HR2844-119

What This Bill Does

The Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act writes OSHA's voluntary protection program into statute. The Secretary of Labor must establish a program recognizing employers that voluntarily maintain comprehensive safety and health management systems, including systematic hazard assessment, hazard prevention and control, management and employee participation, and safety and health training. Employers must apply, conduct annual self-evaluations, allow OSHA onsite evaluations, correct serious hazards or violations within 90 days or as soon as practicable, make safety program information available for OSHA to share with employees, and undergo periodic reevaluations. Approved worksites are exempt from programmed inspections. OSHA must also modernize the application, self-evaluation, and audit-reporting systems, support a tiered challenge program, issue final regulations within two years, and dedicate at least 5 percent of OSHA funds to carrying out the program.

Who Benefits and How

Employers participating in the Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program benefit from federal recognition and exemption from programmed OSHA inspections when they maintain program requirements. Employees at participating worksites benefit if the required hazard assessment, prevention, mitigation, training, employee participation, and correction duties lead to safer workplaces. Workplace safety consultants benefit from employer demand for help with applications, self-evaluations, training systems, and hazard-control documentation. Workplace safety software providers benefit from OSHA modernization and employer reporting needs tied to applications, annual self-evaluations, and audit reporting.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration must administer applications, onsite evaluations, periodic reevaluations, special Government employee supervision, internal controls, fatality and serious-injury documentation policies, technology modernization, challenge-program support, final regulations, and implementation funding. OSHA regional offices must comply with internal controls and monitor injury and illness trends for participating worksites. Participating employers must document safety systems, submit annual self-evaluations, correct serious hazards, make program information available to employees through OSHA, and maintain eligibility for continued participation.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program for employers with comprehensive safety and health management systems.
• Requires participating employers to apply, conduct annual self-evaluations, accept OSHA onsite evaluations, correct serious hazards, and undergo periodic reevaluations.
• Provides approved worksites an exemption from programmed OSHA inspections while leaving other safety obligations in place.
• Directs OSHA to create documentation policies, internal controls, performance goals, and measures for fatalities, serious injuries, regional compliance, and injury trends.
• Requires a technology modernization plan for applications, annual self-evaluations, audit reporting, and related program functions.
• Authorizes a tiered challenge program, requires final regulations within two years, and dedicates at least 5 percent of OSHA funds to program implementation.