The Office of Worker Safety and Health Assessments conducts assessments to provide critical feedback and objective information on occupational safety and health programs and performance. This information provides assurance to our stakeholders and identifies areas for improvement to our leadership to support the safe performance of the Department’s mission.

Functions

  • Conducts analyses of occupational safety and health risks, issues and performance trends across the DOE/NNSA complex by evaluating performance metrics, operational data and line management oversight results.
  • Selects focus areas for assessments based risks, results, operational data, ongoing initiatives, and/or external feedback. These areas are reviewed both corporately and at a sampling of sites to determine best practices, crosscutting issues, and opportunities for improvement.
  • Conducts assessments of occupational safety and health programs focused on emerging issues and organizations with poor or declining safety performance trends.
  • Works closely with other IEA offices and DOE line organizations to schedule and undertake assessments.
  • On a prioritized basis, conducts assessments to evaluate employee concerns raised to EA by employees, IG, labor organizations, and external stakeholders.
  • Assesses the integrity of data sources such as injury and illness reporting by DOE federal and contractor organizations.
  • Evaluates the effectiveness of line management oversight during assessments.
  • Validates worker safety and health assessment results and safety issues with DOE and contractor line management and staff.
  • Conducts briefings to apprise senior DOE and contractor managers and stakeholders (including the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, citizen advisory boards, and Congress) on the results of appraisal activities and on worker safety and health performance.
  • Reviews corrective action plans developed in response to assessments for adequacy, monitors implementation progress, and conducts follow-up evaluations to determine the status and effectiveness of corrective actions.
  • Coordinates with the Office of Enforcement when appraisal activities identify potential noncompliances with the worker safety and health requirements that are enforceable under 10 CFR 851.
  • Maintains a broad internal and external perspective on trends by providing representation in national and international professional organizations addressing worker safety and health topics.
  • Develops input for an annual report for the Secretary on the overall status of the Department’s occupational safety and health programs that identifies strengths, best practices, common weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.