OSHA’s updated Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) policy manual aligns participant safety systems with the seven core elements found in their framework for safety and health programs. 
The significant changes to the VPP framework include requiring safety and health management systems to cover the following seven core elements: 
  • Management Leadership
  • Worker Participation
  • Hazard Identification and Assessment
  • Hazard Prevention and Control
  • Education and Training
  • Program Evaluation and Improvement
  • Communication and Coordination (specifically for host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies) 

In addition to the seven elements, the directive (OSHA Directive CSP 03-01-005) established two new VPP recognition levels: 
  • VPP Elite: For sites that have maintained VPP Star status for 15 or more consecutive years.
  • VPP Emeritus: For participants with 25+ years in the program.

The updated 7-element framework does not change the core goals of VPP. Instead, it breaks down the original 4 elements into more precise, actionable categories.
Here is how the old and new frameworks align:
1. Management, Leadership & Worker Participation
The old framework combined these two critical roles into a single element. The updated framework splits them into two distinct categories to emphasize that worker involvement is just as critical as executive buy-in. [1]
  • Old: Management Leadership and Employee Involvement.
  • New: Management Leadership (Element 1) + Worker Participation (Element 2).

2. Worksite Analysis
The old concept of analyzing the workplace is now much more active. The updated version focuses specifically on the continuous cycle of finding hazards and thoroughly assessing their risks.
  • Old: Worksite Analysis.
  • New: Hazard Identification and Assessment (Element 3).

3. Hazard Prevention and Control
This core element remains essentially the same. It continues to focus on using the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering controls) to fix identified risks.
  • Old: Hazard Prevention and Control.
  • New: Hazard Prevention and Control (Element 4).

4. Safety and Health Training
Training has been expanded to ensure it covers both general education on safety principles and highly specific task training.
  • Old: Safety and Health Training.
  • New: Education and Training (Element 5).

5. Brand New Elements
The remaining two elements did not have dedicated categories in the old 4-element structure. They were added to address modern workplace complexities, such as temporary workers and continuous quality improvement.
  • Program Evaluation and Improvement (Element 6): Forces sites to treat safety as an evolving system through regular audits and adjustments.
  • Communication and Coordination (Element 7): Ensures safety rules apply equally to host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies on the same site.

You can review the full details and directives in the official OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs Policies and Procedures Manual.