This bill creates the Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program at the Department of Labor to recognize workplaces that go above and beyond on safety and health. Employers who want to join must apply and show they have strong safety systems, including checking for hazards, preventing and controlling them, involving managers and workers, and training employees. Approved worksites do yearly self-reviews and accept onsite reviews by the Department. These visits will not trigger enforcement citations, but any serious hazards found must be fixed within 90 days or as soon as possible.

The program requires regular reviews and keeps audits under the direct supervision of federal safety staff, with help from special Government employees. The Department must track results, set goals, and make sure only qualified sites stay in. Approved worksites are exempt from programmed inspections while they participate, and no fees may be charged to apply or take part. Within two years, the Department must modernize the program’s technology for applications, self-evaluations, and audit reporting, and also issue final rules to begin implementation. The bill adds a free, tiered “challenge” program to help employers build strong safety systems, allows current participants in good standing to move into the new program, and requires that at least 5% of the agency’s budget support this work .

• Who is affected: Employers who volunteer to join and the workers at those worksites; the Department of Labor team that runs and monitors the program.
• What changes: Recognition for top safety programs; annual self-checks and onsite reviews without enforcement citations; serious hazards fixed in 90 days; exemption from programmed inspections; no fees to participate; tech upgrades for applications and reporting; a free, tiered challenge program; stronger tracking and oversight; minimum 5% funding for the program .
• When: The technology plan and final rules must be in place within two years of the bill becoming law, and implementation begins by then; current participants can transition when the new program starts .