OSHA Safety Champions Program Series Part 1

Show Notes

In this first episode of a 3-part series, Sheldon introduces OSHA’s new Safety Champions Program (SCP) and explains how it differs from SHARP and VPP. He frames SCP as a practical, voluntary pathway for organizations that want to start building a stronger safety and health program from the ground up, rather than waiting until they are already operating at a mature recognition-program level. In the episode, Sheldon explains that SCP is built around three phases — Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced — and OSHA’s seven core elements of an effective safety and health program.

Sheldon also highlights how the program uses a tracker and SGE support to help employers document progress and move step by step through the process. He contrasts SCP with SHARP, which is aimed at smaller employers using OSHA consultation, and VPP, which is geared toward mature, high-performing safety systems.

This episode is for safety professionals, consultants, and leaders who are asking:

What’s next for our safety system?

How can we start preparing for OSHA’s new Safety Champions Program?

Sheldon also introduces his upcoming Safety Champion Readiness Workshop, where he’ll spend four hours helping attendees break down the steps, understand the tracker, and build a readiness roadmap.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the Safety Consultant Show with Sheldon primus, where we blend safety sparks with business brilliance and the pitch of Sheldon's signature wit, whether you're a safety pro of fresh face consultant, or just safety curious, get ready for a show that will educate, entertain and elevate your safety game.

[SPEAKER_00]: Let's dive into the art of consulting with your safety shirt for himself, Sheldon primus.

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[SPEAKER_03]: Alright, all good morning, good afternoon, good.

[SPEAKER_03]: Whatever it is for you wherever you are in this wonderful globe.

[SPEAKER_03]: Welcome to the Safety Consultant podcast on your host Sheldon primus.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's to show where I teach you the business of being a safety consultant.

[SPEAKER_03]: We talk about a whole bunch of stuff from the show.

[SPEAKER_03]: talk about OSHA compliance.

[SPEAKER_03]: Today we're going to talk a little OSHA but not compliance.

[SPEAKER_03]: We talk about general EHNS stuff and E for environmental age for health and S for safety if you are in need of the show.

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[SPEAKER_03]: So that is the key.

[SPEAKER_03]: And so today, we're going to talk a little bit about OSHA's new

[SPEAKER_03]: Safety Champion Program and this is something that I'm going to give you the insight for as if you are the safety officer in the U.S. jurisdiction.

[SPEAKER_03]: That's the only one they count on the safety champion, but all you other people that are listening throughout the world, you count too because this is going to give you kind of a nice little outline of what the U.S. is doing and you can look for something in your jurisdiction that would mirror this.

[SPEAKER_03]: And the service that you would provide as a safety consultant can be similar to what I'm going to explain to those in the U.S. market.

[SPEAKER_03]: So go to your website, whatever, and now while you're driving, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: We're not doing that, but whenever you get the opportunity, go to your jurisdiction's website and see if there's an equivalent program that you could help people get into.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that's what we're gonna talk to you to talk about today.

[SPEAKER_03]: So when we come back That is going to be the crux of this episode We'll be back with more of Sheldon primus and the safety consultant show in just a moment

[SPEAKER_03]: You get into the safety business because you want to protect people, but somewhere along the way the job started controlling your time, your schedule, your priorities, even your income potential.

[SPEAKER_03]: What if the expertise you've built over the years, in the field, can give you something more?

[SPEAKER_03]: More freedom, more control, more ownership of your future.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm Sheldon Prime as the author of seven steps to starting a profitable safety consulting business and the host of the safety consultant podcast but more than 350 episodes helping safety professionals become consultants and grow their career.

[SPEAKER_03]: Consulting changed my life, in fact.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm a full-time RVer and one consulting contract paid for my home I live in today.

[SPEAKER_03]: Now, I help safe professionals build their all consulting practice through biweekly coaching calls, the accountability and personal guidance.

[SPEAKER_03]: But this program is for everyone.

[SPEAKER_03]: Start with the consultant readiness audit at shelving.coach.

[SPEAKER_00]: We now return to the Safety Consultant Show.

[SPEAKER_00]: Once again, here's Sheldon Primus.

[SPEAKER_03]: Well, thank you, JR.

[SPEAKER_03]: So what's I get into this?

[SPEAKER_03]: I have decided to split this conversation up into three different episodes, so that'll be easier for you guys to really get a grasp of what this new OSHA Safety Champion program is.

[SPEAKER_03]: And as a background,

[SPEAKER_03]: I have mentioned in the past that whenever there is a Republican administration in the U.S. that typically they go into compliance assistance mode, and that is truly what we're seeing with this initiative.

