OSHA Administrator John L. Henshaw and Gary R. Heminger, president of Marathon Ashland Petroleum, will be the keynote speakers at VPPPA's 18th annual national conference, "Celebrating Safety and Health Partnerships." The conference will be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott from Sept. 9-12. This year marks the 20th anniversary of VPP, which, through reduced worksite injuries and illnesses, have saved participating companies more than $1 billion dollars since the program began in 1982.
The upcoming conference is expected to attract 2,000 safety and health leaders from both the public and private sectors and features over 80 workshops on subjects ranging from an overview of the response efforts at the World Trade Center disaster, bioterrorism and anthrax, to maximizing employee involvement in safety. Attendees may also take advantage of regional meetings, networking receptions and VPPPA's Expo02, where a diverse blend of companies will display their products and services.
On September 10, Henshaw and June S. Brothers, VPPPA chairperson and vice-president, Building Products, Georgia-Pacific Corp., will take part in an interactive Premier Focus session, VPP and the VPPPA. This unique workshop will present an in-depth discussion of OSHA and VPPPA's current initiatives, and allow audience members to ask questions on their future goals.
Your company does not have to be a VPPPA member for you to attend the conference. Regular registration is available until August 7. For more information and to register for the conference, please visit the VPPPA Web site at www.vpppa.org under the "Annual Conference" section, or call the VPPPA at (703) 761-1146.
The VPP, administered by OSHA and the Department of Energy, is a cooperative effort among labor, management and government. Acceptance into the VPP requires safety and health programs that exceed OSHA's standards. Sites participating in the VPP have overall lost workday rates 53 percent below the industry average. More than 800 U.S. worksites are VPP participants.