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Protecting Worker Safety

and Health Under the

National Response Framework

During a disaster, protecting response and recovery

workers is essential for assuring a successful response

and recovery. When large-scale disasters overwhelm

State and local assets, the National Response Framework

(NRF) Worker Safety and Health Support Annex can

provide the technical assistance needed to help protect

Federal, State, tribal, and local organizations’ response

and recovery workers. Depending upon the scope,

complexity, and hazards associated with the incident,

these services can include:

• Identifying and assessing worker health and safety hazards present at the incident site and in the environment.

• Assessing the resources needed to protect workers

and identifying the sources available to meet these

needs.

• Providing technical expertise in industrial hygiene,

occupational safety and health, structural collapse

engineering, safety engineering, radiation safety,

biological and chemical agent response, and occupational medicine.

• Managing the creation and implementation of a sitespecific health and safety plan (HASP).

• Monitoring and managing worker safety and health

hazards through on-site identification, evaluation,

analysis, and mitigation, including personal exposure monitoring.

• Providing assistance with developing, implementing, and monitoring the personal protective equipment (PPE) program, including the selection, use,

and decontamination of PPE.

• Coordinating the collection and management of

exposure and accident/injury data to identify trends

and facilitate data sharing.

• Coordinating and providing incident-specific

response and recovery worker training.

• Assisting with the development and distribution of

educational materials on preventing and mitigating

hazards.

OSHA 3356-09N-08

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov (800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

Occupational

Safety and Health

Administration
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U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov (800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

Occupational

Safety and Health

Administration

Coordinating Responder Health and Safety

In the event of a major disaster, only the health and wellbeing of response and recovery workers can ensure that

the victims themselves are cared for properly. When

State, tribal, and local assets are overwhelmed and

assistance is needed to protect employees during an

emergency, FEMA can activate OSHA to coordinate

employee safety and health. OSHA coordinates the

resources and technical assistance provided under the

NRF Worker Safety and Health Support Annex (see

other side). Assistance can be requested through

FEMA at a Joint Field Office and at FEMA’s National

and Regional Response Coordination Centers. When

activated, OSHA will work within the incident command system to provide technical assistance to the site

safety officer.

DOL/OSHA coordinates the activities of the Federal

agencies that provide the core architecture for

employee safety and health technical support during

an all-hazards event or when otherwise directed.

Cooperating Agencies:

• Department of Defense

• Department of Energy

• Department of Health and Human Services

• Department of Homeland Security

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Other Responding Organizations

For further information on responder health and safety, please consult the NRF Worker Safety and Health

Support Annex or for a list of resources available to

response workers, please visit http://www.osha.gov/

SLTC/emergencypreparedness/index.html.