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OSHA's Maine 200 Program Goes Nationwide

December 5, 1997

An award-winning enforcement partnership program developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expanding nationwide as the Cooperative Compliance Program (CCP) is offered to 12,250 employers.

OSHA's Maine 200 Program, the prototype for CCP, won the prestigious Innovation in American Government Award from the Ford Foundation as well as the Hammer Award from Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review.

"One of my top priorities is protecting the safety and health of the American worker," said Labor Secretary Alexis Herman in announcing the program. "I believe most employers share that goal and will welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with OSHA in finding and fixing workplace hazards. The bottom line is saving lives and saving money." OSHA is committed to reducing injuries and illnesses in 100,000 workplaces by 20 percent over the next five years, and this partnership program will help the agency reach that goal.

Employers that accept OSHA's offer to join the Cooperative Compliance Program can reduce their chances of a safety and health inspection. CCPs are part of the new, common-sense approach to regulations announced by President Clinton in May 1995. They expand the successful program that focused on the 200 companies in Maine with the highest workers' compensation rates and helped 70 percent of them to reduce serious injuries.

When joining CCP, employers agree to find and fix hazards, work toward reducing injuries and illnesses, fully involve employees in their safety and health program, share injury and illness data and provide OSHA with information from their annual injury and illness records.

"We want to work with employers and help them do the right thing," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Charles N. Jeffress. "This program offers employers a choice: partnership or traditional enforcement. It also enables us to focus our agency's resources where we can do the most good. For more information, contact Susan Hall Fleming at (202) 219-8151.