Calendar Year 2021

The Secretary of Labor’s Report to the President

on the Status of Federal Agencies’

Occupational Safety and Health Programs
2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface_______________________________________________________________________3

Executive Summary ____________________________________________________________4

OSHA Activities _____________________________________________________________4

Federal Agency OSH Activities__________________________________________________7

Section 1 – OSHA Activities_____________________________________________________12

Enforcement ________________________________________________________________12

Oversight __________________________________________________________________14

Compliance Assistance _______________________________________________________23

Section 2 – Federal Agency OSH Activities _________________________________________26

Fatalities, Hospitalizations, and Amputations ______________________________________26 

Certified Safety and Health Committees __________________________________________32 

Other OSH Committees and Councils ____________________________________________33 

Identifying, Controlling, and Analyzing Hazards ___________________________________34 

Safety and Health Self-Inspections ______________________________________________35 

COVID-19 Response ________________________________________________________37 

Motor Vehicle Safety ________________________________________________________39 

Federal Employees Overseas ___________________________________________________42 

OSH Training and Resources___________________________________________________43 

Whistleblower Protection Programs _____________________________________________43 

Product Safety Programs ______________________________________________________44 

Specific Agency Reporting Programs ____________________________________________44 

Appendices __________________________________________________________________46

Appendix 1: CY 2021 Active Field Federal Safety and Health Councils 

by OSHA Region _________________________________________________________47 

Appendix 2: Requests to NIOSH for Technical Assistance CY 2019 – 2021 _____________48 

Appendix 3: Completed NIOSH Investigations by Type CY 2019 – 2021 _______________49 

Appendix 4: CY 2021 Assistance Requests to NIOSH by Exposure Group ______________50 

Appendix 5: CY 2021 Assistance Requests to NIOSH by Health Problem_______________51 

Appendix 6: Fatalities, Hospitalizations, and Amputations Reported in CY 2021 _________52 

Appendix 7: Hazard Abatement Tracking Mechanisms______________________________68 
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PREFACE 

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act), Executive Order (EO) 12196, and 

29 CFR § 1960 require the heads of federal agencies to submit annual reports on their 

occupational safety and health (OSH) programs to the Secretary of Labor. Specifically: 

• Section 19(a) of the Act (29 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 668(a)) directs, “the head of 

each Federal agency to establish and maintain an effective and comprehensive 

occupational safety and health program which is consistent with the occupational safety 

and health standards promulgated under Section 6” (of the Act (29 U.S.C. § 655)). 

• Section 19(a)(5) of the Act (29 U.S.C. § 668(a)(5)) requires each Executive Branch 

federal agency head to, “make an annual report to the Secretary with respect to 

occupational accidents and injuries and the agency’s program under this section.” 

• EO 12196, “Occupational Safety and Health Programs for Federal Employees,” guides 

the heads of federal Executive Branch agencies in implementing Section 19 of the Act, 

and directs the Secretary to issue a set of basic program elements to assist agencies in 

carrying out their responsibilities.

• Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 1960, “Basic Program Elements for 

Federal Employee Occupational Safety and Health Programs and Related Matters,” 

establishes the requirements for agency heads to implement OSH programs in their 

respective agencies.

Section 19(b) of the Act requires the Secretary to inform the President about the status of federal 

agencies’ OSH programs and the accidents and injuries that occurred at federal worksites. This 

report provides an analysis of the reports each agency submitted to the Secretary, along with an 

account of the activities that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

conducted at or with federal agencies during Calendar Year (CY) 2021, thereby fulfilling the 

Secretary’s responsibility. 
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

This report summarizes the information federal agencies provided to OSHA in their annual 

reports, including the injury and illness rates for federal Executive Branch employees, and 

describes how agencies analyzed trends and improved programs to assess the government’s 

trends and overall progress toward improving worker safety and health. The report covers the 

CY 2021 reporting period. The coronavirus disease that began in 2019 (COVID-19) and caused 

a worldwide pandemic, persisted in calendar year 2021, highlighting the importance of the 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) mission “to ensure safe and 

healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing 

training, outreach, education, and assistance.” In response to an executive order, OSHA 

published a COVID-19 National Emphasis Program (NEP) in March 2021 and updated the 

program a few months later in July. In addition, it published and updated guidance on mitigating 

and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. OSHA continues to assess the effects 

of the pandemic: providing guidance to employers on how to best protect workers from 

contracting COVID-19 and enhancing the effectiveness of their OSH programs. 

Annual Report Requirement 

Section 19(a)(5) of the Act requires each Executive Branch agency to provide an annual report to 

the Secretary. That report must include information on occupational accidents, injuries, and 

illnesses, along with details on the agency’s program for providing safe and healthful working 

conditions. In addition, the report should assess the effectiveness of the agency’s OSH program. 

Reporting Federal Agency Injury and Illness Information Requirement 

Per 29 CFR § 1960.72(a), each agency must submit to the Secretary by May 1 of each year all 

information included on the agency’s previous calendar year’s occupational injury and illness 

recordkeeping forms. The information submitted must include all data entered on OSHA Form 

300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses; OSHA Form 301, Injury and Illness Incident 

Report; and OSHA Form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (or respective 

equivalent forms).

OSHA Activities

OSHA engaged in extensive enforcement, oversight, and compliance assistance activities to 

address OSH-related issues at federal agencies. Enforcement activities focused on inspections of 

federal worksites to identify violations of OSHA standards and to monitor agencies’ injury and 

illness rates. Oversight activities consisted of calculating quarterly injury and illness rates and 

assessing agencies’ OSH programs through the annual report submissions. Compliance 

assistance activities included consulting with federal agencies, explaining the importance of 

providing safe and healthy working environments, and highlighting best practices or methods to 

help agencies accomplish this goal. 

Enforcement 

In CY 2021, OSHA conducted 296 programmed and 326 unprogrammed inspections, 

respectively, at federal worksites, averaging 2.45 violations per inspection. OSHA inspected 

federal agencies under a variety of national and local emphasis programs targeting specific 

hazards (e.g., combustible dust) and types of industries (e.g., maritime). The nationwide Federal 
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Agency Targeting Inspection Program (FEDTARG) targeted federal agency establishments with 

high injury and illness rates. Compared to CY 2020, programmed inspections of federal 

worksites increased by more than 50% and unprogrammed inspections increased nearly 17% in 

CY 2021. And, while the average number of violations per programmed inspection decreased, 

the average number of violations per unprogrammed inspection increased. In CY 2021, OSHA 

issued four federal agency significant/novel cases. Of the four cases, one involved the 

Department of Interior (DOI), one the Department of Justice (DOJ), while two involved the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Oversight 

OSHA assesses federal agencies’ occupational safety and health programs by reviewing 

agencies’ injury and illness rates, tracking workers’ compensation costs, evaluating their OSH 

program self-evaluations and tracking their injury and illness submissions. OSHA calculates 

injury and illness incidence rates for individual agencies using fiscal year (FY) injury and illness 

claims data reported to the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Programs (OWCP), together with employment data from the Office of Personnel Management 

(OPM). OSHA also tracks workers’ compensation costs to document the financial impact of 

federal worker injuries and illnesses. Workers’ compensation benefits provided to employees 

include payments for medical treatment, rehabilitation services, replacement of lost wages, and 

compensation benefits to their survivors in cases of death.

OSHA’s annual report request to federal agencies provided agencies with the opportunity to 

assess and improve their OSH programs. In the CY 2021 annual report request, OSHA asked 

agencies to rate the operations, management, and culture components of their OSH programs 

using a seven-question tool that helps agencies evaluate how they fulfill specific requirements of 

29 CFR § 1960 and EO 12196. Most agencies reportedly met the regulatory requirements of 29 

CFR § 1960 and noted improvements such as: extending safety-related communications, tools, 

resources, and training beyond safety professionals; implementing new policies requiring 

frequent facility evaluations, which resulted in more robust exposure assessments, improved 

recordkeeping, and development of controls. 

Some agencies identified OSH program areas that needed improvement. A small number 

indicated that they were not fully aware of their OSH responsibilities or how to implement all the 

attributes of an effective OSH program. To assist these agencies, OSHA held teleconferences

and videoconferences, and when necessary, initiated onsite visits to discuss the agencies’ OSH 

responsibilities and ensure relevant agency personnel understood how to implement all the 

elements of an effective OSH program.

During the reporting period, OSHA received complete recordkeeping data from 79 agencies (80 

percent). Of the remainder, 14 agencies (14 percent) failed to submit any data. OSHA kept a 

record of the 14 agencies that failed to submit any data, and these non-responder agencies are 

subject to having their establishments targeted for an OSHA inspection. For agencies that 

submitted data, the most common submission errors were failures to provide the number of 

employees or hours worked for an establishment. In addition to the analysis conducted for this 

report, OSHA will further assess the collection process and available data to identify ways to 

streamline and simplify the procedure, as well as encourage agencies to submit accurate and 

timely data. 
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Compliance Assistance 

OSHA assists federal agencies to improve worker safety and health by responding to federal 

agency technical assistance requests (ATARs), encouraging participation in Field Federal Safety 

and Health Councils (FFSHCs) and Federal Agency OSH Managers’ Roundtables, assisting 

agencies with developing alternate and/or supplemental standards, and providing training 

opportunities. 

Like the Consultation Programs service for private-sector employers, ATARs provide federal 

agencies with technical assistance, including hazard abatement advice, training, consultation 

visits, and/or OSH program assistance through their local OSHA Area Office. While the request 

is considered consultative, agencies are expected to abate identified hazards and correct 

violations of the citable program elements of 29 CFR § 1960 or other OSHA standards observed 

during the visit. During CY 2021, OSHA Area Offices conducted one ATAR at a National 

Transportation Safety Board investigation site in Dauphin, Pennsylvania. 

FFSHCs are federal interagency groups, chartered by the Secretary, that enable local OSH 

professionals to share knowledge and resources. In CY 2021, 32 FFSHCs worked to improve 

the effectiveness of OSH functions within the government. Over 30 departments and agencies 

participated in council activities and more than 2,000 federal employees attended meetings 

and/or council-provided training. Each year, OSHA assesses the councils’ efforts so that the 

Secretary can recognize those that best exemplify the intent and purpose of the program; in CY 

2021, OSHA identified nine FFSHCs to receive a Secretary’s award for their activities. 

The Federal Agency OSH Managers’ Roundtables are a valuable tool that allows agencies to 

exchange information on safety and health issues and share best practices. For these meetings, 

OSHA brings national-level OSH managers together to share presentations and discuss current 

topics of interest. In 2021, OSHA held four Roundtable meetings and addressed a range of 

topics including alternate and supplemental standards and COVID-19, among others. 

Under 29 CFR § 1960.17, if an agency cannot comply with an applicable OSHA standard, it may 

request permission to comply with an alternate standard to ensure appropriate protection for 

affected employees. An alternate standard is the federal agency equivalent of a private-sector 

variance from OSHA standards. There are seven OSHA-approved alternate standards that 

address air traffic control towers, special-purpose ladders, lifting devices, diving standards, 

weight-handling equipment, and gas-free engineering. 

Under 29 CFR § 1960.18, if no OSHA standard exists for a specific working condition of federal 

agency employees, an agency must develop a supplementary standard for that working condition 

and provide the standard to OSHA. Currently, there are two supplementary standards: one 

addresses explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics; the other covers portable tank transport. 

OSHA provides training opportunities to federal agency OSH personnel through several venues, 

including the OSHA Training Institute (OTI). Federal OSH personnel may attend any of OTI’s 

professional and technical courses throughout the year. OSHA also provides federal agency 

OSH personnel with a week of free training at OTI, commonly referred to as FEDWEEK. 

During FEDWEEK, OSHA provides nine half-day seminars, each offered twice during the week, 
7

covering topics chosen by federal OSH personnel. During 2021, 805 federal employees attended 

these virtual seminars. 

Federal Agency OSH Activities

Fatalities, Hospitalizations, and Amputations 

The Act, provisions of 29 CFR § 1960, and other regulations require employers, both private and 

public, to investigate, track, and promptly report incidents involving work-related fatalities, 

hospitalizations, and amputations to OSHA.1

 As shown in Table 1, for the CY 2021 reporting 

period, federal Executive Branch departments and independent agencies reported 96 civilian 

employee fatalities, 410 hospitalizations, and 32 amputations. Each reported incident is a 

singular event. 

Table 1: Major Department/Agency Incidents Reported for CY 2021 

Agency Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations

Department of Agriculture 7 22 0

Department of Defense 2 8 3

Department of Health and Human Services 0 7 2

Department of Homeland Security 51 121 1

Department of Justice 6 37 12

Department of the Air Force 0 11 4

Department of the Army 1 13 2

Department of the Interior 1 25 0

Department of the Navy 3 10 3

Department of State 2 36 1

Department of Transportation 2 5 0

Department of the Treasury 0 0 1

Department of Veterans Affairs 21 113 2

Peace Corps 0 1 0

Smithsonian Institution 0 1 0

Tennessee Valley Authority 0 0 1

Total 96 410 32

COVID-19 was the leading cause of hospitalizations for CY 2021. 

Certified Safety and Health Committees (CSHCs)

Under 29 CFR § 1960, Subpart F, any agency can form a certified safety and health committee 

(CSHC) to monitor and assist with its OSH program. An agency with a CSHC must have 

committees at both the national and field/regional levels. The national-level committees provide 

policy guidance, while the local committees monitor and assist in the execution of the agency’s 

OSH policies. An agency with an approved CSHC is exempt from unannounced OSHA 

inspections. During CY 2021, the following agencies maintained Secretary-approved CSHCs: 

1 On January 1, 2015, OSHA implemented a new reporting rule requiring employers to report an incident resulting 

in the hospitalization of one or more employees, rather than three or more employees. In addition, employers must 

report incidents that result in an amputation or the loss of an eye.
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the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), DOL, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). These

agencies provided information certifying to the Secretary that their respective CSHCs met 

Subpart F’s requirements. Many other agencies have internal OSH committees but have not 

certified those committees under Subpart F. 

Hazard Identification and Control Measures 

OSHA asked agencies to report on the two most common causes of injuries and the efforts taken 

to mitigate those causes. Several agencies reported on their efforts to reduce employee slip, trip, 

and fall or overexertion injuries through implementing engineering and administrative controls to 

reduce or eliminate exposure. For example, several agencies reported installing warning 

signage, implementing proactive housekeeping procedures, and conducting ergonomic 

assessments. Agencies also conducted annual safety training classes and held agency-wide 

meetings to improve safety awareness. 

Motor Vehicle Safety 

OSHA asked for details on agencies’ motor vehicle safety programs (MVSPs), including the 

number of motor vehicle accidents that occurred during the reporting period. In CY 2021, 28 

federal agencies with MVSPs reported a total of 10,452 motor vehicle accidents. Most agencies 

reported having MVSPs that complied with the Executive Orders requiring the use of seatbelts in 

motor vehicles and banning texting while driving. Some departments and agencies offered 

hands-on training to employees, such as defensive driving, while most relied on training courses 

provided through either the General Services Administration (GSA) or the National Safety 

Council. 

Agency Self-Inspections of Safety and Health Programs 

Due to the ongoing pandemic in CY 2021, several agencies maintained only essential mission 

functions in office or official worksite locations, with most or all employees teleworking. 

Consequently, agencies reported they did not conduct workplace inspections, limited inspection 

frequency, inspected only high-risk operations, and/or conducted virtual inspections. According 

to several agencies, workplaces without employees meant self-inspections were unnecessary. 

Ninety-four percent of responding agencies (84 agencies) selected a rating of “highly effective” 

or “needs minor improvements” for the self-inspection attribute (see the discussion on the 

Operational Component’s Self-Inspection Attribute for additional information). 

Federal Employee Training 

Agencies offered a wide range of OSH training opportunities to their employees during CY 

2021. While most agencies provided employees with OSH training based on their job 

responsibilities, some augmented their efforts to ensure that collateral duty OSH personnel 

received all appropriate training. Many agencies also published OSH information on their 

websites and in newsletters, encouraged OSH personnel to participate in local FFSHCs and 

professional OSH organizations, and recognized employees who collaborated with safety 

professionals to identify and mitigate workplace hazards. 

OSH Overseas 

Section 19 of the Act, EO 12196, and 29 CFR § 1960 all require agencies to provide safe and 

healthful workplaces and those requirements have no geographic limits. In CY 2021, Executive 

Branch agencies reported 129,334 government employees worked overseas and received OSH 
9

coverage through either DoD, the Department of State (State), or their own respective agency 

programs. All agencies ensured that their employees received prophylactic immunizations, 

training, and safety and health information prior to deployment. 

Whistleblower Protection Programs 

As 29 CFR § 1960, Subpart G requires, agencies must ensure that employees are not subjected to 

restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal for filing a report of unsafe or 

unhealthy working conditions. In their CY 2021 reports, agencies included information on their 

whistleblower protection programs, any allegations of reprisal, and their responses to those 

allegations. Almost all agencies acknowledged their whistleblower responsibilities and reported 

having well-designed protection programs. Four agencies reportedly investigated whistleblower 

allegations. Specifically, DoD, State, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) investigated claims of reprisal during CY 2021. 

