The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) announced new safety and health resources designed to help companies and sites achieve total safety excellence.   

VPPPA’s new “Journey Toward Safety Excellence” program was unveiled during the opening general session at VPPPA’s 2025 Safety+ Symposium in St. Louis, MO. The program is designed to aid participants through a structured continuous improvement plan that includes enhanced self-assessments and tailored mentoring opportunities and will officially launch September 1.

“VPPPA’s new ‘Journey Toward Safety Excellence’ marks the association’s evolution into its next 40 years by helping American companies and sites progress to the same levels and benchmarks of performance that current OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) sites have achieved,” stated VPPPA Chairperson Terry J. Schulte. “By leveraging current VPPPA member knowledge and expertise, VPPPA has created the tools and processes to help workplaces across the country on their journeys to achieve health and safety excellence.”  

VPPPA’s ‘Journey Toward Safety Excellence’ focuses on incremental progression towards world-class safety processes and performance. Participants who wish to begin their journey of continuous improvement will begin with a statement of intent that shows their commitment to raising their standards for workplace safety. VPPPA has developed a gap analysis tool—available to any company or worksite free of charge—that can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in a company or site’s existing safety and health management program. Once complete, these companies and sites will have the opportunity to sign a Letter of Commitment that states their desire to advance their journey. VPPPA members will have access to the association’s pool of experienced mentors who will educate and aid participants through a customized guide for continuous improvement.    

VPPPA launches the program on the heels of an announcement by Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Amanda Wood Laihow about the agency’s new “Pathways to Safety and Health Success,” built on the concepts of OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program. The new pathway includes an expansion of VPP’s core elements from four to seven, aligning VPP with OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs and enhanced use of Special Government Employees to assist in growing the program.  

Stated Schulte, “VPPPA’s ‘Journey Toward Safety Excellence” is built to align with OSHA’s new Pathways program model and provide interested companies and sites with the resources needed to successfully advance through each tier.”  

“We are excited to see OSHA’s leadership continuing the steps to modernize the Voluntary Protection Program,” continued Schulte. “We are grateful for the continued partnership and collaboration with OSHA in expanding cooperative programs’ scope and reach.”  

To learn more about VPPPA and its Journey Toward Safety Excellence program, visit www.vpppa.org.