Mission:

Assist U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Installation Commanders and Activity Directors in achieving Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Star status.

Vision:

Become DoD's in-house Center of Excellence (CX) for deploying VPP-conforming safety management systems and programs that assist DoD installations and defense agencies in achieving and maintaining OSHA VPP Star status.

Why VPP?

Preventable mishaps drain resources and negatively affect readiness. Statistical evidence for VPP's success is impressive. According to OSHA, the average VPP worksite reports a lost work day rate that is 52% below the average for its industry. The Department of Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other federal agencies implemented VPP at various locations with impressive results. Within DOE's Star sites, lost work days from first quarter of 1995 through second quarter of 2004 indicate they are not only below other DOE complex sites rates, but are 50% to 75% below. DoD currently has Star sites at selected locations. Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, a VPP Star site, reported a 60% reduction in lost work days. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine/Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia; and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, are VPP Star sites. Commanders of these installations are realizing a decrease in non-availability, thus an increase in readiness and sustainability.

In 2005, the Secretary of Defense issued a new challenge to reduce mishaps 75% by Fiscal Year 2008. In response to this challenge, the Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC) launched initiatives for mishap prevention including the DoD Voluntary Protection Programs Center of Excellence (VPP CX). The VPP CX concept identifies optimum processes and procedures to implement VPP principles across the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, the Defense Logistics Agency, and other defense agencies. Utilizing the VPP CX concept allows coordination of efforts across the military departments and with the safety and health centers of each department. The VPP CX concept also allows efficiencies of scale in supporting multiple installations in a consistent and systematic manner.

DoD VPP CX Objectives

Provide military installations and defense agencies technical assistance for improving site safety programs and achieving VPP Star status through:

• On-site support/subject matter expertise
• VPP Gap Analyses and Action Plans
• Virtual tools and remote technical support to implement best practices

Expected Outcomes/Benefits

• Demonstrates expertise in Safety Management Systems
• Fewer reportable/recordable injuries and illnesses
• Lower worker's compensation costs
• Positive Return on Investment
• Increases in available military end strength, positively affecting force readiness
• Improved worker safety and health
• Improved morale and workplace productivity
• Secretary of Defense visibility and positive site recognition by senior government officials

DoD VPP CX Products and Services

• VPP Self Assessment Tools
• VPP Awareness Training
• VPP Leadership Training
• VPP Application E-Tool
• Web-enabled Self-Help Tools and Technical Assistance
• On-site Support
• Perception Surveys
• Gap Analyses
• Action Plans
• Outreach Materials
• Technology Evaluation Reports

Contact Information

DoD VPP CX
Phone: 877-292-2880
E-mail: vppcx@ctc.com
www.vppcx.org


The Department of Defense Voluntary Protection Programs Center of Excellence (DoD VPP CX) is a National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence (NDCEE) task. The NDCEE is operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC).