OSHA Launches Safety Champions Program

On January 20, 2026, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched the Safety Champions Program (the “Program”), a brand new voluntary cooperative program designed to assist employers develop and implement security and well being packages. The Program displays OSHA’s said effort to take a extra collaborative strategy to office security, shifting past purely enforcement-driven engagement with employers. The Program is distinct from OSHA’s present Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) and, with cautious consideration, could current a chance for employers to strengthen their security and well being practices with help from OSHA.

Key takeaway

The Program offers a progressive, step-based framework for employers to construct or enhance their office security and well being packages round seven core parts recognized in OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs. Employers could take part independently or request assist from OSHA-assigned Special Government Employees (SGEs) who can evaluate program documentation, present suggestions, and reply questions. Even employers who consider they have already got robust security packages could profit from utilizing this system framework as an inside audit software to judge present security and well being procedures towards OSHA’s advisable practices. Participation has no impression on any OSHA enforcement exercise or willpower.

The Safety Champions Program Structure

The Program options three progressive steps: Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced, every constructing on the prior step. At every step, employers are anticipated to realize particular targets and full outlined actions throughout seven parts OSHA believes are vital to a profitable security and well being tradition: (1) administration management; (2) employee participation; (3) hazard identification and evaluation; (4) hazard prevention and management; (5) schooling and coaching; (6) program analysis and enchancment; and (7) communication and coordination for host employers, contractors, and staffing businesses. Participants use a Safety Champions Tracker to observe their progress by way of every Step. Notably, individuals should proceed assembly standards from beforehand accomplished Steps as they progress by way of this system.

Below is a abstract of what OSHA expects employers to perform throughout every step in this system.

• Introductory step – Employers deal with foundational actions like growing written security and well being insurance policies, establishing security committees, creating preliminary hazard inventories, and constructing coaching plans.

• Intermediate step – Employers implement the packages developed within the Introductory step, enhance employee involvement, conduct common hazard inspections a minimum of semi-annually, and supply refresher coaching.

• Advanced step – Employers are anticipated to exhibit mature, totally built-in security and well being packages with steady enchancment processes, routine self-inspections a minimum of month-to-month, and annual development analyzes of security and well being knowledge.

Role of Special Government Employees

Participants can work by way of this system independently or with the help of an SGE assigned by OSHA. SGEs could evaluate security and well being program documentation, present suggestions on progress, and reply questions on an as-needed foundation. When a participant believes it has accomplished all actions inside a step, OSHA will assign an SGE to conduct a proper evaluate. The SGE could then advocate the participant for step completion or determine areas the place additional progress is required.

Implications for Employers

Although employers could view the Program with a wholesome dose of skepticism, the Program represents a shift in OSHA’s posture towards employer engagement. Employers ought to think about whether or not participation, and even casual use of the Program framework as a self-assessment benchmark, may assist enhance their security and well being program efficiency and compliance posture. The structured, step-based strategy could also be significantly helpful for organizations trying to formalize security practices, interact staff in security initiatives, and construct a documented monitor file of steady enchancment. Also, due to the Program’s step-by-step strategy, employers ought to take part within the Program provided that they’re targeted on steady enchancment of their security and well being packages.

The Program operates individually from OSHA’s enforcement actions, and OSHA has made clear that participation has no impression on any enforcement exercise or willpower. Although a robust security program could scale back the danger of office incidents which will set off an inspection, employers shouldn’t take part within the Program with the expectation that it’s going to defend the employer from an OSHA inspection or citations.

Additional assets on the Safety Champions Program can be found on OSHA’s devoted webpage.

This article was co-authored by Reed Smith accomplice, Adam Roseman.