VPPPA’s 40th conference took place this fall in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains as 2,000 high-performing EHS&S professionals, frontline workers, management and regulatory personnel gathered at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado, to connect and engage in continuous safety and health improvement.
It was a far cry from that first gathering of VPP sites back in 1984 when fewer than 50 personnel gathered at the Department of Labor to share their experiences in what was then a two-year-old nascent safety and health management system launched by OSHA.
The concept of VPPPA’s Safety+ hasn’t changed dramatically in 40 years, even if the technology and attendance have. That’s because, from that first meeting to today, Safety+ has been about one core goal — continuous improvement.
VPPPA’s Safety+ Symposium celebrates 40 years
Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken poses with VPPPA Board Members.
Idea-sharing, networking and good old "R&D" (ripoff & develop) — that’s what Safety+ is about and, in a broader sense, why VPPPA exists. To develop innovative processes and practices that lead to the evolution of safety and health management systems and, ultimately, save lives.
VPPPA’s 2024 Safety+ kicked off with a packed ballroom to hear New York Timesbestselling author and co-founder of The Buried Life movement Ben Nemtin talk about overcoming life’s obstacles to create a personal culture of achievement — for himself and helping others achieve their bucket list items. Such was the response to his story that attendees stood in line for an hour after the session to take photos and purchase copies of his "Bucket List Journal."
Over 65 professional development sessions and three networking receptions later, another jam-packed ballroom listened — and laughed — with six-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Amy Van Dyken as she led a recap of overcoming childhood asthma and injuries to become the best swimmer of her time.
She did this from her wheelchair.
Van Dyken recounted her ATV accident in 2014 that left her paralyzed from the waist down — and how her relentless determination and desire to win helped her overcome these injuries to lead a life full of achievement.
I mention the keynote speakers — decidedly not EHS&S professionals, mind you — as an indicator of the impact that personal stories of leadership, challenge and resiliency have on high-performing EHS&S personnel from across the spectrum of industry. When you operate at a VPP-level of safety performance, technical sessions are excellent but there’s just as much value in non-safety and health content. That’s because Safety+ attendees walk the walk when it comes to continuous improvement, both professionally and personally.
VPPPA also presented its annual Safety & Health Excellence Awards during Safety+, recognizing the sites and individuals who led the way in developing best practices and processes to help VPPPA members engage in continuous improvement. New for 2024, VPPPA launched its Emerging Leader Excellence Award to honor the next generation of EHS&S leaders who are the future of our profession.
VPPPA’s 2024 Safety+ closed with a night at the ballpark when more than 500 attendees descended on downtown Denver to attend a Colorado Rockies baseball game against the Miami Marlins. While not the Houston Astros, attendees still enjoyed the Rocky Mountain sunset and the fact that VPPPA took over a large swath of the stadium.
The end of VPPPA’s 2024 Safety+ marks the beginning of another milestone — VPPPA’s 40th anniversary celebration. Founded in 1985 after that first gathering of VPP sites, VPPPA has evolved to represent the "best of the best" in safety and health performance across industry. The next year will highlight this evolution — and where the association is headed — through the theme of "VPPPA40: Celebrating the Past, Creating the Future." Be on the lookout for special milestone celebrations leading into VPPPA’s 2025 Safety+ Symposium August 11-14 in St. Louis.
40 years of VPPPA and Safety+ spanning 5 decades. And we’re just getting started.
For more information and to view a complete list of award recipients, visit vpppa.org.
