Star Site status is the highest level of recognition in the VPP program and is awarded only to employers who demonstrate exemplary achievement in the prevention and control of occupational safety and health hazards. FRCE first achieved OSHA VPP Star Site status in 2019 in two of the depot’s application areas, becoming the first naval aviation command to reach that level.
“Protecting our people is our number one priority at the depot,” said FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont. “This accomplishment highlights just how seriously our entire workforce takes this responsibility. It shows that our safety specialists, supervisors and employees are looking out for one another and are committed to maintaining a safe work environment.”
FRCE is one of 161 Department of Defense sites which achieved an active Star recognition. The depot is one of only 21 VPP Star Sites recognized sites in the entire Department of the Navy. According to FRCE Compliance and Quality Department Head Amy Morgan, the recognition is the byproduct of years of a command-wide effort aimed at reducing injuries and enhancing workplace safety.
“This is the result of more than a decade of hard work focused on creating a culture of safety in our workplace,” said Morgan. “This didn’t happen overnight. It took a lot of effort and across-the-board engagement from the workforce.”
VPP recognizes employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries.
Participants must submit an application to OSHA and undergo a rigorous onsite evaluation by a team of safety and health professionals. OSHA approves qualified VPP sites to one of three programs: Star, Merit or Demonstration. FRCE Safety Director Angelo Owens said achieving any level of VPP status is challenging and described the Star status level as especially difficult to attain.
“VPP Star Site status is the highest level of recognition you can achieve,” said Owens. “It’s only awarded to the best of the best. This requires going far beyond simply meeting the standards. Your safety and health programs must exceed OSHA regulatory requirements.”
Exceeding OSHA’s regulatory requirements can be challenging for any organization, let alone one consisting of more than 4,000 workers in career fields ranging from aircraft mechanics to human resources.
The Safety and Occupational Health Division at FRCE oversees more than 53 safety and occupational health programs running the gamut from radiation safety to fall protection. Owens credited the communication and collaboration between safety personnel and the depot’s workforce as a crucial factor in FRCE’s safety success.
“Employees have to be engaged, especially in a complex work environment like we have here at the depot,” said Owens. “There are so many things going on. Our safety specialists work closely with managers, supervisors and employees. Everyone working here knows what their responsibilities are, and they look out for one another.”
According to OSHA, the average VPP worksite has a Days Away Restricted or Transferred (DART) case rate of 53% below the average for its respective industry. These sites typically do not start out with such low rates. Morgan cited FRCE’s initial VPP certification efforts as instrumental in strengthening the depot’s safety programs.
“We started the VPP process in 2006,” said Morgan. “That was an important step in our ongoing safety journey. The process was challenging but the lessons we learned along the way have made FRCE a safer place. VPP made people working here much more conscientious and aware in terms of safety and risk management.”
VPP participants are re-evaluated every three to five years to remain in the program. FRCE successfully completed re-evaluation earlier of this year. Owens said maintaining the certification was as challenging as earning it.
“The re-evaluation process was just as thorough as achieving initial certification,” said Owens. “Representatives from OSHA came to the depot and evaluated our programs, checked documentation and conducted very thorough inspections. They went to the shops and talked to supervisors and employees to see firsthand what we are doing in our facilities.”
Morgan said the OSHA representatives were especially interested in visiting the work spaces as VPP necessitates active involvement from both management and employees. She credited FRCE’s workforce as instrumental in maintaining the command’s Star Site status.
“The people here are amazing and were the key to our recertification,” said Morgan. “They work very hard to ensure our warfighters have the aircraft they need, and they do it in a safe and efficient manner. Our safety personnel cannot do this alone. Our safety record is the result of our workforce doing the right thing.”
While Morgan is quite proud of the depot’s Star Site recertification, she says the command is focused on the future in regard to safety.
“Our priority is getting our people home to their families safe and sound each day,” said Morgan. “It’s something we take very seriously. There’s no room for complacency. We have to stay proactive and continually look for ways to improve.”
FRCE’s successful VPP recertification underscores the depot’s long-standing commitment to safety. In the last 12 months alone, the depot has garnered a number of accolades.
In November 2022, FRCE’s exemplary safety record was recognized by the North Carolina Department of Labor Safety Awards Program, which awarded the depot its fifth consecutive Gold Award and two Million Hour safety awards. The Million Hour safety awards are given to employers each time they accumulate 1 million employee hours with no injuries or illnesses involving days away from work. To meet the Gold Award standard, an organization must meet the criteria for a safety award and achieve a DART rate at least 50 percent below the industry average.
In August, FRCE was recognized by the Department of Defense as the best of the best in terms of safety and occupational health and presented with the Department of Defense Safety and Occupational Health Management System (SOHMS) Achievement Award.
FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.
Learn more at www.navair.navy.mil/frce or https://www.facebook.com/FleetReadinessCenterEast.