.1 (pre-planning), ANSI/ASSP A10.33 (multiemployer worksites), ANSI/ASSP A10.38 (general occupational safety and health management principles) and ANSI/ASSP A10.39 (auditing).