[SPEAKER_03]: So with the new safety champion program, which deals, say, as SCP, that SCP program is not the same as sharp, which is safety health achievement recognition program.

[SPEAKER_03]: Nor is it a VP program, which is voluntary protection program.

[SPEAKER_03]: This one is separate.

[SPEAKER_03]: And it's new, so the initiative just came out earlier this year and first quarter this year.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I'm trying to jump on it and be one of the first to get you guys introduced to it because, you know, I want to make sure that you, you know, the difference between the three first, talk a little bit about the program, next episode, we're going to really dive down a little deeper into it and then the last episode will wrap it up.

[SPEAKER_03]: But,

[SPEAKER_03]: Right now, let's get you kind of oriented with what the SCP is.

[SPEAKER_03]: It is not like a voluntary protection program or safety and health achievement recognition program.

[SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[SPEAKER_03]: So from here, hand-forth, here, let's make this official, all right, gang, we're about to have an official proclamation.

[SPEAKER_03]: So this is going to be my official proclamation from this point forward that we are going to go ahead and use the actual acronyms, you know, we're not going to use any of the really

[SPEAKER_03]: terms anymore or ain't and just it's just too much.

[SPEAKER_03]: You don't want to spend all that time having to to say those big, big words.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that's it.

[SPEAKER_03]: I have just made our new Proclamation.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that is it.

[SPEAKER_03]: We have now proclaimed that we're using acronyms.

[SPEAKER_03]: All right, so here we go.

[SPEAKER_03]: The VPP in the sharp program, there are a couple different programs, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: VPP versus sharp versus SCP safety championship program, I have to get the one out.

[SPEAKER_03]: OSHA is truly trying to make sure that the SCP program, it's a voluntary cooperative program, and it's really to help the employer themselves develop and implement a robust safety and health program.

[SPEAKER_03]: So if they do that, OSHA will recognize them as being part of the SCP program initially.

[SPEAKER_03]: You'll check behind them with a special government employee, SGE.

[SPEAKER_03]: So the SGE will help that individual get mentored along the way.

[SPEAKER_03]: And they have three specific phases for this.

[SPEAKER_03]: Primary phase is going to be your steps of introductory.

[SPEAKER_03]: We're going to do an analysis of where you are as a company.

[SPEAKER_03]: And then you're going to start creating your program.

[SPEAKER_03]: and that's going to be your intermediate stage and then you're going to truly start doing all the things you said you're going to do for a robust safety and health program and that's your advanced stage.

[SPEAKER_03]: So those are the three phases of the program, but everything's built around OSHA's seven core elements of safety and health program, which is management leadership,

[SPEAKER_03]: Worker participation hazard identification and assessment has a prevention and control education and training program evaluation

[SPEAKER_03]: improvement.

[SPEAKER_03]: So you have to evaluate the program and prove it and then lastly the indication and coordination with host employers, contract, staffing agencies, everybody's responsible for someone in the organization.

[SPEAKER_03]: Even though they're not your employee, you gotta be responsible for any

[SPEAKER_03]: guest that are on your side, and that's the last component.

[SPEAKER_03]: So those seven key components still core elements, OSHA's been promoting for a while now, and they're safety and health management page, and it came from a white page.

[SPEAKER_03]: This gives me a came from a white paper they did years ago, so that's the program in a nutshell what's supposed to be.

[SPEAKER_03]: Again, the SCP program is to truly work on those key points, those core elements, and get you through analysis first, the initial stage with their calling

[SPEAKER_03]: And then move into practice, and then after you move into practice, then you're going into a full plan due check-ac system where you're going to do the act, part of the plan due check-ac system, which is part of the ISO International Standardization, or excuse me, International Organization for Standardization.

[SPEAKER_03]: 45,000 and one.

[SPEAKER_03]: This is akin to getting you ready for that one.

[SPEAKER_03]: And also your voluntary protection programs, VPP, Dagna, but I keep doing that.

[SPEAKER_03]: I say I'm not going to do the full acronym, and then I just go ahead and just instead of doing the acronym, I just spell everything

[SPEAKER_03]: Just now, I don't want to do this whole jargon thing, but it's just easier than spill it all out all each time.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that's what I'm trying not to do.

[SPEAKER_03]: But anyway, so the SCP...

