[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          INTRODUCTION OF THE VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PROGRAM ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS E. PETRI

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 13, 2011

  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, today, Rep. Gene Green and I are introducing 
the bipartisan Voluntary Protection Program, VPP, Act to make permanent 
one of the Federal Government's most successful workplace health and 
safety programs. The same legislation is being introduced in the Senate 
by Sen. Michael B. Enzi, the ranking member of the Senate Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Mary 
Landrieu.
  This legislation would codify a successful program, the Voluntary 
Protection Program, operated by the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, OSHA, that recognizes and rewards employers who 
voluntarily work to improve the health and safety of their worksites. 
The program is currently operating but has never been authorized in law 
and was proposed to be cut by the Obama administration's fiscal year 
2011 budget. While the administration backed away from those cuts in 
its fiscal year 2012 budget proposal, this legislation would put the 
program on a more solid foundation by specifically authorizing it in 
law.
  Since the VPP was created in 1982, it has grown to include more than 
2,200 worksites and more than 921,000 employees. A 2007 report noted 
that Federal VPP worksites saved the government more than $59 million 
by avoiding injuries and that private sector VPP participants saved 
more than $300 million. Participating workplaces have an illness and 
injury rate that, on average, is 50 percent below that of their 
industry.
  Business owners in my district have reported to me that the 
relationship between OSHA and businesses has become more adversarial 
over the past couple years. While OSHA does have a responsibility to 
enforce workplace safety laws, it has been my experience that most 
employers want to run safe workplaces. The VPP program provides a 
mechanism for OSHA to build a more constructive relationship with 
employers who have demonstrated a willingness to invest in workplace 
safety. This creates an incentive for other employers to follow suit, 
improving safety and saving money on enforcement costs at the same 
time.
  I hope that our colleagues will join us in authorizing this 
bipartisan and successful workplace safety program.

                          ____________________