6A      Building a VPP Culture on a Construction Site (Intermediate)
Patrick Ostrenga – USDOL – OSHA

A description of the process of creating a VPP safety culture on a power plant construction site will be discussed. The interaction of the owner, organized labor (there is a project labor agreement,) and Washington Group as the controlling contractor and how they worked to foster good relations between all parties. These enti-ties worked together to create a safety environment that reduced injuries and costs. The innovative use of a mix of leading indicators with a focus on safe behaviors was one of the keys to the success. Monitoring of work practices resulted in the setting of the priorities for site inspections and focus items. The openness of the program allowed information to freely flow in all directions. An extensive mentoring program at all levels encouraged personal responsibility and provided safety education to the union employees. One of the components of the mentoring program was including craft workers on safety inspections along with managers. Employee participation in the process is evident at all levels. Extensive site inspections were conducted by supervision and craft with an emphasis on immediate response. The flexibility of the program allowed a rapid response to negative trends, unexpected events and new regulations including the hexavalent chrome standard. The presentation will include informa-tion from the contractor and owner and labor.