The Department of Energy Voluntary Protection Program (DOE-VPP) is a program designed to promote safety and health excellence through cooperative efforts among labor, management, and government at the Department of Energy contractor sites.

WRPS maintains the VPP Legacy of Stars status, distinguishing a company that has excelled in outreach and mentoring, and has demonstrated sustained excellence in worker safety and health.

The VPP concept recognizes that compliance enforcement alone will never fully achieve the objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Good safety management programs that go beyond OSHA requirements, standards, and DOE directives and requirements will protect workers more effectively than verbatim compliance. Certified VPP programs and facilities serve as a model for others where continuous improvement will lead to the ultimate goal of zero injuries.

Once a contractor or subcontractor's program has been certified by the DOE VPP Headquarters, their safety program and performance is reviewed by DOE each year through a contractor VPP annual report. Each contractor is scheduled for a site evaluation/re-certification visit every three to five years.

More information is available on Hanford.gov.