The VPP emphasizes combined effort from management, employees and union representatives to identify and eliminate unsafe working conditions and practices to reduce the number and severity of job-related injuries and illnesses.

OSHA’s Columbus-area office became the first site to earn VPP Star status under a DOL initiative for select field sites, according to an OSHA press release.

Two non-government organizations also received VPP membership Monday: International Paper, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., and General Electric’s Infrastructure – Security facility in Dublin, Ireland.