DoD received 14 formal complaints but did not substantiate any findings of retaliation. State

substantiated one of two complaints. MSPB’s single whistleblower complaint is currently in 

litigation. NASA had three complaints filed: two were unsubstantiated; one investigation is 

ongoing. 

Product Safety

Federal agencies reported on compliance with the provisions of 29 CFR § 1960.34, which 

addresses the potential conflicts in standards for federal buildings, leased space, products 

purchased or supplied, and other requirements affecting federal employee safety and health. 

Specifically, agencies described how they comply with the product safety requirements of the 

standard, including using Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), and responding to product recalls. Two 

agencies (2 percent) indicated the absence of a product safety program and claimed they do not 

use chemicals while 73 (82 percent) reported being in compliance with the standard. OSHA will 

continue to work with agencies that are not in compliance to ensure they understand their 

responsibilities in this area. 

Accomplishments 

Agencies reported on a broad range of OSH program improvements, such as revising existing 

policies, procedures, and manuals; implementing new OSH training; and establishing new 

training methods. In addition, agencies increased the frequency of facility inspections and used

risk assessment findings to develop relevant training. Overall, most agencies noted considerable 

resource expenditures to increase safety awareness and develop robust OSH programs. 

Agencies Failing to Submit Annual Reports 

While OSHA granted successive extensions to several agencies, and repeatedly contacted them 

with reminders of the requirement to submit an annual report, the following agencies failed to 

submit their reports as required under Section 19(a)(5) of the Act: 

• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

• African Development Foundation

• Commission of Fine Arts

• Commodity Futures Trading Commission 

• Corporation for National Community Service 
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• Department of Housing and Urban Development • Harry S. Truman Foundation • Millennium Challenge Corporation • Office of Special Counsel • Selective Service System
11

THE SECRETARY’S REPORT TO THE 

PRESIDENT
12

SECTION 1 – OSHA ACTIVITIES 

This section discusses OSHA’s enforcement, oversight, and compliance assistance activities; 

significant/novel enforcement cases involving federal agencies; and agencies’ self-evaluations of 

their OSH programs using components of a provided safety and health evaluation tool. Further, 

this section includes information on recordkeeping; agencies’ reports on fatalities, 

hospitalizations, and amputations; and OSHA training opportunities available solely to federal 

personnel. 

Enforcement

Inspections 

OSHA’s federal workplace inspections assess agencies’ compliance with safety and health 

standards, as well as the requirements of 29 CFR § 1960, thus reducing the number of on-the-job 

hazards. Inspections commonly fall into one of two categories: programmed or unprogrammed. 

Programmed inspections generally focus resources on a particular safety or health issue, 

workplaces associated with specific hazards or adverse health outcomes/effects, and 

establishments where there are high rates of injuries and illnesses. Unprogrammed inspections 

occur primarily in response to employee complaints about, or notifications of, serious hazards. 

OSHA further categorizes inspections as related to either safety or health. Safety inspections 

focus on workplace issues such as means of egress, electrical hazards, machine guarding, or 

confined space entry procedures. Health inspections may focus on worker exposures to specific 

chemical respiratory hazards, infectious disease agents, or physical hazards such as occupational 

noise and ergonomics. If OSHA discovers that workplace exposures to safety and/or health 

hazards exist, it documents the conditions and determines whether they violate an OSHA 

standard. For federal agencies OSHA issues “Notices of Unsafe or Unhealthful Working 

Conditions” (Notices), similar to private sector citations but without monetary penalties. 

As in the private sector, different types of violations indicate the severity of the hazard or the 

agency’s response to the condition: 

• “De Minimis” violations have no direct or immediate relationship to safety or health and 

do not result in a Notice. 

• Other-Than-Serious violations describe hazards that cannot reasonably be predicted to 

cause death or serious physical harm to exposed employees but have a direct and 

immediate relationship to their safety and health.

• Serious violations involve hazards that could cause injury or illness that would most 

likely result in death or serious physical harm to the employee(s). 

• Willful violations exist where an agency has demonstrated either an intentional disregard 

for the requirements of the Act or a plain indifference to employee safety and health. 

• Repeat violations occur when an agency’s prior Notice for the same or a substantially 

similar condition has become a final order.

• Failure-To-Abate violations occur when the agency fails to correct a violation for which 

OSHA has issued a Notice, and the abatement date has passed or is covered under a 
13

settlement agreement. A failure-to-abate also exists when the agency has failed to 

comply with the interim measures of a long-term abatement within the given timeframe.

OSHA conducted 296 programmed and 326 unprogrammed inspections at federal workplaces 

with an average of 2.45 violations for both types of inspections. OSHA found that 44.0 percent 

of establishments receiving programmed inspections and 59.2 percent receiving unprogrammed 

inspections were in compliance with safety and health standards. Overall, in CY 2021, OSHA 

identified 489 total violations during inspections. 

OSHA continued to conduct programmed inspections that focused on specific federal agency 

establishments/hazards during CY 2021. As illustrated in Table 2, both programmed and 

unprogrammed inspection activity increased in CY 2021 as compared to CY 2020. 

Table 2. OSHA Federal Agency Inspection Activity, CY 2019 – 2021. 

2021 2020 2019

Programmed Inspections 296 195 388

Percent in Compliance 44.0 20.0 30.4

Average Number of Violations 2.45 2.55 3.07

Serious, Willful, Repeat Violations 289 374 529

Percent of Violations Issued as Serious, Willful, Repeat 71.5 75.3 76.8

Unprogrammed Inspections 326 279 323

Percent in Compliance 59.2 63.1 51.1

Average Number of Violations 2.45 2.33 2.23

Serious, Willful, Repeat Violations 200 172 261

Percent of Violations Issued as Serious, Willful, Repeat 74.1 80.8 76.5

Total 622 474 711

Significant/Novel Cases 

Although by law OSHA cannot assess penalties against federal agencies, it can determine the 

equivalent penalties that it would have assessed had the case involved a private sector employer. 

Federal agency significant cases involve equivalent penalties over $200,000. Novel cases 

involve specific enforcement issues. In addition, some federal agency enforcement actions 

become “significant/novel cases” because they require higher level review prior to headquarterslevel interagency communication and discussions. 

OSHA issued four federal agency significant/novel case reports in CY 2021. OSHA developed 

single cases against DOI and DOJ, and two cases against the VA, respectively. Table 3 provides 

details on the four cases.

Table 3. Summary of Federal Agency Significant/Novel Cases. 

Department/Agency Inspection Type Violations

DOI – Bureau of Land Management

Cliffside Helium Enrichment Unit

Amarillo, Texas

Unprogrammed – Safety 

Referral

Willful: 1

Willful Repeat: 5

Serious: 12 

Other-Than-Serious: 3
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Department/Agency Inspection Type Violations

OSHA initiated the inspection due to BLM’s failures to: inspect and test its process equipment 

and train operators on its energy control program. It was the first egregious case against a 

federal agency. An egregious inspection is a violation-by-violation inspection, which OSHA 

applies when an employer demonstrates one or more of: (1) persistently high rates of 

illness/injury or fatalities; (2) extensive history of prior violations; (3) intentional disregard of 

health and safety responsibilities; or (4) bad faith (a plain indifference to standards or 

requirements). In this case, OSHA issued one Willful violation for lack of LOTO training; 

Willful Repeats for failing to inspect or test Process Safety Management (PSM) equipment; 12 

Serious violations for deficiencies in the PSM program; and three Other-than-Serious (OTS) 

violations for failing to follow program element regulations in 29 CFR 1960.

DOJ – Federal Bureau of Prisons

Federal Detention Center

Honolulu, Hawaii

Unprogrammed –

Complaint 

Serious: 3

Other-Than-Serious: 1 

OSHA initiated this inspection following a complaint alleging exposure to COVID-19. OSHA 

issued three Serious violations for failing to provide employees with necessary respirators, lack 

of annual fit testing, and for allowing unvaccinated employees to continue working after being 

in close contact with those infected with COVID-19. OSHA issued an OTS violation for failing 

to document fit tests. 

VA – Connecticut Healthcare System

West Haven, Connecticut

Unprogrammed – Fatality Willful: 1

Repeat: 3

Serious: 5

OSHA initiated this inspection after the VA reported two fatalities due to a sudden steam 

release. OSHA issued a Willful violation for failing to use or document LOTO procedures; 

three Repeat violations for failing to: annually review LOTO procedures, train employees, and 

ensure employees followed group LOTO regulations; and, five Serious violations for exposing 

employees to struck-by and thermal hazards, and other LOTO deficiencies. 

VA – Veterans Health Administration

Salt Lake City, Utah

Unprogrammed –

Complaint 

Repeat: 1

Other-Than-Serious: 1 

OSHA initiated this inspection following notification of an employee hospitalization due to 

COVID-19. OSHA issued a Repeat violation for failing to provide employees with medical 

evaluations prior to using respirators, and an OTS violation for lack of a written 

recommendation for medical evaluations.

Oversight

Injury and Illness Statistics and Workers’ Compensation Costs 

OSHA calculates injury and illness incidence rates for individual agencies using FY injury and 

illness claims data reported to OWCP together with OPM’s employment data.

2

 In FY 2021, 

2 OWCP data are available only on an FY basis. 
15

federal government employment increased by 48,460 (2.19 percent) to 2,261,359 employees. 

The total injury and illness cases increased by 5,064 (14 percent) to 40,141 and the total case rate 

increased 12 percent from 1.59 occurrences per 100 to 1.78. The Government’s lost-time cases 

increased 25 percent from 5,411 to 27,240 and its lost-time case rate increased 21 percent from 

0.99 occurrences per 100 to 1.20. 

The costs related to the Federal Employees Compensation Act (workers compensation for the 

federal sector) for chargeback year (CBY) 2021 were approximately $1.33 billion compared to 

CBY 2020’s $1.4 billion, CBY 2019’s $1.5 billion, and CBY 2018’s $1.5 billion.3

 Workers’ 

compensation benefits provided to employees include payments for medical treatment, 

rehabilitation services, replacement of lost wages, and compensation benefits to their survivors in 

cases of death. 

Evaluations 

As 29 CFR § 1960.80 and Section 1-401(h) of EO 12196 both require, OSHA evaluated 

agencies’ OSH programs. Under 29 CFR § 1960 agencies must develop and maintain effective 

safety and health management systems. Within this framework, OSHA assesses whether 

agencies regularly monitor, modify, and if necessary, implement OSH program policies and 

procedures to correct problems, adapt to changing worksite environments, and promote 

workplace safety and health. 

To assess federal agencies OSH programs, OSHA used parts of an evaluation tool – Form 33 – it 

developed in 1985 and validated to measure the effectiveness of private sector employers’ safety 

and health management systems. For the past several years OSHA has asked agencies to 

evaluate their programs using specific elements of Form 33. Based on the concept of an 

organizational safety and health program, Form 33 uses 58 attributes to assess the three main 

components of a structured OSH program: operations, management, and culture. 

The operational component measures whether a program has a well-defined and communicated 

system to identify, correct, and control hazards. The managerial component assesses whether the 

program incorporates effective planning, administration, training, leadership, and supervision to 

support the prevention or elimination of workplace hazards. Finally, the cultural component 

evaluates whether the program has developed an effective culture in which management and 

labor collaborate to successfully reduce or eliminate hazards. While the attributes within each of 

the components are distinct, they are interdependent. 

For the CY 2021 report, OSHA asked agencies to assess their OSH programs using the following 

seven of the tool’s 58 attributes. 

3 On September 28, 1998, Congress amended the Occupational Safety and Health Act (the Act) to make it applicable 

to the U.S. Postal Service in the same manner as any other employer subject to the Act. Therefore, the U.S. Postal 

Service is not included in this report.
16

Table 4 – Evaluation Components and Attributes 

Operational Component – 2 Attributes

Hazard Anticipation and Detection

• Effective safety and health self-inspections are performed regularly determines if 

personnel in the agency regularly perform effective OSH inspections. 

Hazard Prevention and Control 

• Effective safety and health rules and work practices are in place determines if the 

agency has established both general workplace rules and specific work practices that 

prescribe safe and healthful behavior and task performance methods.

Managerial Component – 3 Attributes

Planning and Evaluation

• Hazard incidence data are effectively analyzed determines if the agency uses hazard 

incidence data to set safety and health priorities. 

• A review of the overall safety and health management system is conducted at least 

annually determines if the agency periodically audits the management aspects of its 

SHMS, identifying progress and needed changes/improvements. 

Administration and Supervision

• Individuals with assigned safety and health responsibilities have the necessary 

knowledge, skills, and timely information to perform their duties determines if the 

agency’s personnel have the understanding, skill, and current information needed to 

effectively fulfill their OSH responsibilities.

Cultural Component – 2 Attributes

Management Leadership

• Managers allocate the resources needed to properly support the agency’s safety and 

health program determines if the agency’s managers demonstrate OSH leadership, 

promote a culture of safety and health in the organization, and support effective 

operation of the OSH program by allocating needed resources. 

Employee Participation 

• There is an effective process to involve employees in safety and health issues

determines if there is an established organizational process that employees know, trust, 

and use to provide input regarding safety and health issues.

OSHA asked agencies to rate each of the seven attributes based on their CY 2021 reporting 

period experiences and select one of the following responses: 

• does not exist – the attribute was not in place at all; 

• needs major improvements – some aspect of the attribute is present but it needs major 

improvements; 

• needs minor improvements – some aspect of the attribute is present but it needs minor 

improvements; 

• is highly effective – the attribute was completely effective and integrated into the OSH 

program without the need for improvement; or 

• not applicable – the agency thought an attribute did not apply to its program. 

In addition to scoring each attribute, OSHA asked agencies to provide detailed information 

supporting each chosen attribute rating. 
17

Overall Assessment 

For the CY 2021 reporting period, OSHA received responses from 88 of 98 agencies, a 91 

percent response rate. Of the responding agencies, 22 (25 percent) provided an average rating of 

“highly effective” for each of the seven attributes, and 48 agencies (55 percent) indicated most of 

their OSH program components needed minor improvements. Fourteen of the responding 

agencies (16 percent) reported that most elements of their OSH programs required major 

improvements. Three agencies (3 percent) indicated that most OSH program elements did not 

exist. 

According to their assessments, overall, agencies recognized the benefits of effective safety and 

health programs. Several reported a commitment to safety but also noted a lack of safety and 

health or collateral duty staff in CY 2021. These agencies further opined that because their 

operations were solely administrative, and they employed only a few workers, the attributes were 

inapplicable. 

Table 5a. Average Safety and Health Program Ratings for Major Departments/Independent 

Agencies.

Agency Rating Agency Rating

Department of Agriculture  Department of Veterans Affairs 

Department of Commerce  Department of the Air Force 

Department of Defense  Department of the Army 

Department of Education  Department of the Interior 

Department of Energy  Department of the Navy 

Department of Health and Human 

Services

 Department of the Treasury 

Department of Homeland Security  Environmental Protection Agency 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development 

 General Services Administration 

Department of Justice  National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration 

Department of Labor  Social Security Administration 

Department of State  Tennessee Valley Authority 

Department of Transportation 

Legend

 Highly Effective – Completely in place 

 Needs Minor Improvements – Mostly in place but needs minor improvements

 Needs Major Improvements – Some portion/aspect is present but needs major improvements

 Does Not Exist – No discernible indication that any portion/aspect exists

NR – Agency did not provide a response
18

Table 5b. Average Safety and Health Program Ratings for Smaller Independent Agencies. 

Agency Rating Agency Rating

AbilityOne Commission  International Trade Commission 

Access Board  James Madison Memorial 

Fellowship Foundation 

Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation NR John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts



African Development Foundation NR Marine Mammal Commission 

Agency for Global Media  Merit Systems Protection Board 

Agency for International 

Development

 Millennium Challenge Corporation NR

American Battle Monuments 

Commission

 Morris K. Udall & Stewart L. Udall 

Foundation



Armed Forces Retirement Home  National Archives and Records 

Administration 

Central Intelligence Agency  National Capital Planning 

Commission



Chemical Safety and Hazard 

Investigation Board

 National Council on Disability 

Commission of Fine Arts NR National Credit Union 

Administration



Commission on Civil Rights  National Endowment for the Arts 

Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission NR National Endowment for the Humanities 

Consumer Product Safety 

Commission

 National Gallery of Art 

Corporation for National 

Community Service NR National Labor Relations Board 

Court Services and Offender 

Supervision Agency

 National Mediation Board 

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 

Board

 National Science Foundation 

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission

 National Transportation Safety 

Board 

Export-Import Bank of the United 

States

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

Farm Credit Administration  Nuclear Waste Technical Review 

Board



Federal Communications 

Commission

 Occupational Safety and Health 

Review Commission 

Federal Deposit Insurance 

Corporation

 Office of Government Ethics 

Federal Election Commission  Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian 

Relocation 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission

 Office of Personnel Management 
19

Agency Rating Agency Rating

Federal Housing Finance Agency  Office of Special Counsel NR

Federal Labor Relations Authority  Peace Corps 

Federal Maritime Commission  Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation



Federal Mediation and Conciliation 

Services

 Postal Regulatory Commission 

Federal Mine Safety and Health 

Review Commission

 Presidio Trust 

Federal Reserve Board  Railroad Retirement Board 

Federal Retirement Thrift 

Investment Board

 Securities and Exchange 

Commission 

Federal Trade Commission  Selective Service System NR

Harry S. Truman Foundation NR Small Business Administration 

Holocaust Memorial Museum  Smithsonian Institution 

Institute of Museum and Library 

Services

 Social Security Advisory Board 

Inter-American Foundation  Trade and Development Agency 

International Boundary and Water 

Commission



Legend

 Highly Effective – Completely in place

 Needs Minor Improvements – Mostly in place but needs minor improvements

 Needs Major Improvements – Some portion/aspect is present but needs major improvements

 Does Not Exist – No discernible indication that any portion/aspect exists

NR – Agency did not provide a response

Operational Component Assessment 

Most agencies reported that both operational component attributes were generally effective. 