[SPEAKER_03]: help drive is going to give you that step-by-step guide with OSHA and they're giving you a tracker that you could use.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's an Excel workbook if you would and you're going to be able to track what your activities are, your SGE when they're given to you, is going to guide you through that.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, as you go through that tracker, that's going to show that you are not just doing slogans such as zero this or, you know, we're safety champions in a slogan, but not actually doing it.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, the tracker is to make sure that you are going to truly follow through.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, compared with the Shark Program, Shark is for small businesses and you're going to use an online or on-site excuse me, consultation program and they're going to help you mentor you through where you can have a safety and health achievement recognition program and it's a little different than an SG because you are using the on-site consultation program which is going to be

[SPEAKER_03]: probably your local college that's going to have that.

[SPEAKER_03]: Those are usually the entities that they'll have that.

[SPEAKER_03]: And there is a size restriction for this for the sharp program.

[SPEAKER_03]: So it's generally 250 or fewer on-site employees or corporate

[SPEAKER_03]: They also want to make sure through that program that they're going to just make sure that you are going to keep up with everything.

[SPEAKER_03]: And the work site will receive that except, but to say exceptions, but it is an exemption from OSHA program inspections for up to two years.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you could renew that policy for up to three years.

[SPEAKER_03]: This is as long as you keep being qualified, so that's the benefit for a sharp program.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, usually with the sharp program, it's not building anything from scratch.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's really, there's no part where it's the introductory.

[SPEAKER_03]: If you're ready for sharp, you've gone through that stage already.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, the people who are just trying to get their safety program going, you're not going to be eligible for that.

[SPEAKER_03]: Same with VPP, so the voluntary protection program VPP, there's no size on this one.

[SPEAKER_03]: I kind of tell you the truth, I used to think it was over 250, but I was looking through the compliance document on this, the CSP for it, and it's compliance safety documents,

[SPEAKER_03]: And there's actually no size for this one.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I've been a role for quite a while, and I'm going to do a public apology on that one, because I actually thought it was for a larger company.

[SPEAKER_03]: But again, the VPP and the sharp program, they actually are recognizing mature organizations that have high-performing systems, especially the VPP people.

[SPEAKER_03]: truly exemplary in their safety and health, just activities that they do all together.

[SPEAKER_03]: What safety champions are doing is taking it a step prior to sharp people or prior to VPP.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, what you could use this for your organization is to let your people know that let's do what we can to start working towards and start getting some OSHA Recognization.

[SPEAKER_03]: It is not going to exempt you like the other two programs from having any targeted inspections.

[SPEAKER_03]: However, it's something that you could infuse your safety program a little bit at a time, a little bit of the time.

[SPEAKER_03]: And OSHA wants to reward you for every step, and the SGE is going to go ahead and announce to OSHA and submit some paperwork to say this company's gone through the introductory stage stage.

[SPEAKER_03]: Let's move them on, or they've gone through this stage, let's move them on.

[SPEAKER_03]: So you're going to end up, you could do this by yourself, you could be where you 101, you could go ahead and get this thing done.

[SPEAKER_03]: or you can have the SG help you along the way.

[SPEAKER_03]: So it's really up to you there to get that safety championship program going.

[SPEAKER_03]: There's no fixed time to complete any of these steps so they're going to lay out the guidelines for you and it's self-guided so when you're getting already it's self-guided.

[SPEAKER_03]: Sharp is a little bit more structured, you got the consultation program, you've got a cycle that you need to hit, so usually you're really not going to, you're going to be in that pre-sharp phase for no more than 18 months, so at that point there's a little time table to it, where a VPP now, it's a little heavier of requirement.

[SPEAKER_03]: because you could have the merit or the star position and you have to get that within two years.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you know, re-approval for that stuff, it's gonna be between three or five years depending.

[SPEAKER_03]: So it's gonna, it takes a while for you to actually get the VPP and the short program.

[SPEAKER_03]: So it's very important that you guys,

[SPEAKER_03]: When you start it, you've got to be ready and if you're a safety champion, the next best thing to do is to get to that feet pee level or get to that sharp level because you're almost there.

[SPEAKER_03]: Right as well.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, and I wish I actually encourages that.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that's what you're looking for.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, I'm not going to go too much in depth with this because I really want you guys just to understand a little bit of the differences and as we go into the journey over the next three episodes or next two episodes after this, I'm going to break down the steps for you including the steps and a core elements

[SPEAKER_03]: I'll help you with the translation of the tracker a little bit, but again, this is a podcast episode.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm looking at really be able to go and depth with everything.

[SPEAKER_03]: So what I have done, and I am doing a safety champion rating this workshop.

