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recognize employers who have successfully developed and implemented effective <br />and comprehensive safety and health management systems; <br />encourage these employers to continuously improve their safety and health <br />management systems; <br />motivate other employers to achieve exceller` safety and health results in the <br />same outstanding way; and <br />establish a relationship between employers, employees, and OSHA that is based <br />on cooperation. <br />VPP participation can mean the following: <br />reduced numbers of worker fatalities, injuries, and illnesses; <br />lost -workday case rates generally 50 percent below industry averages; <br />lower workers' compensation and other injury- and illness -related costs; <br />improved employee motivation to work safely, leading to a better quality of life at <br />work; <br />positive community recognition and interaction; <br />further improvement and revitalization of already good safety and health <br />programs; and <br />a positive relationship with OSHA. <br />OSHA reviews an employer's VPP application and conducts a VPP onsite evaluation to <br />verify that the safety and health management systems described are operating effectively <br />at the site. OSHA conducts onsite evaluations on a regular basis, annually for participants <br />at the Demonstration level, every 18 months for Merit, and every 3 to 5 years for Star. <br />Each February, all participants must send a copy of their most recent annual evaluation <br />to their OSHA regional office. This evaluation must include the worksite's record of <br />injuries and illnesses for the past year. <br />Sites participating in VPP are not scheduled for regular, programmed inspections. OSHA <br />handles any employee complaints, serious accidents, or significant chemical releases that <br />may occur at VPP sites according to routine enforcement procedures. <br />Additional information on VPP is available from OSHA national, regional, and area offices, <br />listed at the end of this booklet. Also, see Outreach on OSHA's website at www.osha.gov. <br />,. .I I I , WIVIIIII IIII. . . <br />OSHA has learned firsthand that voluntary, cooperative partnerships with employers, <br />- employees, and unions can be a useful alternative to traditional enforcement and an <br />effective way to reduce worker deaths, injuries, and illnesses. This is especially true when <br />a partnership leads to the development and implementation of comprehensive workplace <br />safety and health management system. <br />What is OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program (OSPP)? <br />OSHA Strategic Partnerships are alliances among labor, management, and government to <br />foster improvements in workplace safety and health. These partnerships are voluntary, <br />cooperative relationships between OSHA, employers, employee representatives, and <br />