NASA ARC Memo: Ames Research Center withdrawal from Voluntary Protection
Subject: Ames Research Center withdrawal from Voluntary Protection
Program (VPP)
From: Centerwide Announcement
Date: July 22, 2014
TO: Resident Staff
FROM: Lewis S. Braxton III, Deputy Center Director
SUBJECT: Ames Research Center Withdrawal from Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)
On Thursday June 5, 2014, ARC management was informed by the President of the Ames Federal Employee Union that the Ames Federal Employee Union (AFEU) had decided to withdraw their support of Ames’ Occupational Safety and Health Administration Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). The withdrawal from this important safety certification was unexpected and disappointing in light of the fact that ARC has one of the highest performing safety programs in the Federal government. In light of the fact that the AFEU is no longer in support of VPP, and membership in VPP requires Union support, the Center was forced to withdraw on Thursday, July 9, 2014.
As a result of this perplexing action by the AFEU, Ames Research Center will no longer be part of the elite group of organizations across the United States that share the pride of this hard earned safety status. The VPP STAR flag has been removed from the front of N200 where it had flown proudly for the past 12 years after a hard earned effort by staff to reverse the many years of high injury rates which in 2002 resulted in ARC achieving VPP STAR status. As a consequence, ARC will now be subject to programmed enforcement inspections, increased scrutiny by OSHA and will no longer receive a full independent audit by OSHA.
All of the normal daily activities of the Safety, Health and Medical Services Division and the Center staff in support of our safety program will remain as they were before the Union’s withdrawal as ARC still intends to maintain, operate and improve our safety and health program. We will continue our safety and health program as before, with pride, excellence, employee involvement and management leadership. Management’s commitment to safety and health at ARC continues to be unwavering.