Specifically, 75 agencies (85 percent) rated their self-inspection attribute as “needs minor 

improvements” or “highly effective.” Most agencies stated that their methods for hazard 

recognition and control included employee identification and reports to managers and safety 

personnel verbally and by email. Some agencies maintained electronic hazard reporting systems 

and anonymous hotlines. 

DoD reported that each division had work location specific procedures that provided the most 

efficient processes for reporting workplace hazards. These procedures included provisions for 

anonymity, prompt and impartial reprisal investigations, and administrative actions on any 

substantiated allegations. DoD noted that supervisors and employees received training in local 

hazard reporting procedures during new employee and supervisor orientation training and routine 

annual safety training and were encouraged to report workplace hazards without fear of reprisal. 

Examples of such policies and procedures include: recognition programs acknowledging those 

who collaborate with safety professionals to mitigate and identify workplace hazards; use of online, intranet hazard reporting systems; establishment of organizational reporting hotlines or help 

desks; daily task briefings encouraging identification and reporting of hazards; use of “Report a 

Hazard” buttons (links) located strategically throughout the Agency’s information management 
20

platforms; and distribution of periodic “Safety Grams” that include reminders and procedures for 

hazard reporting.

In CY 2021, agencies with onsite workforces reported conducting regular self-inspections to 

ensure compliance with applicable OSH standards. The Armed Forces Retirement Home 

(AFRH), for example, noted that it performed cyclical daily inspections in all areas accessible to

its residents, employees, and visitors, immediately correcting identified deficiencies or tracking 

them until abated. It used deficiencies demonstrating a pattern or trend as the basis for staff 

education and training. DHS requires all subagencies to complete annual self-assessment 

worksheets that allow departmental OSH personnel to assess subagencies’ OSH programs. 

Additionally, subagencies use internal self-inspections to evaluate their OSH programs and 

conduct safety inspections.

Nearly all agencies (85; 97 percent) rated themselves as “needs minor improvements” or “highly 

effective” for the work rules and practices attribute, claiming that policies and procedures 

supported robust OSH programs, with several reportedly implementing engineering controls to 

eliminate or reduce workplace hazards. DOI’s Office of Occupational Safety and Health 

established a set of Department-wide polices for administering its safety and health program

while its subagencies maintained a collection of policies and procedures to administer their 

respective programs. DOI worked with its subagencies and respective field staff to continually 

evaluate OSH-related policies, procedures, and practices. 

A few agencies indicated a need for major improvements in the operational component. For 

example, one agency (1 percent) provided a rating of “needs major improvements” and “does not 

exist” for the self-inspection attribute. To address this concern, in January 2021, the Army 

developed and fielded an information management system application for hazard management. 

The application mandates using the assessments, inspections, and survey tools within 24 months 

of fielding to support enterprise continuity, inspection visibility, and hazard management; and 

provides leaders with data on hazards identified during assessments and inspections.

In CY 2021, a few agencies provided ratings of “not applicable” or “not reported” for the selfinspections (nine agencies; 10 percent) and work rules and practices (two agencies; 2 percent)

attributes. OSHA continues to work with these agencies to help them implement these programs.

Managerial Component Assessment

Agencies reported that all three attributes of the managerial component were generally effective, 

rating them “needs minor improvements” or “highly effective.” Of the 88 responding agencies, 

63 (71 percent) provided higher ratings for the incident data attribute. 

DOE reported that its OSH team had the necessary knowledge and skills to perform required 

duties under current program guidelines, but did not always receive timely information, 

suggesting that employees could benefit from additional training. It continued to look for ways 

to improve and expand the overall OSH program and reported that it plans to review its policy 

and procedures during CY 2022 and implement additional training in CY 2023 if necessary.

Agencies providing higher ratings on the attribute addressing the effective analysis of hazard 

incidence data (63 agencies; 72 percent) offered examples of the process. DOT noted that it used
21

DOL’s ECOMP internet portal for reporting all employee injuries and illnesses and routinely 

analyzed hazards and employee injuries during the accident investigation and reporting process. 

Its safety personnel reviewed accidents for trends and identified control measures to help prevent 

similar recurrences while also evaluating the safety of high hazard areas, facilities, or tasks.

Agencies providing the higher ratings on the annual SHMS review attribute (70 agencies, 80 

percent) offered examples assessment and program improvement techniques. DHS conducted an 

annual evaluation of each of its divisions to ensure it complied with federal and DHS safety 

standards, identified/controlled risks, and prevented workplace injuries by focusing leadership’s 

attention on critical safety and health issues. DoD organizations at all levels annually assessed

their SHMS program performance and received an external assessment at least every four years. 

DoD continued to operate its Safety Management Center of Excellence, which has provided 

tailored, site-specific SHMS support to DoD organizations. Agencies that reported lower ratings 

for this attribute indicated either that they were implementing a SHMS or working to improve a 

system already in place. For example, in January 2022, the Peace Corps issued a revised policy 

for staff safety and health along with initial procedures for selected issues and hazards. The 

initial procedures included an annual review of the OSH program.

Within the managerial component, the knowledge, skills, and information attribute used to assess 

the Administration/Supervision subcomponent received the highest number of “needs minor 

improvements” and “highly effective” ratings (82 agencies; 93 percent). 

Like many agencies, AFRH reported that individual facility Safety Officers were responsible for 

conducting inspections, and monitoring and reporting safety requirements. To ensure that its 

Safety Officers were well prepared to perform their duties, AFRH provided training on NFPA’s 

Life Safety Code and OSHA regulations, and required continuing education. According to DoD,

its subagencies must provide personnel with the OSH training and education necessary to 

competently fulfill their roles and responsibilities for implementing OSH programs and risk 

management. Commanders and Senior Management Officials provided education to leaders and 

supervisors at all levels on OSH policies, procedures, and initiatives. Full-time OSH staff 

provided formal and informal training to more junior staff and collateral duty personnel. DoD 

affirmed a commitment to providing continuing education and professional credentialing for 

OSH personnel through cost reimbursement or sponsorship programs.

While overall the ratings suggested relatively strong managerial components for agencies’ safety 

programs, a few agencies assessed various relevant attributes as “not applicable” or simply did 

not respond. Specifically, 16 agencies (18 percent), six agencies (7 percent), and one agency (1 

percent) selected “not applicable” or “not reported” ratings for the incidence data; annual SHMS 

review; and knowledge, skills, and information attributes; respectively. OSHA will work with 

these agencies to determine how best to incorporate some level of managerial aspects to ensure 

the safety of their workforces.

Cultural Component Assessment

Like the other two components, most federal agencies provided a “needs minor improvements” 

or “highly effective” rating for both cultural component attributes. For resource allocation, 80

agencies (91 percent) selected either “needs minor improvements” or “highly effective,” while 

four agencies (5 percent) rated the attribute as “not applicable” or “not rated.” Most agencies 
22

reported that managers received the resources they needed to support their OSH programs and 

several, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), obtained budgetary program support. 

Agencies that self-assessed lower ratings, such as the Peace Corps, lacked support but said they 

were working to improve access to the necessary resources. 

Regarding the process involvement attribute, 83 agencies (94 percent) provided a “highly 

effective” or “needs minor improvements” rating. Several agencies reported having an effective 

process for involving employees in safety issues. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation 

Board (CSHIB), for example, reported that it typically solicited employee involvement through 

e-mail postings, “all hands” meetings, and small group debrief meetings. It also held periodic 

investigator training sessions, and conducted anonymous safety perception surveys during Safe + 

Sound Week. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) noted a large and very 

involved cadre of safety professionals. Other agencies, such as the Department of Commerce 

(Commerce), used employee engagement strategies such as electronic and print media, along 

with in-person presentations, meetings, and personal conversations.

Agencies with a lower rating for employee involvement generally described lacking a designated 

OSH officer. The USDA reported that its headquarters does not have a process in place for this 

attribute because its Safety Officer position had been vacant since August 2020. 

As with other assessment components, some agencies omitted responses for cultural attributes. 

Four agencies (5 percent) rated the resource allocation attribute as either “not applicable” or “not 

reported,” while one agency (1 percent) provided a similar response regarding the process 

involvement attribute. OSHA continues to work with agencies to ensure they fully understand 

the importance of managerial leadership and employee involvement.

Recordkeeping

As set forth in 29 CFR § 1960, federal agencies must maintain injury and illness records in a 

similar format as the private sector. The recordkeeping requirement allows agencies and OSHA 

to identify worksites with the highest injury and illness rates and assess federal agency training 

needs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annually collects the required injury and illness 

records from all Executive Branch agencies and provides the records to OSHA.

The OSHA data collection cycle first began in CY 2014; the eighth completed data collection 

cycle occurred in CY 2021. OSHA provided agencies with guidance on the data collection 

process and followed up with information on errors identified in the submissions. Working with 

BLS, OSHA tracked the data collected and monitored its quality. In addition, OSHA worked 

with OWCP to assist agencies using the Employees’ Compensation Operations & Management 

Portal4 (ECOMP) to explain the procedures for transferring the data from ECOMP to BLS. 

During the reporting period, OSHA received complete establishment data from 79 of 98 agencies 

(81 percent) and partial data from an additional five agencies (5 percent). The most common 

errors were failures to provide the number of employees or hours worked for each establishment. 

OSHA will analyze the collected data for key findings and the collection process for lessons 

4 ECOMP is an electronic claim filing system for OWCP information that also allows federal agencies to maintain 

their OSHA-required injury and illness data.
23

learned to further streamline and simplify the procedure. In addition, OSHA will work with BLS 

to improve the response rate. 

Compliance Assistance

Agency Technical Assistance Request 

OSHA’s ATAR service resembles the Consultation Program OSHA provides for private-sector 

employers. Federal agencies may contact an OSHA Area Office and request technical 

assistance, such as hazard abatement advice, training, a partial or comprehensive visit, and/or 

program assistance. While the request is consultative, an agency’s subsequent failure or refusal 

to abate serious hazards may result in an inspection referral. 

In CY 2021, the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Area Office conducted OSHA’s sole ATAR for the 

National Transportation Safety Board in Dauphin, Pennsylvania. The AO conducted a healthrelated ATAR for noise monitoring while investigating an accident involving a railroad spiker. 

Field Federal Safety and Health Councils 

FFSHCs are federal interagency groups, chartered by the Secretary, that bring local OSH 

professionals together for education, problem solving, and cooperation in the safety and health 

field. Located throughout the nation, FFSHCs work to reduce the incidence, severity, and cost of 

accidents, injuries, and illnesses within their designated geographic areas. 

In CY 2021, 32 FFSHCs (see Appendix 1 for a list of FFSHCs by OSHA region) actively carried 

out efforts to improve the effectiveness of OSH functions within the government. According to 

the annual reports submitted to OSHA, 35 departments and agencies participated in the FFSHCs 

and more than 2,000 federal employees attended meetings and/or council-provided training. 

Participation decreased for some because of limited funds and personnel shortages. 

Agency involvement in council activities varied from extensive engagement to occasional 

attendance at FFSHC meetings. DoD, for example, reported that approximately 20 percent of its 

subagencies participated in local FFSHCs during CY 2021. GSA reported that all regions and 

the headquarters office supported employee participation, while NASA said that its field centers 

participated, and both DOT and EPA reported encouraging employees to attend meetings and 

hold leadership positions. 

Under 29 CFR § 1960.89, each active FFSHC must submit an annual report to the Secretary 

describing activities and programs for the previous calendar year along with plans, objectives, 

and goals for the current year. OSHA uses these reports to assess each FFSHC’s program plans 

to determine the success of these goals and objectives. The FFSHCs that best exemplify the 

intent and purpose of the FFSHC program may receive an achievement award from the 

Secretary.

In determining award recipients, OSHA forms three categories, based on the size of the federal 

populations served, which allows FFSHCs to compete with other councils that have similar

resources. OSHA evaluates and rates each council’s annual report, ranking it against other 
24

FFSHCs in its category. The top three FFSHCs in each category receive awards for Superior 

Performance, Meritorious Achievement, and Notable Recognition. 

In CY 2021, OSHA identified nine FFSHCs as eligible for a Secretary’s Award for their 

activities. By category, these were: 

Category I: Federal employee population exceeding 24,000

• Superior Performance – Greater Kansas City

• Meritorious Achievement – Atlanta

• Notable Recognition – Dallas/Fort Worth

Category II: Federal employee population between 12,000 and 24,000 

• Superior Performance – Puerto Rico

• Meritorious Achievement – Minneapolis 

• Notable Recognition – North Carolina 

Category III: Federal employee population of fewer than 12,000

• Superior Performance – Mississippi Gulf Coast

• Meritorious Achievement – Louisville Area

• Notable Recognition – Greater Des Moines

Alternate and Supplementary Standards 

Under 29 CFR § 1960.17, if an agency cannot comply with an applicable OSHA standard, it may 

submit a request to OSHA to comply with an alternate standard.5 There are seven OSHAapproved alternate standards: 

• Federal Aviation Administration – Alternate Standard for Fire Safety in Air Traffic 

Control Towers; 

• National Archives and Records Administration – Standard on Special-Purpose Ladders; 

• NASA – Standard for Lifting Devices and Equipment; 

• NASA – Alternate Standard for Diving Operations 

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Alternate Diving Standards; 

• Department of the Navy (Navy), Naval Facilities Engineering Command – Management 

of Weight-Handling Equipment; and

• Navy – Gas Free Engineering Manual. 

Under 29 CFR § 1960.18, if no existing OSHA standard applies to a working condition of an 

agency’s federal employees, the agency must develop a supplementary standard. There are two 

supplementary standards: 

• NASA – Safety Standard for Explosives, Propellants, and Pyrotechnics; and

• DOI/National Park Service – Supplementary Standard for Containers and Portable Tanks 

Transport. 

5 An alternate standard is the federal sector’s equivalent of a private-sector variance. Any alternate standard must 

provide protection for affected federal employees that is equal to or greater than the applicable OSHA standard.
25

FEDWEEK

Each year, OSHA provides a week of training, known as FEDWEEK, specifically for federal 

agency OSH personnel at OTI in Arlington Heights, Illinois. OSHA seeks input from federal 

agencies and federal OSH personnel when developing the FEDWEEK curriculum. While 

attendance decreased slightly, there were more federal agencies represented at the CY 2019 

event than in prior years (Table 7). In CY 2019, the participant count substantially increased due 

to the virtual attendance option. OSHA provided nine half-day seminars and offered twice 

during the week. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic OTI cancelled the event in CY 2020. 

Following that cancellation, in CY 2021, OSHA provided nine virtual half-day seminars where 

federal OSH participants could attend up to six different sessions on: fall protection, cranes in 

construction, electrical standards, emergency preparedness at the federal workplace, management 

of change, safety and health programs for federal agencies, lead hazard awareness, managing an 

effective respiratory protection program, and industrial hygiene sampling. 

Table 7: FEDWEEK Participation by Attendees and Calendar Year (2019-2021).

Calendar Year

2021 2020 2019

Participants 805 * 80

Agencies Represented 30 * 30

* CY 2020 training cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Federal Agency OSH Managers’ Roundtable 

The Federal Agency OSH Managers’ Roundtable is a valuable tool that allows agencies to 

exchange information on safety and health issues and best practices. For these meetings, OSHA 

brings national-level OSH managers together to share presentations and discuss current topics of 

interest. In 2021, OSHA held Roundtable meetings in February, May, August, and November 

and addressed a range of topics, such as DOL’s COVID-19 Safe Workplace Plan, COVID-19 

policy updates, and baseline hazard assessment surveys at headquarters-level facilities. 

Individual agency presentations included information on DoD’s response to COVID-19, an 

overview of DOL’s FFSHC program, and DoD’s development of Occupational Exposure Limits. 

