On March 16, 2026, OSHA announced the launch of its Safety Champions Program (SCP), a new cooperative initiative designed to help employers develop and implement effective safety and health programs that replace its OSHA Challenge Program. The program is open to private- and public-sector worksites covered by OSHA that want to improve overall safety performance.
Background
The SCP meets businesses where they are in their safety and health journey and encourages proactive, continuous improvement to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities. It supports employers in developing new or stronger safety and health programs aligned with OSHA’s recommended practices. OSHA states that adoption of the SCP is encouraged.
Key Highlights
The SCP has a three-step progressive framework:
- Introductory—Focuses on aligning an employer’s safety and health program to the seven core elements
- Intermediate—Focuses on the implementation of the employer’s safety and health program
- Advanced—Assesses and improves the employer’s safety and health program
Each step is aligned with OSHA’s recommended practices for safety and health programs. This tiered structure allows employers to strengthen their programs over time and adopt best practices suited to their needs and operations.
Participants can choose to work independently or collaborate with special government employees—individuals with safety and health experience who work alongside OSHA to provide guidance and technical assistance.
The SCP emphasizes seven elements that are essential for effective safety and health programs:
- Management leadership—Leadership sets the tone by clearly committing to safety, modeling safe behavior, providing resources and holding everyone accountable for following safety and health expectations.
- Worker participation—A strong safety culture depends on workers being heard, informed, and actively involved in reporting hazards, joining committees, and helping shape safety practices.
- Hazard identification and assessment—Organizations should systematically identify hazards in routine and nonroutine work, investigate incidents and near misses, inspect the workplace regularly, and prepare for emergencies.
- Hazard prevention and control—Once hazards are identified, employers should prioritize and implement effective controls, maintain equipment and build a written program that keeps protections current and effective.
- Education and training—Workers, supervisors, contractors and visitors need training that is clear, job-specific, understandable and regularly refreshed so everyone knows their roles and how to work safely.
- Program evaluation and improvement—Safety programs should be reviewed using data, trend analysis and worker feedback to measure progress, correct weaknesses and drive continuous improvement.
- Communication and coordination—Host employers should coordinate closely with contractors and staffing agencies by setting clear safety expectations, sharing hazard information, assigning responsibilities and enforcing compliance.
According to OSHA, by incorporating these elements, employers can build programs that support compliance and create safer, healthier workplaces. A progressive framework for the SCP can be found on the OSHA website.
Upon completion of all three levels of the SCP, OSHA states participants are expected to have implemented all seven elements and show plans for continuous improvement of their safety and health programs, thus demonstrating their commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment.
Reasons to Participate
According to OSHA, using the SCP gives organizations a clear, flexible framework built on proven best practices to strengthen their safety and health efforts. It also provides access to experienced safety and health professionals for guidance and support, while offering OSHA recognition as the organization continues to make progress.
Employer Takeaway
OSHA’s SCP offers a practical, voluntary way to strengthen safety efforts regardless of where their current program stands. By aligning with OSHA’s recommended practices, employers can build a more proactive and effective system that improves accountability, worker engagement and overall operational performance. The SCP also provides a structured path for recognition as that work advances.
Article © 2026 Zywave, Inc.
