Virginia Law

A. Site-based fixed participation is directed at the owners and site officials who control site operations and have ultimate responsibility for assuring safe and healthful working conditions of:

1. Private-sector fixed worksites in general industry;

2. Construction worksites or projects that will have been in operation for at least 12 months at the projected time of approval and that expect to continue in operation for at least an additional 12 months;

3. State and local government sector fixed worksites;

4. Resident contractors at participating VPP sites for the contractors' operations at those VPP sites; or

5. Resident contractors at nonparticipating sites for the contractors' operations at those sites, so long as the resident contractors are part of a larger organization approved to participate under the corporate option.

B. Challenge provides participating employers and workers an avenue to work with designated Challenge administrators to develop or improve their safety and health management system. Challenge participants do not generally receive exemptions from VOSH programmed inspections, although it is within the commissioner's discretion to design programs that permit exemption from programmed inspections for successful Stage 3 applicants.

Challenge administrators collaborate with participating employers to improve their safety and health management programs in three stages through mentoring, training, and progress tracking:

1. Stage 1 - assess, learn, and develop. Challenge participants learn the elements necessary to develop and implement an effective safety and health management program; assess performance of existing safety and health programs and policies; provide training to management and workers; and develop strategies, programs, and policies.

2. Stage 2 - implement, track, and control. Challenge participants complete and implement policies and programs developed in Stage 1; continue to enhance and develop their safety and health management program; implement and improve their safety and health management program; and begin to incorporate policies for contractor and special trade contractor safety and health management program requirements.

3. Stage 3 - reassess, monitor, and improve. Challenge participants monitor, reassess, and continuously improve their safety and health management program. Challenge participants who complete Stage 3 have a safety and health management system sufficiently advanced for the participant to begin the application process for VPP Star certification.

C. Mobile workforce companies typically function as contractors or subcontractors that may or may not have the authority for safety and health for an entire worksite and for those companies that have employees that move site to site, such as a specialty trade contractor or repair and maintenance company, regardless of size or length and duration of the project or service.

D. VPP corporate is designed for corporate applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to employee safety and health and VPP. These applicants, typically large corporations or state or local government agencies, have adopted VPP on a large scale for protecting the safety and health of their employees. VPP corporate applicants must have established standardized corporate-level safety and health management systems that are effectively implemented organization-wide, as well as internal audit or screening processes that evaluate their facilities for safety and health performance.