Notice2026-08202
Voluntary Protection Programs; Revision of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 28, 2026
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentOccupational Safety and Health Administration
Abstract
OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to revise the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Voluntary Protection Program.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22864-22866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08202]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2011-0056]
Voluntary Protection Programs; Revision of the Office of
Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection
(Paperwork) Requirements
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to
revise the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the
information collection requirements specified in the Voluntary
Protection Program.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
June 29, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments
electronically at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, which is the Federal
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting
comments.
Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the
docket, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Documents in the docket are
listed in the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> index; however, some
information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to
read or download through the websites. All submissions, including
copyrighted material, are available for inspection through the OSHA
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA
docket number (OSHA-2011-0056) for the Information Collection Request
(ICR). OSHA will place all comments, including any personal
information, in the public docket, which may be made available online.
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal
information such as social security numbers and birthdates.
For further information on submitting comments, see the ``Public
Participation'' heading in the section of this notice titled
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Belinda Cannon, Directorate of
Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor; telephone (202)
693-2222.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Department of Labor, as part of the continuing effort to reduce
paperwork and respondent (i.e., employer) burden, conducts a
preclearance consultation program to provide the public with an
opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing information
collection requirements in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that
information is in the desired format, reporting burden (time and costs)
is minimal, the collection instruments are clearly understood, and
OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is accurate. The
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 651 et
seq.) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or
appropriate for enforcement of the OSH Act or for developing
information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational
injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also
requires that OSHA obtain such information with minimum burden upon
employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce
to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of effort in
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).
The following sections describe who uses the information collected
under each requirement, as well as how they use it. The Voluntary
Protection Programs (VPP) \1\ established the efficacy of cooperative
action among government, industry, and labor to address employee safety
and health
[[Page 22865]]
issues and to expand employee protection. To qualify, employers must
meet OSHA's safety and health management criteria which focus on
comprehensive management programs and active employee involvement to
prevent or control worksite safety and health hazards. Employers who
qualify generally view OSHA standards as a minimum level of safety and
health performance, and set their own more stringent standards,
wherever necessary, to improve employee protection. Prospective VPP
worksites must submit an application that includes:
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\1\ Source: Adopted by OSHA on July 2,1982 (47 FR 29025).
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<bullet> General applicant information (e.g., site, corporate, and
collective bargaining contact information).
<bullet> Injury and illness rate performance information (i.e.,
number of employees and/or applicable contractors on-site, type of work
performed and products produced, North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS), and Recordable Injury and Illness Case Incidence Rate
information.
<bullet> Safety and health management program information (i.e.,
description of the applicant's safety and health management programs
including how the programs successfully address management leadership
and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and
control, and safety and health training.
OSHA uses this information to determine whether an applicant is
ready for a VPP on-site evaluation and as a verification tool during
VPP on-site evaluations. Without this information, OSHA would be unable
to determine which sites are ready for VPP status.
Each current VPP applicant is also required to submit an annual
evaluation which addresses how that applicant is continuing the
adherence to programmatic requirements. In 2008, OSHA modified
procedures for VPP applicants, OSHA on-site evaluation, and Annual
participant self-evaluation for applicants/participants subject to
OSHA's Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard. Applicants that
perform works that use or produce highly hazardous chemical exceeding
specified limits covered under the PSM standard must submit responses
to the PSM application supplement along with their VPP application.
Once in VPP, the participant is required to submit an annual
evaluation detailing the continued adherence to programmatic
requirements. Applicants covered under the PSM standard are required to
submit a PSM questionnaire a supplemental document as part of their
annual submission. OSHA needs this information to ensure that the
participant remains qualified to participate in the VPP between the on-
site evaluations. Without this information, OSHA would be unable to
determine whether applicants are maintaining excellent safety and
health management programs during this interim period.
In 2009, with the publication of Federal Register Notice (FRN) E9-
165 (74 FR 927), VPP revised the traditional focus on individual fixed
worksites (site-based) by adding two new ways to participate: mobile
workforce and corporate. A significant reorganization of the program
helps clarify the multiple participation options now available.