In addition to scheduled presentation topics, all roundtable meetings include a general discussion 

session to allow federal agency representatives to talk about their experiences with the topics 

presented and/or express concerns about safety and health issues in their respective agencies. 
26

SECTION 2 – FEDERAL AGENCY OSH 

ACTIVITIES 

This section contains agency-specific OSH program information. Agencies’ annual reports 

include data on fatalities, hospitalizations, and amputations; injury and illness trend analyses and 

hazard mitigation methods; OSH training programs; OSH committee and council participation; 

and whistleblower protection provisions. 

In accordance with 29 CFR §§ 1960.34 and 1960.35, GSA and the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), respectively, must provide specified services to 

federal agencies to support improved safety and health conditions for federal employees. This 

section ends with summaries of their reported activities. 

Fatalities, Hospitalizations, and Amputations

The Act, provisions of 29 CFR § 1960, and other regulations require employers to investigate, 

track, and promptly report to OSHA incidents that involve work-related fatalities, 

hospitalizations, and amputations. 

Major Departments and Agencies 

Over the course of CY 2021, the departments and agencies reported 538 fatalities, 

hospitalizations, and amputations. Since not all agencies submitted reports for both CY 20 and 

21, annual comparisons are limited to individual departments or agencies. Reported incidents 

decreased at 10 of the departments/agencies, while increasing at eight. 

Department and/or agency summaries follow Table 8a only for those departments and agencies 

that realized a significant year-over-year change within the context of the overall reported 

number. For example, while DOJ’s total reports increased by 450 percent, the department 

reported no fatalities or amputations in CY 2020, but six fatalities and 12 amputations in CY 

2021. Given this context, no further assessment was necessary or relevant. 

Table 8a: Major Department/Agency Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 

2021. 

Agencies Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change 

Department of 

Agriculture 1 7 18 22 1 0 ↑ 45 

Department of Defense 1 2 8 8 4 3 ↔ 0

Department of Health 

and Human Services 10 0 39 7 0 2 ↓ 76 

Department of Homeland 

Security 23 51 46 121 2 1 ↑ 58 

Department of Justice 0 6 10 37 0 12 ↑ 450

Department of the Air 

Force 0 0 10 11 3 4 ↑ 13 
27

Agencies Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change 

Department of the Army 2 1 25 13 1 2 ↓ 42

Department of the 

Interior 2 1 4 25 3 0 ↑ 65 

Department of the Navy 4 3 16 10 0 3 ↓ 20

Department of the State 1 2 16 36 0 1 ↑ 56

Department of Veterans 

Affairs 25 21 68 113 0 2 ↑ 46 

The ↑ indicates a respective increase, ↓ indicates a respective decrease, and ↔ indicates no 

change in the Total Reports in CY 2021 compared to CY 2020. 

Major Department/Agency Summaries 

The Department of Agriculture reported 45 percent more incidents in CY 2021 than in CY 2020. 

Overall, while USDA’s workers experienced fewer slips, trips, falls; and falls from height, every

incident resulted in a hospitalization. Of course, as was the case with most agencies, USDA’s

COVID-19 related hospitalizations increased. 

Table 8b: USDA Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Crushed by, caught in 0 0 0 1 1 0 ↔ 0

Fall 0 1 1 2 0 0 ↑ 66

Fire 1 0 3 2 0 0 ↓ 50

Fitness 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Heat, dehydration 0 0 1 4 0 0 ↑ 60

Horse 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Illness 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 5 0 0 0 ↓ 500

Strain, over-exertion 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Struck, struck by 0 1 3 0 0 0 ↓ 50

Unclassified 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Vehicular (land) 0 0 4 6 0 0 ↑ 33

Vehicular (air) 0 1 0 0 0 0 ↑ 100

COVID-19 0 4 0 2 0 0 ↑ 600

Total 1 7 18 22 1 0 ↑ 45

The Department of Defense reported a 25 percent increase in incidents: from nine to 12. In CY 

2021 there was one fatality, eight more hospitalizations, and two more amputations. The greatest 

increase was due to struck, struck-by. 
28

Table 8c: DoD Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Crushed by, caught in 0 0 0 1 1 1 ↑ 200

Electrical 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Insect bite 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Over-exertion 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Physical Attack 0 1 0 0 0 0 ↑ 100

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 3 1 0 0 ↓ 67

Strain, sprain 0 0 2 0 0 0 ↓ 200

Struck, struck by 0 0 0 3 0 2 ↑ 500

Vehicular (land) 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

COVID-19 0 1 1 0 0 0 ↔ 0

Total 0 2 8 8 1 3 ↑ 44

The Department of Health and Human Services’ incident reports decreased 76 percent in CY 

2021, from 49 in CY 2020 to 12 in CY 2021. The largest reported increases (200 percent) 

occurred in the categories of strain, over-exertion; patient handling; and struck, struck-by. 

Table 8d: HHS Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Assault 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Caught in 0 0 0 0 0 1 ↑ 100

Patient handling 0 0 2 0 0 0 ↓ 200

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 3 1 0 0 ↓ 67

Strain, over-exertion 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Struck, struck by 0 0 0 1 0 1 ↑ 200

COVID-19 10 0 33 3 0 0 ↓ 93

Total 10 0 39 7 0 2 ↓ 76

The Department of Homeland Security’s reported incidents increased 59 percent in CY 2021 

compared to CY 2020. Customs and Border Protection accounted for most of the COVID-19 

related incidents, followed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Incidents related to heat 

and/or dehydration increased by 600 percent. 

Table 8e: DHS Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Aneurysm 1 0 0 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Animal 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Assault/battery 0 0 2 0 0 0 ↓ 200
29

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Bite 0 0 4 1 0 0 ↓ 75

Crushed by, caught in 0 0 0 0 1 1 ↔ 0

Cut, pierce 0 0 0 0 1 0 ↑ 100

Dehydration, Heat 0 0 0 6 0 0 ↑ 600

Fall from height 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Firearm 0 0 1 2 0 0 ↑ 50

Fitness 0 0 2 1 0 0 ↓ 50

Illness 2 2 3 1 0 0 ↓ 40

Material handling 0 0 1 1 0 0 ↔ 0

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 4 4 0 0 ↔ 0

Struck, struck by 0 0 2 0 0 0 ↓ 200

Unclassified 4 7 9 12 0 0 ↑ 28

Vehicular (land) 0 2 7 11 0 ↑ 46

COVID-19 18 40 10 801 0 0 ↑ 76

Total 23 51 46 121 2 1 ↑ 59

1 One hospitalization related to a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Department of Justice’s reported incidents increased 450 percent in CY 2021 compared to 

CY 2020. The Bureau of Prisons accounted for 11 of the 37 hospitalizations and 11 of the 12 

amputations. All other subagencies saw an increase in hospitalizations, most of which were due 

either to injuries during fitness training or COVID-19. 

Table 8f: DOJ Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Burn 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Crushed by, caught in 0 0 0 0 0 6 ↑ 600

Cut, pierce 0 0 0 0 0 5 ↑ 500

Illness 0 0 0 3 0 0 ↑ 300

Firearm 0 2 3 3 0 0 ↑ 40

Heart attack 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Heat, dehydration 0 0 7 6 0 0 ↑ 14

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 0 4 0 0 ↑ 400

Fitness 0 0 0 6 0 1 ↑ 700

Struck, struck by 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Vehicular (land) 0 1 0 4 0 0 ↑ 500

Unknown 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

COVID-19 0 3 0 5 0 0 ↑ 800

Total 0 6 10 37 0 12 ↑ 450
30

The Department of the Air Force’s (USAF)’s reported incidents increased 15 percent in CY 

2021 compared to CY 2020. The greatest increase occurred in the repetitive motion category. 

Table 8g: USAF Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Caught by, caught in 0 0 0 0 3 1 ↓ 66

Repetitive motion 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 7 7 0 0 ↔ 0

Strain, over-exertion 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Struck by 0 0 2 1 0 3 ↓ 100

Vehicular (land) 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Total 0 0 10 11 3 4 ↑ 15

The Department of the Army’s incident reports decreased 75 percent in CY 2021 compared to 

CY 2020. The greatest decreases occurred in the categories of vehicular (land) and struck, 

struck-by. The Army reported that a worker lost an eye.

 

Table 8h: Army Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Burns 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Crushed by, caught in 0 0 1 0 1 1 ↓ 50

Dehydration/heat 0 0 1 3 0 0 ↑ 67

Electrical 1 0 0 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Insect bite 0 0 2 1 0 0 ↓ 50

Material handling 0 0 0 1 0 1 ↑ 200

Slip, trip, fall 0 1 10 7 0 0 ↓ 20

Struck, struck by 0 0 4 1 0 0 ↓ 300

Vehicular (land) 0 0 4 0 0 0 ↓ 400

COVID-19 1 0 3 1 0 0 ↓ 75

Total 2 1 25 13 1 2 ↓ 75

The Department of the Interior’s reported incidents increased 65 percent in CY 2021 

compared to CY 2020. The greatest increases involved illnesses; slip trip, and falls; and 

COVID-19. The National Park Service reported the most incidents, all 14 of which were 

hospitalizations.

Table 8i: DOI Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Allergy 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Animal 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100
31

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Cut, pierce 0 0 0 0 3 0 ↓ 300

Fall from height 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Fire 0 0 0 3 0 0 ↑ 100

Heat, dehydration 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Illness 0 0 0 4 0 0 ↑ 400

Insect 0 0 3 1 0 0 ↓ 66

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 0 4 0 0 ↑ 400

Unclassified 1 0 0 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Vehicular (land) 0 1 0 4 0 0 ↑ 300

COVID-19 1 0 0 4 0 0 ↑ 400

Total 2 1 4 25 3 0 ↑ 65

The Department of the Navy’s incident reports decreased 36 percent in CY 2021 compared to 

CY 2020. An analysis indicates general illness incidents decreased, along with struck, struck-by; 

and COVID-19-related fatalities and hospitalizations. 

Table 8j: Navy Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Crushed by, caught in 0 0 0 0 2 1 ↓ 50

Cut, pierce 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Electric shock 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Fall from height 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Heat, dehydration 0 0 1 1 0 0 ↔ 0

Insect 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Illness 0 0 2 0 0 0 ↓ 200

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 3 3 0 0 ↔ 0

Sports 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Struck, struck by 0 0 2 0 0 0 ↓ 200

COVID-19 4 3 7 2 0 0 ↓ 55

Total 4 3 16 10 2 1 ↓ 36

The Department of State’s reported incidents increased 56 percent in CY 2021 compared to CY 

2020. An analysis indicates cut/pierce incidents increased 700 percent while slip, trip, and fall 

incidents increased 69 percent. 

Table 8k: State Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Caught by, caught in 0 0 1 3 0 1 ↓ 100

Cut/pierce 0 0 0 7 0 0 ↑ 700
32

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Drowning 0 1 0 0 0 0 ↑ 100

Electric shock 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Firearm 0 0 1 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Fitness 0 0 1 1 0 0 ↔ 0

Slip, trip, fall 0 0 5 16 0 0 ↑ 69

Strain, over-exertion 0 0 2 1 0 0 ↓ 50

Struck by 0 0 2 1 0 0 ↓ 50

Unclassified 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Vehicular (land) 1 1 4 3 0 0 ↓ 20

COVID-19 vaccine 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Total 1 2 16 36 0 1 ↑ 56

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ reported incidents increased 46 percent in CY 2021 

compared to CY 2020, primarily due to an increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations.

Table 8l: VA Fatalities/Hospitalizations/Amputations for CY 2020 and 2021. 

Cause Fatalities Hospitalizations Amputations Percent

2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 Change

Allergy 0 0 0 2 0 0 ↑ 200

Burn 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Crushed by, caught in 0 0 0 0 0 2 ↑ 200

Cut, pierce 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Electrical 1 0 0 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Fall from height 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Fume 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↑ 100

Illness 0 0 0 1 0 0 ↓ 100

Slip, trip, fall 0 1 5 7 0 0 ↑ 60

Steam 1 0 0 0 0 0 ↓ 100

Struck, struck by 0 0 0 3 0 0 ↑ 300

Unclassified 2 0 2 0 0 0 ↓ 400

Vehicular (land) 0 0 1 1 0 0 ↔ 0

COVID-19 22 20 59 951 0 0 ↑ 42

Total 25 21 68 113 0 2 ↑ 46

1

 One hospitalization was due to a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Certified Safety and Health Committees

A CSHC is an agency OSH committee that the Secretary has approved and the agency’s head has 

certified as meeting the requirements of 29 CFR § 1960, Subpart F. A CSHC monitors and

supports an agency’s OSH program and improves safety awareness by providing the agency an 

open channel of communication between employees and management. A CSHC also allows an

agency to facilitate employee input on OSH-related policies, conditions, and practices. 
33

An agency that wants to form a CSHC must report its intent to the Secretary. Specifically, the 

agency must provide the Secretary with information regarding the location and coverage area 

(establishments and populations) of the committee. The agency must also provide the name and 

phone number of each committee chair and certify that the committee meets all the requirements 

of 29 CFR § 1960, Subpart F. Also, as part of the required annual report to the Secretary, the 

agency must provide an update of its OSH program activity. 

While agencies with CSHCs that meet all requirements are exempt from unannounced OSHA 

inspections, they may request an inspection. For CY 2021, the Secretary recognized three

Executive Branch agencies as having functional CSHCs within the requirements of Subpart F: 

• CIA

• DOL

• TVA

CIA, DOL, and TVA submitted information certifying to the Secretary that their respective 

CSHCs met the requirements of the subpart during the CY 2021 reporting period. DOL made no 

changes to its CSHC in CY 2021. 

Other OSH Committees and Councils

OSHA asked that federal agencies provide information on their involvement in both internal and 

external OSH committees and councils, including their participation in FFSHCs. For internal 

activity, 35 out of 98 agencies (36 percent) reported that they encouraged employee participation 

in OSH-related committees at the departmental, agency, and field operation levels; and in a 

variety of local OSH committees, including FFSHCs. Of the 35 agencies involved in OSH 

committees or councils, 26 (74 percent) reported having internal OSH committees. 

Internal OSH committee memberships varied among agencies; for some agencies membership 

included only management, while others opened committee participation to all employees, and 

required it for those with OSH-related expertise, duties, or responsibilities. For example, the 

Navy listed numerous OSH committees and councils and noted that employees participated as 

chairs and vice-chairs as well as supported councils as SMEs and action officers. Navy’s OSH

committees and councils provided advice on safety challenges, current trends, corrective actions 

taken or required, local safety issues, on- and off-duty mishaps; and were a critical mechanism 

for recommending improvements in safety management systems, data analysis efforts, and safety 

assurance efforts. FEC reported that its internal OSH committees included the Occupant 

Emergency Team and a Joint Safety Committee with its Union, both of which were voluntary 

and open to all staff. 

When asked whether they supported and recognized OSH-related certifications from outside 

organizations, 39 out of 98 agencies (40 percent) reported employee participation in external 

OSH committees, including OSHA’s Office of Federal Agency Programs’ Roundtable meetings, 

and six agencies (6 percent) reported encouraging employees to seek professional certification 

and participate in professional OSH organizations. Most agencies, such as the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), reported encouraging 

employees to participate in OSH professional organizations, such as the International Air 

Transport Association and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. Agencies encouraged 
34

OSH personnel to obtain and maintain professional certifications such as Certified Safety 

Professional and Certified Industrial Hygienist, and licenses such as Professional Engineer, to 

demonstrate competence in assigned duties. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

(NASA) indicated that it is currently involved in external OSH committees, and also indicated 

that it highly encourages all the NASA Field Centers to participate in local FFSHCs; and noted 

that NASA’s leadership echoed the encouragement. NASA’s OSH Manager often 

communicated with OSHA and attended OSHA sponsored training and council meetings held at 

DOL. 

Identifying, Controlling, and Analyzing Hazards

Reporting Hazards 

An effective OSH program encourages all workers (such as the agencies’ workers and 

contractors) to participate and feel comfortable providing input and reporting their safety and 

health concerns; and prohibits retaliation when they report safety and health concerns, injuries, 

illnesses, and hazards; participate in the program; or exercise their safety and health rights. A 

crucial element of an effective hazard reporting system is notifying employees about actions 

taken to resolve their reported concerns. 

OSHA asked agencies how they encouraged employees to report hazards and the reporting 

mechanisms employees could use. Agencies listed a variety of methods to encourage hazard 

reporting and advise employees of their rights such as: 

• safety training sessions; 

• new employee orientation sessions; 

• shop safety talks/toolbox talks; 

• reminders in standard operating procedures and official memoranda; 

• newsletters, emails, and intranet posts; 

• electronic (intranet, etc.) publication of OSH related policies and directives that include 

information on hazard reporting methods; 

• recognition programs to acknowledge employees who collaborate with safety 

professionals to identify and mitigate workplace hazards; 

• posting the “OSHA Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law” poster; 

• posters on bulletin boards in common areas identifying the site’s safety and health 

designees; 

• encouraging employees to participate in site surveys and inspections; 

• disseminating safety shares or relevant lessons learned; 

• establishing an Employee Concerns Program; 

• workplace safety meetings, committees, advisory councils; 

• participating in OSHA sponsored programs like the Safe and Sound Campaign; 

• holding “Find and Fix” campaigns; and 

• supportive messages from senior leaders.

