NASA's Kennedy Space Center recently was recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star site, joining an elite group of organizations considered to have the best safety programs in the nation.

VPP is a national program designed to recognize and promote effective safety and health management. Currently, only approximately 600 organizations have received this honor nationwide.

KSC was recommended for Star certification, this program's highest level, in July 2003 after an intense OSHA review of the Center's safety and health programs. The Center was presented with the official Star flag by OSHA Deputy Regional Administrator Teresa Harrison on April 26 at KSC.

"It's exciting to know we did this together as a team," said KSC Director Jim Kennedy. "I came here with the expression, 'KSC and proud to be,' and now we are also 'VPP and proud to be.'"

VPP is a cooperative effort between OSHA, employers, employees and unions that recognizes exemplary safety programs that go above and beyond regulatory compliance.

To qualify for Star certification, an organization's average injury, illness, and lost worktime rates for the previous three years must be below the current comparable private sector average rates as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The program began in the private sector in 1982 and was opened to federal sites in 1997.