[SPEAKER_03]: And this is a public facing workshop that's going to be online.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I would encourage you to sign up for this one because I am going to spend a lot of time just truly four hours worth of time breaking everything down.

[SPEAKER_03]: And this is going to be an event that you can use for re-certification of whatever safety and health program you have.

[SPEAKER_03]: You're going to use this as contact hours.

[SPEAKER_03]: April 21st starting at 8 a.m. Pacific time and going to 12.30 Pacific time.

[SPEAKER_03]: I gave that extra half hour for breaks and everything else so we could be honest with our contact hours.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that is going to be April 21st of 2026 for those of you listening to this in a few years later, how's the future?

[SPEAKER_03]: Hopefully we're doing good now.

[SPEAKER_03]: Hopefully you're a safety champion now.

[SPEAKER_03]: If not, I'll be able to help you.

[SPEAKER_03]: So anyway, those of you in the present, April 21st, you're going to go to osha.coach.

[SPEAKER_03]: So osha.coach and you can register there.

[SPEAKER_03]: We've got three,

[SPEAKER_03]: levels of entry right now we're at April 3rd you could get the early bird ticket which is open until April 11th that's going to be 94 bucks for the four hours which is awesome and I really want to price it lower so you guys will be able to

[SPEAKER_03]: Take full advantage of the early bird and be able to get in there.

[SPEAKER_03]: You're going to have 14 days after the event for you to re-list into different components and get your company ready.

[SPEAKER_03]: The single tickets, if you can't get that approval and enough time to attend this virtual event.

[SPEAKER_03]: The single ticket after the 11th of April is going to be $165.

[SPEAKER_03]: And again, you're going to have 14 days to replay and get this information and rewatch the videos.

[SPEAKER_03]: You're all going to get a workbook that I've created with a checklist on tools to help you with your safety champion readiness and get ready to hit all three stages.

[SPEAKER_03]: And for those of you that want even more help I've created the VIP ticket and that's going to be 297 and with that one you're going to We're going to spend more time so I'm going to set aside half hour.

[SPEAKER_03]: of my time to work with you, and to just get you prepared, we're going to also have extended replay for you guys.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's going to be six months, 180 days for you to kind of go back and listen to thin things and rewrite stuff, you're going to still get tools, you're going to get to track your sheet, and if you need some extra help at the VPP level, you're going to get a 15% discount.

[SPEAKER_03]: for me coming in in person and doing you guys a nice little safety champion readiness audit so you can reserve that for the time you're ready to get to OSHA and I'll do that audit for you all right so again OSHA dot coach and you can see the safety champion readiness workshop sign up for it now and take advantage of the early bird session okay so

[SPEAKER_03]: Again, this is episode one when I'm introducing you to the safety champion program.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm kind of excited about this because truly it's going to help Those people who especially students of mine that I've hear stories of you don't know how to get people interested in your safety program and you just

[SPEAKER_03]: You got to lose the battle.

[SPEAKER_03]: This might be a way for your you to convince the higher-ups that you could do this.

[SPEAKER_03]: You could start from scratch with nothing and get yourself a recommendation from OSHA.

[SPEAKER_03]: They'll recognize you after you get to the introductory.

[SPEAKER_03]: They'll recognize you after you get to intermediate.

[SPEAKER_03]: And they'll recognize you as a safety champion after you get to advanced.

[SPEAKER_03]: So it's a good way for you to just guide your organization.

[SPEAKER_03]: To quality safety and health, not just for the program, but again, this safety and health guidance is reducing risk, and therefore it's going to help where workers aren't going to get hurt, and that's the bottom line, so I'm grateful that OSHA's doing this stuff, and I'm committed to help everybody through this, that's why it just came out in March, and I'm doing an event in April, because I like this, I like what they're doing.

[SPEAKER_03]: Alright gang, so all together we could do this go to osha.coach and sign up for the safety champion riding this workshop.

[SPEAKER_03]: Go get them!

[SPEAKER_00]: That's a wrap for today's safety show.

[SPEAKER_00]: Remember, safety isn't just about hard hats and caution signs.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's about business smarts too.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for joining us on the safety consultant show with Sheldon primus.

[SPEAKER_00]: Until next time, stay safe, stay savvy, and keep consulting like a boss.

[SPEAKER_00]: Go get him.

[SPEAKER_00]: The views in the opinion you expressed on this podcast or broadcast are those of the host in its guest and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the company.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It should not be utilized in the real world as the only solution available, as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information.

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