Agencies provided various examples of hazard reporting methods such as: 

• supervisors; 
35

• local safety managers; 

• collateral duty safety officers; 

• safety and health committees; 

• safety stand downs/safety awareness programs;

• town hall meetings;

• safety walkthroughs; 

• web-based systems (e.g., intranet, SharePoint); 

• safety apps; 

• safety hotline; 

• dedicated email address;

• dedicated help desk; 

• suggestion box for anonymous reporting; 

• agency email or phone for facilities management; 

• hazard reporting form on the intranet; and 

• daily task briefing in which employees analyze their workplaces and tasks.

Safety and Health Self-Inspections

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some agencies maintained only mission-essential functions at 

their physical worksites during CY 2021; these agencies placed most employees on a “maximum 

telework” status and transitioned to a virtual workspace. Of the 88 agencies that provided 

information on performing self-inspections, less than half (42 agencies; 48 percent) reported that 

they inspected all workplaces in CY 2021. The remaining 53 percent (47 agencies) did not 

inspect all their workplaces due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to several agencies, the 

absence of employees from workplaces negated the need for self-inspections. 

Fifty-three (60 percent) agencies reported that mission essential employees were at worksites 

during CY 2021 while others continued on a maximum telework status. Twenty-seven (31 

percent) agencies reported that employees were on a maximum telework status and were not 

coming onsite. Eight (9 percent) agencies reported that employees were on a maximum telework 

status at the beginning of CY 2021 but started to return to the office on a hybrid schedule as the 

year progressed. 

Of responding agencies, 85 percent (75 agencies) selected a rating of “highly effective” or 

“needs minor improvements” for the self-inspection attribute. (For additional information see 

the discussion on the Operational Component’s Self-Inspection Attribute).

Abatement Tracking 

As a key component of a SHMS, agencies must ensure the existence of established processes not 

only to routinely identify and report hazards, but also to select and track appropriate abatement 

measures (or controls) and then monitor those abatements or controls to ensure they continue to 

remain effective. 

 

Effective controls protect workers from workplace hazards; help avoid injuries, illnesses, and 

incidents; minimize or eliminate safety and health risks; and help employers provide workers 
36

with safe and healthful working conditions. These include instituting interim control measures to 

protect workers from hazards until the implementation of permanent measures. 

 

OSHA asked agencies how they control workplace hazards (i.e., please describe how your 

agency tracks abatement of hazards and adheres to abatement dates). Most agencies (69 percent) 

either specified the hazard abatement tracking tool and/or described the hazard abatement 

tracking process. (See Appendix 7 for agency-specific abatement tracking information.) 

 

The remaining 31 percent of agencies:

• did not provide a response; 

• indicated that this inquiry was not applicable; 

• responded that they had no abatement issues; 

• stated they relied on property management or GSA for hazard abatement, but did not 

describe a coordination or tracking process; 

• claimed successful hazard abatement but provided no information on a tracking method 

for such; 

• claimed a tracking system but failed to describe it; or 

• reported that no injury or illness occurred in CY 2021. 

Hazard Data Analysis 

Analyzing OSH data (i.e., lagging and leading indicators) provides information for setting safety 

and health priorities such as goals, objectives, and action items for an organization’s OSH 

program. OSHA asked that agencies rate their effectiveness in analyzing hazard incidence data. 

Among responding agencies, 48 percent rated their hazard data analysis as highly effective. 

However, although several agencies indicated routinely analyzing hazard incidence data, almost 

a third stated that they did not have incidents or had very few incidents so did not perform any 

data analysis. OSHA will work with these agencies to help them determine how best to 

implement this attribute in their programs. 

 

For other agencies, 22 percent indicated that they needed minor improvements, citing problems 

such as an inadequate analysis tool. Another 21 percent of agencies: failed respond, indicated 

that the attribute was inapplicable, or stated it did not exist in their organizations. Some agencies 

claimed their workplaces: included no hazardous duties, had no history of incidents, or had no 

incidents in CY 2021; were small organizations, with one major facility; or had only infrequent 

incidents (accidents), and as such, did not need complex incident data management. Other 

agencies reported that they could identify incident trends without data analysis and then act to 

reduce or eliminate hazards; or that because few onsite injuries occurred data was insufficient for 

analysis. 

 

Only seven percent of agencies indicated that this attribute needed major improvement. These 

agencies cited the lack of a mechanism to ensure accurate identification, reporting, data 

collection, and/or analysis of workplace hazards. 
37

COVID-19 Response

Federal agencies reported on the steps taken during CY 2021 to protect employees from 

contracting COVID-19; most referenced following CDC, OMB, OPM, OSHA, and local 

guidance. Agencies noted that the evolving guidance required ongoing modification of policies 

and procedures to protect workers. 

When feasible, agencies required employees to telework. Agencies with missions requiring 

onsite work used a range of controls to protect employees, from creating physical barriers to 

providing PPE. To help track the evolving guidance and develop internal policies, many 

agencies established workgroups comprised of senior management officials with decision 

making authority, safety professionals, industrial hygienists, and at times, medical staff. 

Employees who provided direct services to the public, such as patient care and international 

border monitoring, had an increased risk of exposure to and contracting COVID-19. Among 

Executive Branch agencies, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security 

recorded the most fatalities due to the illness in CY 2021, reporting 26 and 15, respectively. (See 

Appendix 6 for detailed information on the fatalities, amputations, and hospitalizations agencies 

reported for CY 2021.) 

Employee Awareness Protocols

Agencies used various means to engage employees and continuously shared new/updated 

information on the pandemic and avoiding COVID-19. Agency reports mentioned engagement 

and communication methods such as training, webinars, websites, intranets, SharePoint, town 

halls, virtual meetings, broadcast emails, newsletters, employee reviews, briefings to labor 

organizations, electronic bulletins, and informational hotlines, among many others. 

Actions Taken to Limit COVID-19 Exposure in 2021

Agencies minimized transmission of COVID-19 through employee education campaigns – 

providing information about hand and surface hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, when to seek 

medical attention, and how to find out more information. Agency workgroups monitored the 

evolving guidance for changes and reports of new variants and used this information to make 

decisions throughout the year regarding the transition to normal federal business. 

For mission-essential work at their facilities through 2021, agencies continued developing and 

implementing onsite protocols to protect the safety and health of their employees, visitors, and 

contractors. These onsite protocols included: 

Policy Updates

• Incorporated all recommendations and requirements from Executive Orders and the Safer 

Federal Workforce Task Force COVID-19 safety response plan; 

• Updated policies and reviewed scientific findings and guidance regarding COVID-19; 

and

• Required that onsite employees be fully vaccinated and exempt employees continue to 

telework.

Facility Access

• Maximized telework and remote work; 

• Staggered work schedules and used cohort seating strategies for onsite employees; 
38

• Adjusted restrictions in accordance with transmission rates; 

• Developed and implemented a respiratory protection program, and conducted fit testing 

for N95 respirators; and

• Closed high-density assembly areas.

Facility Modifications

• Enhanced office ventilation systems;

• Mandated social distancing and masks;

• Installed touchless hand sanitizers;

• Increased cleaning of office common areas and high touch surfaces;

• Disinfected shared items after each use or before transfer; 

Marked elevators for social distancing and limited occupants; 

• Installed anti-microbial surface protectors for high-touch surfaces such as elevator call 

buttons; 

• Added signage at entry points to remind entrants to follow mandatory precautions; 

• Installed physical barriers open workspaces; 

• Used ultraviolet and electrostatic disinfection; and

Incorporated hands-free exit and entrance mechanisms.

Personal Protective Equipment, Testing, and Protocols

• Provided face coverings, gloves, and respirators;

• Supplied home PCR and rapid test kits;

• Used digital self-check systems; 

• Developed case tracing applications; and,

• Developed a trend analysis dashboard.

Procedures for COVID-19 Positive Employees

All agencies reported establishing policies and procedures to address workplace-related positive 

COVID-19 test results, suspected cases, and potential exposures that followed CDC, OMB, 

OPM, GSA, and local health departments’ guidelines. For example, the USAID activated a

Critical Coordination Structure (CCS) to facilitate quick response to COVID-19 cases and 

maintain agency continuity of operations. According to USAID, the CCS worked with its

incident response command center to evaluate each case to determine potential staff exposure, 

perform contact tracing, and communicate incident details to the leadership team. The CCS

coordinated a response to isolate and clean any exposed work areas using advanced cleaning 

techniques. 

In general, agencies developed policies and procedures for workers with positive test results, 

suspected cases, or potential exposures. Those procedures required employees to report to their 

supervisors or other designated persons. A designated team then reviewed any positive cases 

and determined whether they were work-related. When feasible, the team traced the cases and 

notified affected employees, providing instruction on testing, self-isolation, and quarantine 

timelines. Agencies cleaned and sanitized affected work areas, developed policies to allow 

asymptomatic quarantined employees to telework, addressed appropriate leave status for affected 

employees, and allowed employees to return to work when they met established requirements.
39

The Department of Health and Human Services continued to update and post the HHS COVID19 Workplace Safety plan as it amended its internal processes and CDC updated guidance 

throughout the year. HHS also updated the safety plan and posted update notifications to the 

Safer Federal Workforce Task Force website.

Motor Vehicle Safety

In CY 2021, 71 agencies (73 percent) reported having a Motor Vehicle Safety Program (MVSP), 

and most noting compliance with EOs 13043 and 13513, which require using seatbelts in motor 

vehicles and ban texting while driving, respectively. Most agencies reported that MVSPs were

major OSH program elements and that EO compliance was necessary to reduce the deaths, 

injuries, and property damage related to vehicular mishaps. Twenty-eight agencies with MVSPs 

(40 percent) provided information on the roughly 10,452 motor vehicle accidents their 

employees experienced during CY 2021. 

Most agencies reported offering motor vehicle safety awareness training from DOT, GSA, 

USDA, or similar organizations. Covered training topics included distracted driving prevention, 

safe holiday/seasonal driving, accident reporting procedures, driver improvement training for 

personnel involved in vehicle mishaps, vehicle safety inspection procedures, driver education for 

personnel deployed overseas, use of travel planning tools, and defensive driving. Agencies like 

the USAF supported nationally recognized safe driving programs. DoD fielded motor vehicles 

that featured safety technologies (e.g. back-up cameras, lane assist, blind-side alerts, and close 

collision alerts) and trained motor vehicle operators on their use. The Department of State 

planned to expand its Event Recorder (i.e. DriveCam) program to additional posts overseas. 

DOT promoted the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course program to reinforce 

motor vehicle safety and mishap prevention. 

Sixteen agencies reported that they did not have any MVSP because either they employed only a 

few workers or did not need a dedicated vehicle fleet. Agencies without any MVSP included: 

Access Board, African Development Foundation, Commission on Civil Rights, DNFSB, ExportImport Bank, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services, Federal Labor Relations Authority, 

Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Inter-American Foundation, Institute of Museum 

and Library Services, National Council on Disability, National Credit Union Administration, 

National Endowment for the Humanities, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Postal 

Regulatory Commission, and Social Security Advisory Board. 

Some agencies asserted that an MVSP was “not applicable” to their situations or simply ignored 

the item. Yet other agencies deemed to provide little to no training reported compliance with 

EOs 13043 and 13513 but provided no information on safety protocols or measures. OSHA will 

follow up with agencies to offer assistance in addressing motor vehicle safety. 

Table 9: Summary of Reported Motor Vehicle Accidents by Department/Agency CY 2019 – 

2021.

Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019

Department of Agriculture 1,918 NR 2,060

Department of the Air Force 19 94 16

Department of the Army 514 288 212
40

Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019

Department of Commerce 25 306 306

Department of Defense 929 812 943

Department of Energy 89 63 74

Department of Health and Human Services 45 25 304

Department of Homeland Security 1,042 1,765 2,190

Department of Housing and Urban Development NR NR NR

Department of Justice 2,825 2,311 4,124

Department of Labor 227 213 452

Department of the Interior 595 564 501

Department of the Navy2 12 10

Department of State 1,598 1,102 NR

Department of Transportation 11 13 40

Department of the Treasury 127 93 176

Department of Veterans Affairs 147 21 144

Environmental Protection Agency 10 12 33

General Services Administration 20 26 59

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 123 104 103

Social Security Administration8 13 24

Tennessee Valley Authority 153 175 245

Office of Personnel Management21 212

AbilityOne000

Access Board0 NR0

African Development Foundation000

Agency for Global Media00 NR

Agency for Internal Development000

American Battle Monuments Commission011

Armed Forces Retirement Home000

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board001

Commission of Fine Arts NR NR NR

Commission on Civil Rights000

Commodity Futures Trading Commission000

Consumer Product Safety Commission000

Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency015

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board000

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission223

Export-Import Bank of the United States000

Farm Credit Administration001

Federal Communications Commission0 NR3

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation0 NR NR

Federal Election Commission000

Federal Housing Finance Agency000

Federal Labor Relations Authority000

Federal Maritime Commission000

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service000
41

Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019

Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission 0 0 0

Federal Reserve Board 0 0 0

Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board 0 0 0

Federal Trade Commission 0 0 0

Harry S. Truman Foundation NR NR NR

Holocaust Memorial Museum 0 0 0

Institute of Museum and Library Services 0 0 0

Inter-American Foundation 0 0 0

International Trade Commission 0 0 0

International Boundary and Water Commission 2 2 4

James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation 0 0 NR

John F. Kennedy Center 0 0 0

Marine Mammal Commission 0 0 NR

Merit Systems Protection Board 0 0 0

Millennium Challenge Corporation NR 0 NR

Morris K. Udall & Stewart L. Udall Foundation 0 0 0

National Archives and Records Administration 0 1 0

National Capital Planning Commission 0 0 0

National Council on Disability 0 0 0

National Credit Union Administration 0 0 2

National Endowment for the Arts 0 0 0

National Endowment for the Humanities 0 NR 0

National Gallery of Art 0 0 5

National Labor Relations Board 0 0 1

National Mediation Board 0 0 NR

National Science Foundation 0 0 0

National Transportation Safety Board 0 0 0

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1 0 0

Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board 0 0 0

Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission 0 0 0

Office of Government Ethics 0 0 0

Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation 0 0 0

Office of Special Counsel NR NR NR

International Development Finance Corporation 0 NR NR

Peace Corps 9 2 39

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 0 0 0

Postal Regulatory Commission 0 0 0

Presidio Trust 4 4 NR

Railroad Retirement Board 1 0 0

Securities and Exchange Commission 0 0 0

Selective Service System NR NR NR

Small Business Administration 0 2 0

Smithsonian Institution 5 11 NR

Social Security Advisory Board 0 NR 0
42

Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019

Trade and Development Agency 0 NR 0

Federal Employees Overseas

The Act, EO 12196, and 29 CFR § 1960 have no geographical limits; agencies must provide safe 

and healthful workplaces to all federal civilian employees, including those who work outside 

U.S. borders. OSHA asked agencies about the number of federal employees stationed overseas 

during CY 2021 and how they provided those employees with safe and healthful workplaces. 

According to agency reports, at least 129,334 employees from 24 agencies worked outside the 

borders of the United States during CY 2021. DoD (including civilians in the armed services) 

employed the largest overseas workforce – 52,678 employees – and indicated that its OSH 

programs and coverage included those workers. It noted that it followed OSHA standards in all 

operations worldwide, where feasible. When compliance with OSHA standards was

impracticable, infeasible, or inappropriate, DoD applied risk management procedures. Leaders 

and supervisors communicated the results of risk management decisions to all affected 

personnel. Other agencies, such as Commerce, indicated that they relied on State’s Safety, 

Health, and Environmental Management program to address safety and health issues for their 

overseas employees. 

Table 10: Number of Federal Civilian Employees in Overseas Locations by 

Department/Agency (CY 2019 – 2021) 

Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019

Department of Agriculture NR

No Data Requested*

999

Department of Commerce 212 252

Department of Defense 52,678 55,762

Department of Energy 19 50

Department of Health and Human Services 368 438

Department of Homeland Security 6,363 1,500

Department of the Interior 318 881

Department of Justice 1,122 1,062

Department of Labor 5 6

Department of State 58,997 NR

Department of Transportation 10 20

Department of Veterans Affairs 138 94

Department of the Treasury 39 41

Environmental Protection Agency 2 1,150

General Services Administration 22 24

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 8 8

African Development Foundation NR 12

Agency for Global Media* 56 NR

Agency for International Development 6,417 1,399

American Battle Monuments Commission 40 38

Consumer Product Safety Commission 1 1

Export-Import Bank NR 0
43

Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019

Millennium Challenge Corporation NR NR

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 3 2

Overseas Private Investment Corporation NR NR

Peace Corps 2,298 245

Smithsonian Institute 429 NR

Trade and Development Agency 0 1

Total 129,334 63,985

* Given the pandemic-related fluctuations in the overseas federal workforce, in CY 2020 OSHA 

did not ask agencies to provide data on the numbers of workers employed outside U.S. borders. 

