Combining the Voluntary Protection Program – Construction and Golden Gate Program for Even Greater Impact

California was first in the nation to develop a program that relies on industry, labor, and Consultation to work as partners in encouraging and recognizing workplace safety and health programs that effectively prevent and control injuries and illnesses to workers.

Cal/OSHA has taken their partnership programs to the next level by combining their Voluntary Protection Program - Construction (VPP-C) and Golden Gate Program's efforts to provide service to larger construction projects. General Contractors are evaluated under the VPP-C and sub-contractors are evaluated under the Golden Gate program. This increases the amount of mentoring given to sub-contractors and provides for recognition at all levels. California has seen increased involvement and innovation with sub-contractors and their employees who have achieved Golden Gate recognition at a VPP-C site.

The Golden Gate Program is site-specific and designed to recognize employers who have developed and implemented an effective injury and illness prevention program meeting California statutory requirements. This program is funded and administered by the Cal/OSHA Consultation Services Branch. Companies may be eligible to receive a letter of commendation from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services if the company requests and receives a Cal/OSHA Consultation on-site visit at one of its worksites and subsequently meets the qualifications for Golden Gate recognition. Companies qualified for Golden Gate recognition do not receive any kind of exemption from programmed inspections, only the exemptions associated with actively working with Cal/OSHA Consultation Services.

Bali Construction received Golden Gate recognitions in November 2021 at the San Diego State University Project and another at the Intuit Dome project (Los Angeles Clippers basketball team's arena). Both projects were VPP-C and Golden Gate sites. Bali is a general engineering contractor with robust safety and health programs and employee engagement. Bali demonstrated a best practice by using a Hydrovac Truck to blast excavation areas with a water jet and vacuum up the dirt. This method has helped the company find many unmarked underground pipes and kept them from rupturing many lines that could easily be broken via traditional digging methods.

The new Hydrovac System has helped the company protect equipment. They have already observed a decrease in utility-damage incidents and an increase in their effectiveness in protecting critical infrastructure and high-priority utilities. The system has also improved workplace safety by decreasing employees' exposure to the hazards of ruptured utility lines.

Golden Gate recognition is valid for one year from the date of the certificate issuance. There are 83 sites listed as recognized Golden Gate sites as of February 2024. The OSHA On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards and how to fix them, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, train and educate workers, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs. On-Site Consultation services are separate from OSHA enforcement efforts. To locate the OSHA On-Site Consultation program nearest you, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit www.osha.gov/consultation.