Safety Through Accountability And Recognition Program

(1) Establishment. There is established, within TOSHA, the Safety Through Accountability and Recognition Program herein called the Volunteer STAR Program. (2) Objective. The Volunteer STAR is a program for the recognition and promotion of outstanding employer-provided, employee-participant, site specific occupational safety and health systems. (3) Participation. The program is established on the basis of voluntary participation by employers. Qualified participants will be placed on a list of recognized employers and shall be exempt from programmed (general schedule) inspections contingent upon maintaining the requirements for participation and continued, favorable periodic evaluations. (4) Qualifications for participation. Minimum requirements for participation in the Volunteer STAR Program are contained in the TOSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP): Policies and Procedures Manual. (5) Application. Application for participation in the Volunteer STAR Program shall be made to TOSHA. TOSHA will verify, evaluate, and recommend approval of the application to the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH GENERAL INSPECTION CHAPTER 0800-01-11 EXEMPTION PROGRAMS (6) Access to Records. All records of applications and evaluations made pursuant to the Volunteer STAR Program are public records accessible under the provisions of the Tennessee Open Records Law. (7) Withdrawal/Termination of Volunteer STAR Program Participation. (a) Any participant may choose to withdraw from the Volunteer STAR Program at any time following approval. (b) TOSHA must request that a site withdraw from the Volunteer STAR Program if any of the circumstances for withdrawal exist that are described in the TOSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Policies and Procedures Manual. (c) TOSHA may terminate a site from the Volunteer STAR Program for failure to maintain the requirements of the program or for any of the conditions as described in the TOSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Policies and Procedures Manual. (8) Reinstatement following withdrawal or termination. (a) Reinstatement requires reapplication. (b) A description of the timeframes and conditions for reinstatement are described in the TOSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Policies and Procedures Manual.