OSH Training and Resources

EO 12196 requires agencies to provide OSH training for all employees. Additionally, 29 CFR § 

1960, Subpart H, prescribes the necessary OSH training for employees with respect to applicable 

standards. Nearly all responding agencies provided details regarding resources dedicated to 

OSH training efforts; 80 agencies (90 percent) reported that supervisors could requisition 

training, although funds for training varied dramatically by agency.

Most agencies reported that that they provided OSH training to employees using conventional 

methods, such as virtual (41 agencies; 47 percent); online (63 agencies; 72 percent); and/or 

classroom training (31 agencies; 35 percent). Twenty agencies (22 percent) required practical 

exams or drills. The Navy, for example, completed 378 training evolutions that trained 8,493 

students. The Naval Safety and Environmental Training Center also hosted a week-long 

professional development symposium that offered 111 safety webinars and break-out sessions to 

nearly 2,600 participants. However, 18 agencies (20 percent) reported they did not conduct OSH 

training during CY 2021 because most or all their employees continued to telework. 

 

In CY 2021, 805 participants from 30 agencies attended FEDWEEK while 42 agencies (48 

percent) encouraged OSH employees to participate in FFSHC activities. And 36 agencies (40 

percent) indicated that employees actively participated in FFSHC activities.

 

As in prior years, OSHA asked about agencies’ OSH training for supervisors and newly hired 

employees. Most agencies reported that their new-hire orientation included information on 

agency-specific OSH policies, general safety and health rules, agency-specific hazards and 

protections, and emergency procedures. Supervisory training included a review of the topics 

covered in new-hire orientation, along with information on the requirements of 29 CFR § 1960 

and EO 12196. Commerce reported that it continued to promote OSH training in CY 2021, and 

increased participation due to an online format and a maximized telework status. It noted that its 

employees could take job-related safety courses from the Skillsoft online catalog. 

Whistleblower Protection Programs

Per 29 CFR § 1960, Subpart G, agencies must have procedures in place to assure that no 

employee faces restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal for filing a report of 

an unsafe or unhealthful working condition. To assess agencies’ whistleblower protection 

programs, OSHA requested information on any federal employee allegations of reprisal in CY 

2021, how agencies investigated the allegations, and the impact of investigation findings on the 
44

agencies’ OSH programs. Eighty agencies (90 percent) reported having functional 

whistleblower protection programs. 

During CY 2021, four agencies reported investigating allegations of reprisal: DoD, State, MSPB, 

and NASA. DoD did not substantiate retaliation in any of the 14 investigations. State’s OIG 

investigated two complaints of retaliation in CY21, and substantiated one allegation. MSPB’s

one whistleblower complaint is currently in litigation. NASA did not substantiate two of three 

whistleblower allegations; one remains under investigation. 

Product Safety Programs

OSHA asked agencies how they ensure that the products and services they procure comply with 

the product safety requirements of 29 CFR § 1960.34, including the availability and use of safety 

data sheets (SDSs). Of the responding agencies, 73 (82 percent) reported compliance with the 

standard; two (2 percent) reported lacking product safety programs; and 13 (15 percent) 

responded that standard did not apply to them with regards to hazardous materials. Of those 73 

agencies, 58 (79 percent) confirmed that their programs included SDSs, while the remaining 15 

(21 percent) did not provide such verification. 

 

In addition to describing their compliance with the provisions of the standard, OSHA asked 

agencies to provide details on their policies for addressing chemicals in fragrances, such as those 

in perfumes and air fresheners. In total, 57 agencies (64 percent) indicated the absence of 

specific policy but, of those agencies, 12 (21 percent) reported dealing with such issues on a 

case-by-case basis. 

 

Most agencies indicated that their product safety programs complied with safety and health 

requirements established under 29 CFR § 1960, Subpart E. For example, as part of its overall 

Consolidated Hazardous Material Reutilization and Inventory Management Program, the Navy 

managed hazardous materials through hazardous material minimization centers designated to 

inventory, label, issue, and return all hazardous materials; verify the existence of an SDS; and 

confirm the material complied with regulatory requirements. 

 

NASA required all its locations to comply with 29 CFR §§ 1960.34 and 1910.1200 and 

explained that employees could acquire SDSs both electronically and in hard copy, depending on 

the employee’s location and computer access. NASA also uses the Government-Industry Data 

Exchange Program (GIDEP) to ensure the most up-to-date information is available for products 

that are procured. GIDEP is a cooperative activity between government and industry participants 

seeking to reduce or eliminate expenditures of resources by sharing technical information 

essential during research, design, development, production, and operational phases of the life 

cycle of systems, facilities, and equipment. 

Specific Agency Reporting Programs

Under 29 CFR § 1960, Subpart E, GSA and NIOSH must assist federal agencies with specific 

activities affecting safety and health conditions of federal employees. Each year, GSA and 

NIOSH provide details on these activities in their annual reports. In its annual report, GSA 

provided information on its programs for ensuring that federal facilities are designed, operated, 

and maintained in accordance with OSH requirements and best practices; that products and 
45

services offered to federal agencies complied with product safety requirements; how federal 

purchasers received information on the safe use of such products; and how it implemented safety 

recalls. NIOSH’s annual report detailed its Request for Technical Assistance program and 

included information on the assistance provided to federal agencies during CY 2021. 

General Services Administration 

GSA reported that it provided extensive information and guidance on protecting building 

occupants from COVID-19. It noted that it contracts most operations and maintenance (O&M) 

activities and that most contracts include safety and health clauses. GSA continued updating the 

safety and health requirements for all federally owned and commercially leased facilities in CY 

2021. 

GSA noted that if it receives information concerning a product recall in the commodity line it 

manages, it initiates a review of that line to determine if agencies received the recalled item. 

GSA immediately notifies suppliers to cease shipments of products associated with a recall, 

identifies customers that have ordered the item, and provides contact instructions concerning the 

recall. 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

NIOSH received eight agency requests for health hazard evaluations6 (HHEs) in CY 2021, 

compared to 11 in 2020, and 40 in 2019. (See Appendix 2 for information on agencies’

assistance requests to NIOSH.) NIOSH completed the eight (100 percent) requests it received in 

CY 2021 along with three from prior years. 

NIOSH did not perform any field investigations in CYs 2021 or 2020, but conducted six in 2019. 

It completed eight desk investigations in CY 2021, compared to 17 in 2020, and 34 in 2019. 

(See Appendix 3 for information on completed investigations.) 

Federal agencies asked for NIOSH’s help with both exposures and health problems; each 

completed request addressed multiple exposure groups and/or health issues. For the reporting 

period, the exposure group categories NIOSH evaluated were indoor environmental quality, 

biological hazards, and chemical hazards; while health problems ranged from localized 

respiratory or nervous system effects to viral or bacterial systemic body issues. (See Appendix 4

and Appendix 5 for breakdowns of investigation exposure group and health problem categories, 

respectively.) 

6 NIOSH’s response to a federal agency’s Request for Technical Assistance usually involves an HHE: a workplace 

study to learn whether workers are exposed to hazardous materials or harmful conditions. Based on the information 

provided, NIOSH answers an HHE/technical assistance request in one of the following ways: in writing with 

pertinent information or a referral to a more appropriate agency, by telephone to discuss the problems and possible 

solutions, or with a visit to the workplace. During a visit, NIOSH will meet with the employer and employee 

representatives to discuss the issues and tour the workplace. During one or more visits, NIOSH may review 

exposure and health records, interview or survey employees, measure exposures, and perform medical testing. At 

the end of an evaluation, NIOSH will provide a written report to the employer and employee representatives. 

Depending on the type of evaluation, the final report may require a development time of a few months to a few 

years.
46

APPENDICES
47

Appendix 1: CY 2021 Active Field Federal Safety and Health 

Councils by OSHA Region

Region I (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) Region V (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)

Greater Boston FFSHC Chicago FFSHC

Detroit FFSHC

Duluth/Superior FFSHC 

Minneapolis FFSHC 

Region II (NJ, NY, PR, VI)

Greater New York FFSHC

Puerto Rico FFSHC 

Southern New Jersey FFSHC 

Western New York FFSHC

Hudson Valley FFSHC 

Region VI (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)

Dallas/Fort Worth FFSHC

Oklahoma FFSHC 

South Texas FFSHC Region III (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)

Hampton Roads FFSHC

Metropolitan Washington, DC FFSHC Region VII (IA, KS, NE, MO) 

Region IV (AL, GA, FL, KY, MS, NC, 

SC, TN)

Greater Des Moines FFSHC

Greater Kansas City FFSHC

Greater Omaha FFSHC

Greater St. Louis FFSHC 

Atlanta FFSHC

Central Florida FFSHC

Coastal Empire FFSHC

Louisville Area FFSHC

Middle Tennessee FFSHC

Mississippi Gulf Coast FFSHC

North Carolina FFSHC 

South Florida FFSHC 

Region VIII (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)

Denver FFSHC

Region IX (AS, AZ, CA, GU, HI, MP, NV)

Phoenix FFSHC

San Francisco Bay Area FFSHC

Region X (AK, ID, OR, WA)

Mt. Rainier FFSHC
48

Appendix 2: Requests to NIOSH for Technical Assistance CY 2019 – 

2021

Requesting Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019

Agriculture 0 0 0

Commerce 0 0 1

Defense 0 4 10

Energy 0 0 0

General Services Administration 0 0 1

Health and Human Services 1 0 0

Homeland Security 1 1 6

Interior 0 0 2

Justice 0 0 4

U.S. Postal Service 1 3 9

Social Security Administration 0 0 0

Transportation 0 0 1

State 0 0 0

Treasury 2 0 1

Veterans Affairs 3 3 5

Other 0 0 0

Total 8 11 40
49

Appendix 3: Completed NIOSH Investigations by Type CY 2019 – 

2021

Investigation Type

Desktop Field

Requesting Department/Agency 2021 2020 2019 2021 2020 2019

Agriculture 0 1 2 0 0 1

Commerce 0 0 1 0 0 0

Defense 2 4 9 0 0 1

Energy 0 0 0 0 0 0

General Services Administration 0 0 1 0 0 0

Health and Human Services 1 0 1 0 0 0

Homeland Security 0 1 1 0 0 2

Interior 0 1 1 0 0 1

Justice 0 1 3 0 0 1

U.S. Postal Service 1 4 9 0 0 0

Social Security Administration 0 0 0 0 0 0

Transportation 0 0 2 0 0 0

State 0 0 0 0 0 0

Treasury 2 0 1 0 0 0

Veterans Affairs 2 5 3 0 0 0

Other 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 8 17 34 0 0 6
50

Appendix 4: CY 2021 Assistance Requests to NIOSH by Exposure 

Group

Exposure Group*

Requesting Department/Agency

ChemicalBiologicIndoor Environmental QualityNoiseHeatStressRadiationErgonomics

Agriculture 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Commerce 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Defense 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Energy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

General Services Administration 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Health and Human Services 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Homeland Security 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Interior 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Justice 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Labor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

U.S. Postal Service 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

Social Security 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Transportation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Treasury 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Veterans Affairs 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 0

* A Request for Technical Assistance, also known as a Health Hazard Evaluation request, may 

involve an investigation under more than one exposure group category, as seen with VA’s 

single request to investigate two exposure groupings: “Chemical,” and “Indoor Environmental 

Quality.”
51

Appendix 5: CY 2021 Assistance Requests to NIOSH by Health 

Problem

Health Problem

RespiratoryViral/BacterialCancerMusculoskeletalMental/BehavioralSensorySkin DisorderNervous SystemNon-Specific

Requesting Department/Agency

Agriculture 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Commerce 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Defense 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Energy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

General Services Administration 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Health and Human Services 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Homeland Security 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Interior 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Justice 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Labor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

U.S. Postal Service 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Social Security 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Transportation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Treasury 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Veterans Affairs 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
52

Appendix 6: Fatalities, Hospitalizations, and Amputations Reported in 

CY 2021

Department of Agriculture

Fatalities

• A smokejumper jumped, deployed the parachute, and sustained critical injuries due to a 

hard landing. The employee died after eight days hospitalization.

• An employee and a contractor were conducting visual reconnaissance and aviation 

command and control over a fire when the plane crashed.

• Two employees were exposed to COVID-19 at a fire camp. The exposure resulted in 

their deaths.

• A volunteer was exposed to COVID-19 at a fire camp. The exposure resulted in the

volunteer’s death.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 while training employees. The exposure 

resulted in the employee’s death.

• A volunteer was struck and killed by a falling limb while planting trees.

Amputations (None)

Hospitalizations

• An employee participating in physical fitness suffered rhabdomyolysis.

• An employee participating in a prescribed burn and using a drop torch dripped fuel on 

their Nomex pants, catching their pants on fire.

• An employee on horseback suffered a shattered pelvis and internal injuries when the 

horse fell on top of the employee. 

• An employee participating in rookie smokejumper camp experienced shortness of breath 

and cardiac symptoms.

• An employee playing volleyball with Job Corps students injured their ulna.

• An employee riding an ATV rolled the ATV and lost consciousness. The employee 

regained consciousness and was taken to the work center then the hospital.

• An employee was riding an ATV while spraying weeds and rolled the ATV.

• An employee was being transported to the hospital for a knee injury sustained while 

fighting a forest fire when a dump truck struck the ambulance. The employee suffered a 

fractured skull, jaw, and eye socket.

• A smokejumper’s parachute caught in a tree. The tree branch broke and the employee 

fell to the ground.

• An employee conducting firefighting operations at one site went to another site to help 

another crew. Upon arrival the employee exited the vehicle and began having seizures.

• An employee operating a chainsaw collapsed during firefighting operations.

• An employee was using a three-legged orchard ladder to pick cones from a tree. The 

ladder caught on branches, became unstable, and tipped over with the employee on it. 

The employee fell approximately 15 feet to the ground, breaking their left lower leg. 

• A volunteer was exposed to COVID-19 at a campground where the volunteer interacted 

with the public. 
53

• An employee was lifting a vehicle with a five-ton hand floor jack. The jack's lifting arm 

saddle slipped on the axle’s lifting point causing the jack to move and pinning 

employee’s lower right leg between the jack’s handle and a concrete wall.

• An employee conducting a prescribed burn dripped fuel on their pants while filling their 

drip torch. The employee did not change pants and continued to work. Later in the 

operation the employee walked over open flame and the employee’s pant cuff caught on 

fire. The employee suffered first and second degree burns to the leg.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 at the workplace.

• An employee riding a motorcycle attempted a U-turn on gravel. One or both tires lost 

traction on the gravel and the motorcycle fell on the employee’s left side and leg.

• An employee driving a vehicle was struck by another employee in another vehicle.

• An employee bent over to pick up a box of paper.

• An employee was walking to the building and encountered what appeared to be a dead 

snake.

• An employee was sampling vegetation outside in the heat with limited cloud cover. The 

employee went home and started showing signs of heat illness. The employee went to 

the emergency room to seek treatment and was held for observation.

• An employee was crossing the street but was not in a crosswalk, and was struck by a 

motor vehicle. 

Department of Defense

Fatalities

• An employee stationed at a mass transit facility was fatally attacked for unknown 

reasons.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace. The exposure resulted in the

employee’s death.

Amputations

• An employee was moving a piece of kitchen equipment when the equipment fell from the 

dolly, crushing the employee’s finger and resulting in an amputation.

• An employee was cleaning out the beef bulker when the employee’s hand activated the 

bulker knife, amputating a fingertip.

• An employee became distracted while cutting beef neck bones, and the employee’s right 

ring finger contacted the band saw, removing the fingertip. 

Hospitalizations

• An employee was loading bottles onto a conveyor belt and struck their head on the 

conveyor frame.

• An employee cleaning a bathroom struck their head on a sink.

• An employee over-exerted while moving merchandise, exacerbating their blood pressure

and causing the employee to fall and hit their head.

• An employee lost consciousness and fell while making labels and printing them to use on 

sales floor. Stress exacerbated the employee’s blood pressure and caused them to lose 

consciousness and fall.
54

• An employee exited a car without putting the car in park. The car rolled backwards, 

catching the employee between the vehicle and its door, and knocking the employee to 

the ground.

• An employee repairing HVAC equipment received an electrical shock.

• An employee walking down the stairs turned to speak to a coworker, lost balance, fell, 

and suffered a fractured their left leg.

• An employee fractured their femur when trying to stop a rolling cabinet.

Department of the Air Force

Fatalities (none)

Amputations

• An employee who exited a forklift without setting the parking brake was struck by the 

forklift.

• An employee was cutting welds from angle iron when the grinder disc shattered and 

struck the employee’s hand.

• An employee was struck on finger with a crimping cable.

• An employee was moving containers and caught a thumb during the process.

Hospitalizations

• An employee was performing firefighting escape training.

• An employee was descending stairs and missed a step.

• An employee was descending a fixed ladder; missed step and fell.

