Voluntary Protection Program: Taking safety, occupational health to the next level

Published Nov. 12, 2008
By Tech. Sgt. Kelly Ogden
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs Office

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- The 1st Special Operations Wing has the implementation of a program designed to drive down injury rates and increase operational capabilities.

The Voluntary Protection Program, created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1982, is a program designed to hold management accountable for the safety and health of all workers through education, identifying and eliminating hazards, and actively involving all employees in their own protection.

"We need everyone to get on board with this new initiative, this includes military members, families, civilians, and contractors," said Joe Freese, 1st Special Operations Wing safety officer and VPP coordinator. "This program is about taking care of one another through empowering our people and complying with all safety driven guidance. Ultimately, our goal is for everyone to not only look out for themselves, but their Wingman as well."

Although VPP will not create new wing safety programs, it will focus on streamlining and enhancing processes that are already in place. The goal of this program is to get everyone to identify hazards followed by an immediate action, ultimately ridding base personnel of safety and work hazards on and off duty.

"Implementing VPP is extremely important because a safer workplace means more efficient and cost-effective uses of our assets," said Col. Brad Webb, 1 SOW commander. "Having even one mishap is unacceptable. Humans are more important than hardware, as our special operations forces truth states. It's up to us to do whatever it takes to keep our total force safe, healthy and alert, both on and off duty."

Simply put, VPP is getting everyone to actively identify and then take action to rid safety and health hazards, both on and off the job. Implementing VPP can and will lower the overall mishap rate as well as increase the health and wellness of both the military and civilian work force.

"We are teaching each and every wingman, regardless of rank or pay grade, to identify hazards in the workplace and empower them to be part of the solution," Mr. Freese said. "Air Force leaders need you to be safe. America needs our full team in the fight."

Below are a few questions to consider while evaluating homes and offices for potential safety and health risks:

- What potential hazards can be identified in routine jobs, tasks and processes?
- What significant changes can be made to remove those hazards?
- How often are self-inspections performed in the work place?
- Does everyone in the workcenter know how to report hazards to the chain of command?
- Where are first aid and emergency response kits located? Is everyone in the office aware of these locations as well?
- Do you know how to fill out an incident report, and where to report it?
- What type of safety training will be helpful for the work center?
- Does the office have all the documentation needed for the training?

For more information, you can visit the U.S. Department of Labor Occupations Safety and Health Administration's VPP page at http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html or the Air Force Safety Center Web site at http://www.afsc.af.mil/ for local guidance contact Joe Freese, 1st SOW/SE at 884-7613, or by email Joe.Freese@hurlburt.af.mil.