Employees of VPP participants may apply to participate in OSHA's
Special Government Employee (SGE) Program as VPP SGEs. OSHA's SGE
Program offers private and public sector safety and health
professionals and other qualified participants the opportunity to
exchange ideas, gain new perspectives, and grow professionally while
serving as OSHA's SGEs. In 2026, OSHA expanded their SGE Program with
the creation of Safety Champions Program (SCP) SGEs. This new
designation allows for safety and health individuals from across the
country not at VPP sites to apply to OSHA's SGE Program to assist
Safety Champions Participants to improve their safety and health
program. VPP SGEs may participate in qualifying activities, such as VPP
on-site evaluations, mentoring VPP sites or applicants, review VPP
applications and annual self-evaluations, and even assist Safety
Champions Participants. SCP SGEs may assist SCP participants by
performing document reviews, step tracker completion, and answer
questions for the participants. Individuals applying to the SGE Program
and SGEs renewing the term after three years must submit an application
that includes:
<bullet> SGE Eligibility Information Sheet (i.e., applicant's name,
professional credentials, site/corporate contact information, etc.);
<bullet> Current Resume or work history; and
<bullet> Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450)
(this revision removes the use of the Optional Application for Federal
Employment OF-612 within the SGE application).
OSHA uses the SGE Eligibility Information Sheet to ensure that the
potential SGE meets the minimum eligibility and qualification
requirements. The resume is required to provide a detailed description
of their current duties and responsibilities as they relate to safety
and health, OSHA standards, and the knowledge of effective safety and
health programs. The OGE Form 450 is used to ensure that SGEs do not
participate in qualifying activities where they have a financial
interest.
The OSHA Safety Champions Program (SCP), a rebranding and
revitalization of OSHA Challenge, is designed to reach and guide
employers and companies in all major industry groups who are strongly
committed to improving their safety and health programs and possibly
pursuing recognition in the VPP. The SCP Sign Up is used to register
interested companies/worksites into the Safety Champions Program. The
SCP coordinator will review each participant's registration and ensure
that all necessary information is completed in order to progress
participants through the program. A participant can use the SCP Tracker
to (1) conduct a preliminary analysis of the participant's knowledge of
safety and health programs; and (2) make a determination regarding
where the participant's s believe they should start to progress through
the steps.
II. Special Issues for Comment
OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
<bullet> Whether the proposed information collection requirements
are necessary for the proper performance of the agency's functions to
protect workers, including whether the information is useful;
<bullet> The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and
costs) of the information collection requirements, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
<bullet> The quality, utility, and clarity of the information
collected; and
<bullet> Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply;
for example, by using automated or other technological information, and
transmission techniques.
III. Proposed Actions
OSHA is requesting that OMB extend the approval of the information
collection requirements contained in the Voluntary Protection Programs.
The agency is seeking a program change in burden going from 69,657 to
53,289 hours, a difference of 16,368 hours. This program change is
primarily due to rebranding the name of the OSHA Challenge Program to
the OSHA Safety Champions Program and the removal of the OF-612
(Optional Application for Federal Employment form). Also, there was a
decrease in the number of estimated VPP applicants based on the trend
in data.
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OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this
notice and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend
the approval of the information collection requirements.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Title: Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).
OMB Control Number: 1218-0239.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
Number of Respondents: 3,000.
Number of Responses: 9,470.
Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
Average Time per Response: Varies.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 53,440.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.
IV. Public Participation--Submission of Comments on This Notice and
Internet Access to Comments and Submissions
You may submit comments in response to this document as follows:
(1) electronically at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, which is the Federal
eRulemaking Portal; or (2) by facsimile (fax), if your comments,
including attachments, are not longer than 10 pages you may fax them to
the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648. All comments, attachments,
and other material must identify the agency name and the OSHA docket
number for the ICR (OSHA-2011-0056). You may supplement electronic
submission by uploading document files electronically.
Comments and submissions are posted without change at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about
submitting personal information such as social security numbers and
dates of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> index, some information (e.g., copyrighted
material) is not publicly available to read or download from this
website. All submission, including copyrighted material, are available
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on
using the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> website to submit comments and
access the docket is available at the website's ``User Tips'' link.
Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-
5627) for information about materials not available from the website,
and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.
V. Authority and Signature
Amanda Laihow, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this
notice. The authority for this notice is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506 et seq.) and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 7-2025
(90 FR 27878).
Signed at Washington, DC, on April 15, 2026.
Amanda Laihow,
Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health.
[FR Doc. 2026-08202 Filed 4-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 28, 2026.
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