• An employee was rappelling during firefighting training. The employee lost control of 

the rope and fell eight feet.

• An employee was responding to a medical emergency.

• An employee was descending outdoor stairs and slipped and fell.

• An employee was driving a vehicle, encountered ice, and lost control of the vehicle.

• An employee was removing rock from between objects. The objects contacted the finger.

• An employee was walking in the parking lot, slipped on ice, and fell.

• An employee was walking in work area, tripped, and fell.

• An employee was walking and tripped on their own shoes.

Department of the Army

Fatalities

• An employee was using a ladder to read the plates of the lightning arrestors when the 

ladder came out from underneath the employee. The employee fell and hit their head on 

the concrete or the lightning arrestor frame.

Amputations

• An employee was moving a cart of steel and tools. The cart became stuck on the floor 

and tipped over, pinching the employee’s finger between two pieces of steel – amputating 

the right middle finger above the knuckle – and trapping the employee’s foot under the 
55

cart. The foot was injured but not broken. The employee was released from the hospital 

the next day, after surgery.

• An employee was removing the top gland bushing of a hydraulic cylinder. The bushing 

came from the bonnet and fell approximately 16 inches onto their left middle finger, 

crushing the finger. The employee was treated and returned the next day to remove the 

nail bed, crushed bone, and reattach what they could.

Hospitalizations

• An employee slipped and fell on a patch of ice in the parking lot on the way to the

workplace.

• An unexploded ordnance exploded when an employee picked it up during target 

maintenance.

• An employee was standing on a counter to install a wall mount when the employee’s 

right foot slipped off the edge and the employee fell three feet.

• An employee was installing an air conditioner but the mezzanine did not have closed 

flooring. The employee slipped and fell through the ceiling to the floor below.

• An employee was washing/drying a vehicle when the employee slipped and fell off the 

top of the vehicle.

• An employee was participating in physical training.

• An employee who was completing the running portion of physical training test collapsed 

and spent four days in the hospital.

• An employee who was participating in a fitness program lifted too much weight and tore 

their pectoralis muscle and tendon.

• An employee was moving a rattlesnake from an enclosure to a larger one. The employee 

put the rattlesnake into a holding bucket. The employee was bitten when moving the 

snake from the bucket to the second enclosure.

• An employee was getting out of his vehicle and lost his footing. He fell and suffered a 

fractured hip that required surgery and four days hospitalization.

• An employee who was exiting a crane slipped on the wet track and fell approximately 

three feet to the deck of the barge, fracturing the employee’s left hip and requiring five 

nights in the hospital.

• An employee was struck by a ceiling tile that was saturated with water. The employee 

was hospitalized for 24 days with a severe concussion.

• An employee contracted COVID-19 while working in the vaccination clinic.

Department of the Navy

Fatalities

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 on a vessel. The exposure resulted in the 

employee’s death.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19. The exposure resulted in the employee’s 

death.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19. The exposure resulted in the employee’s 

death.
56

Amputations

• An employee who was moving a 150 lb cylinder crushed a middle finger between the 

cylinder and the floor.

• An employee repairing an outboard motor caught a finger in the flywheel, amputating the 

fingertip.

• An employee was using a lathe to polish a piece of pipe. The employee’s glove became 

caught between the lathe and the emery board, amputating a finger to the second knuckle.

Hospitalizations

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19.

• An employee who was playing kickball collided with another employee and suffered a 

fractured ankle.

• An employee was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider while changing a boiler.

• An employee was riding a bike when their hand slipped off the handlebar, causing a fall 

off the bike.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19.

• An employee who was performing a vessel inspection fainted. The employee was taken 

to the hospital and treated for heat stress.

• An employee who was walking onto the ship slipped on metallic debris, fell on a knee, 

fracturing the lower leg and requiring surgery.

• An employee was working on a roof near a skylight. The employee was not wearing fall 

protection and fell through the skylight.

• An employee tripped over a stair.

• An employee was repairing a runway light and received an electric shock.

Department of Health and Human Services

Fatalities (none)

Amputations

• An employee caught a finger in a self-closing door.

• An employee was removing snow using a tractor in 25◦

F temperatures. The employee 

stubbed a toe, but due to cold and a preexisting condition, did not realize severity of the 

injury. The employee sought medical treatment the next day. The toe became infected 

and had to be amputated.

Hospitalizations

• An employee was bent over tying a shoe. Another employee did not see the employee

tying the shoe, tripped over that worker, and fell to the floor.

• Four employees were exposed to COVID-19. The exposures resulted in a 

hospitalizations.

• An employee was removing a patient from an ambulance when the cot’s wheel caught on 

a piece of metal and its legs dropped unexpectedly. The employee got control over the 

cot, preventing the patient from being dropped, but complained of pain later in the day. 

Ten days later the employee was admitted to the hospital for pain management.

• An employee was restocking portable water for an event.
57

Department of Homeland Security

Fatalities 

• Forty employees (Border Patrol Agents and Officers, and Immigration and Customs 

Agents and Officers) were exposed to COVID-19 on duty, which resulted in their deaths.

• An employee was found unresponsive in their patrol vehicle. EMS transported the 

employee to the hospital where the hospital diagnosed a stroke. The employee did not 

recover and died.

• A Border Patrol Agent (BPA) was found unresponsive in their government-owned 

vehicle (GOV). EMS transported the BPA to the hospital where the agent died due to a 

stroke and pneumonia.

• A BPA was tending to an MVC when another vehicle struck and pinned the agent. A 

sheriff deputy applied a tourniquet and called EMS. Aviation was unable to respond due 

to weather conditions. The BPA was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead.

• An employee was found unresponsive in a facility by a co-worker. EMS transported the 

employee to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.

• An employee on telework status attended one meeting via Microsoft Teams but did not 

sign in for another. A supervisor and a family member conducted a welfare check. The 

employee was deceased.

• A BPA experienced chest pain while on duty. The BPA was transported to the hospital 

where the agent died.

• A Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) technician at his workstation told co-workers he was

not feeling well and passed out. He was transported to the hospital where he later died.

• A BPA was involved in an on-duty MVC.

• An employee was found unresponsive in their home office.

• An employee was found unresponsive in the IT server room.

• An employee was found deceased in a hotel room.

Amputations

• An employee was putting a snowboard case on the conveyor at the airport after screening

when the conveyor began to move. The employee’s index finger pad was caught in the 

belt and the tissue was torn off.

Hospitalizations

• Seventy-nine employees (Border Patrol Agents and Officers, and Immigration and 

Customs Agents and Officers) were exposed to COVID-19 on duty, which resulted in 

their hospitalizations. 

• One employee suffered an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccination. 

• A BPA experienced a stroke while patrolling the border.

• A BPA was driving their patrol car, experienced a medical event, and crashed the vehicle. 

The BPA was airlifted to the hospital due to cardiac arrest.

• A BPA was participating in takedown training and experienced an abnormal lung 

expansion. The employee experienced pain and trouble breathing the next day. The lung

expansion caused pinholes in a lung and the agent was admitted to the hospital, which 

reinflated the agent’s lung.
58

• A BPA was operating an ATV when they collided with a civilian car. Employee suffered 

multiple fractures.

• A BPA was operating an ATV when they hit a berm and were thrown from the ATV.

The employee suffered a concussion, broken humerus (required surgery), and bruised 

lungs.

• A mechanic experienced chest and abdominal pains, receiving a diagnosis of dissecting 

aorta. The employee checked themselves out against medical advice and died at home 

the next day.

• A BPA was riding a motorcycle and was thrown from the bike. The BPA suffered 

multiple fractures and a punctured lung.

• A BPA experienced chest pain at work and was transported to the hospital.

• A BPA was participating in ATV training and flipped the ATV flipped over on top of 

them, injuring their back.

• A BPA fell into a wash while working in the desert. The agent was transferred to the 

hospital with multiple fractures and a lacerated liver.

• A BPA complained of a severe headache, was evaluated onsite, and had elevated blood 

pressure. He was transported to hospital and diagnosed with a possible brain bleed.

• A trainee was participating in Muscle Endurance Training (MET) and started to feel ill. 

The trainee was taken to the hospital for dehydration and rhabdomyolysis.

• A BPA suffered a ruptured blood vessel in the stomach while on duty. Transported to 

hospital from treatment.

• A BPA was involved in an ATV accident and suffered multiple injuries.

• A BPA was driving from his place of work to a required location for physical training. 

The BPA was involved in a vehicle accident and suffered multiple fractures.

• A BPA lost control and rolled an ATV on a steep hill, injuring the agent’s back.

• A BPA lost control of an ATV and hit a tree causing internal injuries.

• A BPA was pursuing an illegal migrant on foot when the agent sustained a broken leg.

• A BPA was experiencing dizziness, was transported to hospital, and received treatment

for dehydration.

• A BPA was in pursuit of a subject and jumped from a 6-foot fence, injuring both knees.

• A trainee exhibiting heat related symptoms was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.

• A BPA began experiencing stroke-like symptoms. EMS was called. Employee was 

diagnoses with stress and/or blood pressure related illness.

• A BPA was sitting in a chair when it began to fall over. The employee made an awkward 

motion to try to prevent the fall. The employee suffered back injuries requiring surgery.

• A BPA complained about difficulty urinating. The employee was evaluated onsite and 

transported to a hospital for treatment. The employee was diagnosed with 

rhabdomyolysis.

• A BPA was experiencing slurred speech and a headache. The agent transported to the 

hospital for further treatment.

• A trainee noticed blood in their urine and went to the emergency room. The trainee was

diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis and liver failure.

• An employee reported not feeling well and had shortness of breath. The employee went 

to the hospital, which diagnosed a blood clot.
59

• A Special Agent was searching a residential attic when the agent fell through the floor,

10-15 feet to the ground below..

• An employee experienced stomach pain and required emergency appendix surgery.

• An employee experienced chest pain and numbness in the left arm.

• An employee experienced back pain after lifting boxes weighing 50-100 lbs throughout 

their 18-hour workday.

• An employee suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound while at the firing 

range.

• An employee was descending the helicopter rope and lost control, hitting the ground 10-

15 feet below, fracturing a leg and dislocating an ankle.

• An employee was driving their GOV when the employee was hit by another vehicle and

suffered a head injury.

• An employee was attempting to secure a canine when the dog bit the employee on the

right bicep. The employee received a laceration and puncture wounds.

• An employee experienced chest pain and started to sweat. The employee had a heart 

attack.

• An employee accidentally discharged their weapon while removing it from a concealed 

carry holster. The bullet wounded the employee’s upper and middle thigh, grazed the 

calf, and exited the foot.

• Employee reported – on the July 4th holiday – that his right arm went numb and his right 

hand was cramping. Since urgent care was closed for the holiday, he went the next day 

and was admitted to the hospital due to a stroke.

• An employee was driving a GOV when the back bumper hit a guardrail. The airbag 

deployed when the side of the car then impacted the guardrail. The force of the airbag 

deployment injured the employee’s face.

• An employee was boarding a vessel for inspection and slipped and fell on the wet 

gangway.

• An employee was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.

Department of the Interior

Fatalities

• An employee was killed in an MVC.

Amputations (none)

Hospitalizations

• Four employees were exposed to COVID-19 at work, leading to their hospitalizations.

• An employee started experiencing severe cramping while hiking back from a remote fire 

in mountainous terrain. The area under a prolonged excessive heat warning. 

• An employee was walking alongside a small river, slipped on a wet moss-covered rock 

and fell, landing on a rock with the right buttock and hip. The employee was wearing the 

required work boots.

• During wildland fire line work, environmental conditions (winds) suddenly shifted and 

increased, driving the fire directly towards the firefighters, creating a “burn-over” 
60

situation. Three employees received burns via direct and indirect heat from the fire and 

hot gases. The burns ranged in severity from superficial to third degree, but all survived. 

• Two employees were in an MVC and were hospitalized. 

• An employee slipped on an icy spot and fell, landing on their left side.

• An employee was on a bulldozer pulling a wedge up a steep road. The bulldozer slid on 

a patch of ice and rolled, throwing the employee off the machine. 

• A trail maintenance volunteer suffered what appeared to be a stroke during trail 

maintenance activity. The volunteer was given basic first aid and EMS was dispatched. 

The volunteer was transported to local hospital.

• An employee was assisting a stranded AirBoat in a swamp, using adhesives to try to 

repair the boat. The next day the employee had a severe rash and could barely walk. The 

employee went to the hospital. It was later determined that the employee is allergic to 

certain clothing and adhesives.

• An employee conducting a wildlife survey was walking on a slope and placed a hand on a 

rock for support. The rock came loose, fell with the employee, landed on top of the 

worker. The employee was transported via ambulance and helicopter.

• An employee was involved in an MVC while travelling from one worksite to another.

• An employee was conducting a survey. To take pictures, the employee moved vegetation 

out of the way. The vegetation was poison sumac.

• An employee was pulling up planks to erect a scaffold. While untying a knot in the rope, 

the employee fell through the guard approximately 24 feet to the ground below. 

• An employee told a co-worker they were feeling lightheaded. The employee bent over at 

the waist and lost consciousness, striking their head on the concrete floor in the fall. 

• An employee was driving their POV to a search and rescue site when they lost control 

and crashed.

• The employee was string trimming when they were stung by insect and suffered a 

reaction to the sting.

• Employees were erecting a scaffold and moving material throughout their shift. An 

employee started showing symptoms of shortness of breath, difficulty standing up 

straight, and difficulty with verbal communication, but stated they were “ok.” Shortly 

afterwards the employee was slumped over asking to be taken to the hospital.

• An employee was walking into their office in the dark, tripped over a low retaining wall,

flipped over the wall, and landed on their hip.

• An employee, operating a jackhammer, began to feel chest pain and was hospitalized.

Department of Justice

Fatalities 

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19. The exposure resulted in the employee’s 

death.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19. The exposure resulted in the employee’s 

death.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19. The exposure resulted in the employee’s 

death.
61

• While employees were executing a federal search warrant at a private residence, the 

person of interest opened fire on several employees, fatally shooting two employees, and 

seriously injuring a third.

• An employee was driving a GOV assigned motorcycle and collided with a tractor-trailer.

Amputations

• An inmate employee was pushing stock through a table saw when his right thumb 

contacted the blade.

• An inmate employee was cutting plywood with a circular saw and cut fingers on his left 

hand.

• An inmate employee amputated skin and part of the nail of his left thumb tip while using 

a knife to cut vegetables. Inmate stated he was momentarily distracted and looked away 

from the cutting area while continuing to cut vegetables.

• An inmate employee attempted to lift a commercial size mixing bowl from its support 

cart. The weight of the bowl and contents caused them to slightly drop the bowl back 

down on the cart, pinching their finger.

• An inmate employee was working in dining room and went to the restroom. Once 

finished they closed the restroom door and inadvertently shut their finger in the door.

• An inmate employee placed their hand into a machine pinch point trying to free a jam.

• An inmate employee amputated their finger in a grommet machine.

• An inmate employee was slicing meat with meat slicer and amputated their finger.

• An inmate employee placed their hand into the cutting area of Powermatic jointer.

• An inmate employee amputated a finger when he inadvertently placed his hand into a 

pulley system on a fan motor.

• An inmate employee was sorting television remotes into a large Gaylord box and 

amputated his finger when the heavy box crushed his finger.

• While lifting weights in support of fitness for duty, an employee was returning a squat 

bar to the rack. The employee caught the fifth metacarpal tip between the lifting bar and 

the retaining rack, amputating the fingertip.

Hospitalizations

• An inmate employee was working in the institution’s pasture when they slipped/tripped, 

lacerating a knee on a metal object on the ground, and requiring treatment and 

hospitalization.

• An inmate employee was summoned to front lobby. They drove a utility vehicle to the 

front lobby, rolled the vehicle, and got pinned underneath.

• An employee was driving a GOV from the main institution parking lot to the power

house, lost consciousness, and wrecked the vehicle.

• An inmate employee was cleaning and sanitizing food trays. The employee slipped on 

the wet floor and suffered a leg injury.

• An inmate employee was cleaning a restroom in the unit. The employee applied 

disinfectant to the floor, which made it slippery. The inmate slipped and fell, fracturing 

an arm against the wheelchair rail.

• An inmate worker attempted to transport a 15-gallon bucket of hot water over their head, 

spilling water on their neck area and causing burns.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19. The exposure led to a hospitalization.
62

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19. The exposure led to a hospitalization.

• An inmate worker was driving a tractor in an agriculture field and dismounted from the 

tractor to make an adjustment to the machine. The tractor engaged and ran over the

employee’s leg.

• An inmate worker was using a lathe when the stock was thrown from the machine and 

struck the inmate in the face.

• An inmate employee was standing in the bed of a pickup truck when the driver took off,

causing the inmate worker to fall, hit their head, and suffer severe contusions.

• An employee engaged in operational activity developed rhabdomyolysis.

• An employee engaged in physical training had a heart attack.

• An employee had a reaction to a COVID-19 vaccination.

• An employee performing duties was injured.

