Virginia Challenge Program
What is the
Virginia Challenge Program
Virginia Challenge is a step-by-step three-stage process that gives you a road map to making your company one of the safest and healthiest in the country. This program provides flexibility for diverse industries with three levels of participation for general industry, and provides recognition for employersโ incremental improvements on their path to attaining Virginia STAR status.
Challenge is an opportunity for sites to improve their SHMS through mentoring, training and progress tracking with the help of an electronic form. Challenge was launched in 2004 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
For more information, please contact Crystal Main, Challenge Program Coordinator, at crystal.main@doli.virginia.gov or (540) 562-3580, ext. 114.
How it works
Companies start out at Stage I.ย Using the OSHA Challenge Tracking Participant Spreadsheet (OCTPS) form each required element is broken down into sub-elements that explains requirements for that element, who it is assigned to and date completed. This is used to track the companies progress.
As each element is completed, you move onto the next until the stage is completed at which time you move to the next stage.ย Having multiple employees involved allows more than one element to be worked on at a time. Mentors, Coordinators, Administrators and VOSH personal will assist you in reaching your goals.
Stage 1: Assess, Learn, and Develop
During this stage, participants learn the elements necessary to develop and implement an effective safety and health management system. Sites will assess the performance of existing safety & health programs and policies, provide training to management and workers and develop strategies, programs and policies with the help of mentors.
Stage 2: Implement, Track, and Control
Sites will continue to develop, implement and improve policies and programs that were developed in Stage 1 and begin to incorporate policies for contractor/special trade contractor safety and health management system requirements.
Stage 3: Reassess, Monitor, and Improve
The final stage of the Challenge!ย Participants will monitor, reassess and continuously improve their safety and health management system.
All three stages have been completed and you should now have an effective Safety and Health Management System and should be ready to apply for theย VPP STARย recognition program.
Benefits
There are many benefits to working the Challenge program. Employee involvement in safety and health at all levels in the organization will increase resulting in a decrease in injuries. This decrease lowers the worker compensation cost resulting in cost savings to the company. Additional benefits include:
- ๏Lower turnover rates.
- ๏Networking with the โBest of the Bestโ companies.
- ๏Increased employee morale.
- ๏Proven method that works.
- ๏Improved and or revise safety and health policies and procedures with the help of safety professionals.
- ๏Itโs Free!
Current Participants
VADOC
Challenge Program
In 2018, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry and the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) entered into a strategic partnership to create the groundbreaking VADOC Challenge program to recognize safety and health excellence at correctional facilities around the Commonwealth.
VADOC correctional facilities that participate in VADOC Challenge will substantially improve safety and health protections for its workers through cooperative efforts to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatal accidents. VADOC Challenge sites will implement safety and health management systems which have consistently demonstrated decreased bottom line costs associated with dramatically reduced injury and illness rates and improved productivity and employee morale and retention.
For more information, contact:
Crystal Main
(540) 562-3580 x114
Crystal.Main@doli.virginia.gov
Contact Us
Address
Virginia Department of Labor and Industryย
Southwest Virginia Regional Officeย
Brammer Villageย
3013 Peters Creek Roadย
Roanoke, VAโฏ 24019
Phone Number
Office: (540) 562-3580, ext. 114
Fax: (540) 562-3587ย
Email Address
General Questions:
crystal.main@doli.virginia.gov