• While employees were executing a federal search warrant at a private residence, the 

person of interest opened fire on several employees, fatally shooting two and seriously 

injuring one employee.

• An employee was participating in a grappling exercise for a defensive tactics training 

course. The individual rolled an ankle, fracturing both the tibia and fibula, which 

required surgery.

• Employee was participating in a martial arts club as a part of defensive tactics training. 

The employee fractured their ankle.

• An employee was hiking with a rucksack and lost feeling in their legs. The employee 

suffered a herniated disc and rhabdomyolysis.

• An employee was performing back extensions and heard a pop in their back. Employee 

suffered two slipped discs in their back.

• An employee was participating in a firearms training exercise requiring the employee to 

run and roll with the weapon. The employee exacerbated bursitis due to hitting a 

concrete pad with significant energy. The employee incurred septic bursitis and required 

antibiotic treatment overnight.

• An employee was completing SCUBA diving in support of a Bureau incident. The 

employee surfaced from underwater exercise and developed shortness of breath and 

blood-tinged sputum. The employee was hospitalized overnight due to pneumonia 

symptoms.

• An employee was feeling ill after participating in a fitness for duty test. The employee 

was seen by a Bureau medic, was given water, and rested. Several hours later the 

employee passed out and then woke up. The employee was immediately hospitalized.

• An employee was participating in on-the-job drone training. The employee began 

experiencing several strokes, was taken to the hospital, and was diagnosed with a blood 

infection.

• An employee participating in physical fitness training became dehydrated and passed out. 

The employee developed rhabdomyolysis.

• The employee was serving an arrest warrant and was shot.

• An employee participating in physical fitness training became dehydrated and suffered

heat stress. The employee developed rhabdomyolysis.

• An employee stepped on a nail, and it punctured his boot and great toe.
63

• An employee was on duty in their GOV when they started to feel the right side of their 

body go numb. Another employee called EMS. Possible diagnosis is several strokes.

• An employee transported COVID-19-positive inmates.

• An employee started experiencing chest pains while on duty.

• An employee participating in outdoor exercise became dehydrated and suffered heat 

exhaustion. The employee developed rhabdomyolysis.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19-positive inmates.

• An employee responded to shots fired and was shot in the shoulder.

• An employee participating in physical training became dehydrated and passed out. The 

employee developed rhabdomyolysis.

• An employee was possibly exposed to pneumonia.

• An employee was in an MVC.

Department of State

Fatalities

• A GOV was hit from behind by a semi-truck traveling over the speed limit while 

attempting to pass the GOV.

• A maintenance employee’s body was found in a pool.

Amputations

• An employee was removing a timber that was dunnage on a container using forklift, rope, 

and bolt cutters. While under tension from the rope and forklift, the timber came loose, 

and the forklift’s front lift assembly came down quickly onto the worker’s foot, resulting 

in the loss of four toes.

Hospitalizations

• A GOV was hit from behind by a semi-truck traveling over the speed limit while 

attempting to pass the GOV.

• A GOV driver in an armored vehicle changed the lanes suddenly, left the pavement, and 

rolled, totaling the vehicle.

• An employee was exiting a truck backwards, fell, and hit their head on the base of metal 

cabinet shelves.

• An employee looking for a water leak in the switch room knelt and received an electric 

shock.

• An employee tripped and fell on their arm while walking in the Consulate Compound.

• An employee participating in training jumped a wall and fell approximately five feet.

• An employee slipped on ice in the parking area while patrolling the grounds.

• An employee lost their footing on uneven flooring and slipped and fell.

• An employee sitting on the back of a truck jumped down and broke a knee on impact.

• An employee was riding a Segway and fell.

• An employee slipped on freshly mopped floor.

• An employee lost their balance while reaching for an item on a sharp-edged shelf. When 

the employee tried to catch their balance, they cut their hand on the shelf.
64

• An employee entering the front gate put down a water bottle, entered through the gate, 

and reached back for the bottle as the guard activated the gate. The closing gate caught 

the employee’s arm, fracturing the arm.

• A gardener was using a trimmer when it jammed on a large branch. The trimmer 

remained energized while the employee freed the limb and cut two of the employee’s

fingers.

• An employee became dizzy and collapsed, hitting their head. It was determined it was 

related to alcohol consumption.

• An employee was using crutches while navigating a path. A crutch slipped, causing the 

employee to fall on their back and suffer a fractured pelvis.

• An employee slipped while carrying a lamp down a ladder. The lamp landed on the 

employee's ankle fracturing it.

• An employee was carrying objects while walking down the stairs. The employee slipped 

and fell, hitting their head and back.

• An employee was walking down a corridor when they misstepped and fell. The 

employee fractured a leg.

• An employee was attempting to move a ladder on wheels. The ladder moved suddenly 

and struck the employee’s toe, causing a severe injury.

• An employee participating in a security drill twisted a knee and tore the meniscus.

• An employee was trying to open an armored door when their hand slipped off the handle. 

The employee fell backwards, landed on an arm, and fractured their wrist.

• An employee waiting to board a boat had one foot on the dock and the other in mid-air 

when a wave caused the boat to hit their leg, catching it between the dock and the boat

and fracturing the employee’s ankle.

• An employee fell down the stairs, suffering an injured back.

• An employee fainted while stepping on a ladder.

• An employee was placing corrugated steel panels on a shed when a panel slipped. While 

the employee was trying to stabilize the panel, the employee suffered a laceration to the 

hand that required surgery.

• An employee had an industrial tape dispenser in his hand and reached for a box with the 

other hand. His hand contacted the serrated blade of the tape dispenser, which cut his

hand.

• An employee fell down the stairs, injuring the head and legs.

• An employee was assisting another employee who was working with a circular saw. The 

employee reached under the saw to catch the waste, suffering thumb and finger 

lacerations from the saw. 

• An employee walking outside lost balance, fell into a ditch, and suffered a fractured arm 

and dislocated shoulder.

• An employee driving a GOV was in an MVC.

• An employee felt a sharp pain while moving and lifting mail bags. The employee 

suffered an inguinal hernia.

• An employee was injured while performing maintenance on a split A/C coil leak 

problem. While charging the gas, the flow viewer glass in the gas charging manifold 

suddenly broke. The flying glass injured the employee on the left forearm, forehead, and 

near the left eyebrow.
65

• An employee was investigating a vehicle collision with the security barrier. The 

employee approached the barrier to check the damage to the car, stood right in the path of 

the delta barrier top plate, and another operator put down the barrier without the 

employee’s order. The barrier injured the employee’s pinky toe, which required surgery.

• An employee was working as a role player in a defensive tactic scenario. During the 

scenario, a student introduced a live fixed blade knife instead of the red training knife.

The employee received a stab wound to the neck.

• Eight days after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination an employee developed a widespread 

rash which caused skin damage.

Department of Transportation

Fatalities

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace. The exposure resulted in 

death.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace. The exposure resulted in 

death.

Amputations (none)

Hospitalizations

• An employee was descending an attached ladder on an antenna inside the radome. The 

employee lost hand grip and fell approximately 12 feet onto the deck.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 and was hospitalized.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 and was hospitalized.

• A forklift operator exited a parked forklift and proceeded to the back of the lift to attach it 

to the charging station. Another operator attempted to park their lift alongside. The 

second lift hit the parked lift and pinned the first operator between the parked lift and the 

wall.

• An employee was exposed to COVID-19 and was hospitalized.

Department of the Treasury

Fatalities (none)

Amputations (none)

Hospitalizations

• An employee using a door interlock bypass tool injured their hand while trying to 

determine why planchets were not feeding correctly.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Fatalities

• Twenty employees were exposed to COVID-19. These exposures resulted in their 

deaths. The employees worked in several roles within the VA including, but not limited 

to, administrative support, healthcare, laboratory technicians, housekeeping, and 

maintenance.
66

• An employee working to untangle the line on a flagpole fell backwards approximately 

four feet the ground. The employee suffered a fatal head injury.

Amputations

• An employee wiping an unguarded conveyor cover area caught fingers in the machine

and suffered amputation of the tips of the 3rd and 4th digits of the left hand.

• An employee was working on an air handling unit when their finger became caught 

between the belt and the pulley.

Hospitalizations

• Ninety-four employees were exposed to COVID-19. These exposures resulted in their 

hospitalizations. The employees worked in several roles within the VA including, but not 

limited to, administrative support, healthcare, laboratory technicians, housekeeping, and 

maintenance.

• An employee's finger was caught in a self-closing door.

• An employee was using a hand grinder on a valve. While using the grinder without the 

guard, the blade bound on the steel bolt of the valve, kicked back, and cut the employee’s 

right hand and wrist, severing a tendon, two nerves, and an artery. The employee was 

hospitalized.

• An employee conducting maintenance on the Leica Microtome in the Histology Lab 

sliced off the tip of the 5th digit on their right hand on the microtome’s cutting blade.

• An employee had a seizure at their desk. During the seizure, the employee hit their head 

and suffered respiratory arrest. CPR was performed until the medical team arrived.

• An employee walking from their vehicle toward the elevator lobby slipped on ice in the 

parking garage. The employee suffered fibular and bimalleolar fractures.

• An employee slipped and fell on wet floor.

• An employee fell off a loading dock.

• An employee was exposed to fumes, started feeling dizzy, and had trouble focusing their 

eyes. The fumes were cleared, and employee returned to work. The fumes returned and 

the employee was hospitalized.

• An employee on crutches took the stairs, fell, and broke a leg.

• An employee was changing filters on a commercial coffee maker that still contained hot 

water. The hot water spilled on the employee's chest and arm.

• An employee mopping the floor needed to move a bed to continue. The employee 

slipped on the wet floor and fractured a hip.

• An employee fell while using the stairs.

• An employee was walking from behind a desk, caught a foot on the desk, and fell.

• An employee riding his bike on wet roads fell when the bike slipped out from underneath 

him.

• An employee was driving a patient transport vehicle when they were hit from behind by 

another vehicle.

• An employee had a allergic reaction to flowers in a conference room.

• An employee had a stroke after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

• An employee had an anaphylactic reaction to the Hepatitis B vaccine.

• An employee suffered a heart attack while working in a sleep lab.
67

Peace Corps

Fatalities (none)

Amputations (none)

Hospitalizations

• An employee was struck by a tree branch while trimming trees and suffered an eye lens 

injury.

Smithsonian Institute

Fatalities (none)

Amputations (none)

Hospitalizations

• Employee fell when attempting to get in the vehicle due to a broken handle on the small 

cart.

Tennessee Valley Authority

Fatalities (none)

Amputations

• While performing contact inspection of an LTC diverter a Power Service Shop staff 

augmented electrician – using the vendor taught method – inadvertently repositioned his 

hand into the line of fire during manual manipulation of the diverter resulting in a partial 

amputation of his left middle finger.

Hospitalizations (none)
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Appendix 7: Best Practices for Tracking Hazard Abatement

Some agencies elaborated on mechanisms for reporting and/or tracking workplace hazards and 

their abatement. This appendix lists those mechanisms. 

American Battle Monuments Commission

1. The “ABMC Safety and Health Inspection Checklist” is used to perform inspections of 

work areas and operations. 

2. After conducting the inspection, a completed certification is submitted by the inspector. 

3. Leadership then coordinates with cemetery operations to implement controls to reduce 

risk to an acceptable level. 

4. All mitigation plans must be approved by Cemetery Operations. OSH risk acceptance 

must be in writing and signed by the applicable acceptance authority prior to resuming 

related operational capability. 

5. When completed, a printed form is signed by the Superintendent. In addition, a 

completed Hazard Abatement Plan is submitted that identifies deficiencies that cannot be 

corrected on the same day, or the correction is beyond the control of the cemetery 

Superintendent. 

Central Intelligence Agency

1. Environmental Safety Officers are responsible for collaborating with their site 

management in monitoring the progress and effectiveness of hazard abatement and 

controls that are implemented in their work areas. 

2. Environmental Safety Division utilizes Archibus – a commercial off-the-shelf workplace 

management system that includes safety and environmental management modules. 

3. It has improved documentation and tracking of incident investigations, and safety audit 

findings and corrections. 

4. The Archibus system issues scheduled reminders for upcoming correction dates. 

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

1. OSH Manager maintains a hazard tracking spreadsheet, updates and reviews the status of 

hazards monthly. 

2. If a hazard presents an immediate threat to safety, it is tracked daily until abated. 

Department of Commerce

1. DOC policy requires that hazards be tracked from identification through abatement but 

leaves the exact mechanism by which such tracking will occur up to the individual 

bureaus. Bureau hazard tracking mechanisms may be as simple as a work order log for 

smaller bureaus co-located in the Herbert C. Hoover Building (HCHB) or may utilize 

fully developed information management systems for those bureaus with multiple 

buildings, facilities, or unique workspaces. National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration’s (NOAA) facility and safety managers at all levels are responsible for 

developing and maintaining a Hazard/Deficiency Tracking Log to track and manage 

hazards and deficiencies. Hazards and deficiencies that cannot be resolved immediately 

must be logged, tracked, and managed. 
69

2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) records all formal inspection 

dates and findings, as well as all abatement actions and dates, in a single electronic 

information management system, the Workplace Inspection Recording System (WIRS). 

WIRS automatically communicates a list of the findings to the supervisor of each 

workplace. For each finding in the list, the supervisor records both the interim and final 

abatement actions that were taken and their dates. WIRS sends monthly reminders to 

supervisors when findings remain uncorrected for more than 30 days. 

3. At Census headquarters, the Remedy System is used to report unsafe conditions or 

building problems that require repairs. The system reports issues directly to the GSA to 

allow prompt remediation. Census facilities and safety staff use Remedy to check on 

reported problems and the status of corrective actions, and to generate reports useful in 

assessing trends of problems or hazards. Census and the GSA meet biweekly at facilities 

meetings to assess hazards as they arise. Hazards and other facilities’ issues are noted 

and placed on a standing agenda to be addressed until they are resolved or mitigated to 

the maximum extent possible. The Safety and Claims Branch also collaborated with 

Census IT staff to develop SAFER, which provides an automated process for Safety 

Representatives to perform building inspections and hazmat inventories once every fiscal 

quarter, and to assign safety monitors when needed. 

4. At the Bureau of Economic Analysis, once hazards are identified, the Safety and Health 

Coordinator will investigate and work with staff members to correct the issue as quickly 

as possible. The Safety and Health Coordinator maintains a detailed document of the 

deficiency, which lists who is assigned to correct the issue, what corrective action was 

taken, and the date the correction was completed. 

5. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Safety and Health Coordinator tracks 

abatement of hazards that are identified and reported to them on a spreadsheet. The 

hazard remains on the spreadsheet in an open status until corrected. Forms are provided 

on the BIS intranet for supervisors and employees to retrieve, complete, and post in the 

office/workplace to identify the hazardous work area. Once the hazard is identified, it 

should be corrected within 3 working days. Hazards that are identified during annual 

safety and health assessments that cannot be corrected on the spot are generally allowed 

45 days for correction and are tracked on the spreadsheet.

Department of Energy

1. In most cases, the abatement of hazards that are identified during the inspections are 

followed up and tracked through various management information systems. Hazards 

identified by DOE headquarters (HQ) staff are categorized as high, medium, and low 

hazards and are entered into the Office of Management’s (MA) computerized facilities 

maintenance management software program. This is an internal program used to initiate 

all repair and maintenance work orders at the HQ buildings. Each individual hazard or 

instance is assigned a unique identification number for tracking purposes. Each 

identification number corresponds to an active service request that is distributed to the 

appropriate facilities team or individual(s) for correction. MA tracks the progress of all 

hazard abatements and reports on the status on a weekly basis. High and medium hazard 

findings are fixed or mitigated immediately. For example, during the annual Federal 

Employee Occupational Safety and Health (FEOSH) inspection of public and higher 

hazard areas such as mechanical equipment rooms, all high hazard findings were reported 
70

immediately to Facilities, given a unique identification number, and corrected 

immediately. 

2. At the DOE Savannah River Operations Office, the abatement of hazards and due dates 

are tracked via the Site Tracking Analysis and Reporting database for tracking and 

trending of safety data and to ensure satisfactory corrective actions are implemented to 

eliminate the identified hazards.

3. At National Nuclear Security Administration sites for example, hazards are tracked and 

abated by the Management and Operating contractor, as appropriate, and by Safety and 

Health Professionals as appropriate, in the DOE-HQ Computer Accident Incident 

Reporting System database. Identified hazards and abatement are dispositioned and 

tracked through the laboratories, plants, and sites facility and maintenance support 

service contractors through closure.

Department of Health and Human Services

1. Abatement of hazards are tracked by the HHS Safety Chief and the OS Safety Officer. 

They will work directly with the employee to resolve the issue. Hazards found during the 

annual safety inspections will be annotated on the report along with suggestions and 

abatement methods. A reasonable amount of time is given for all minor findings, along 

with several email reminders. Upon completion of abatement methods leadership must 

report directly with the appropriate safety personnel to verify completion. Follow up 

inspections will then be held. 

2. The CDC tracks hazard correction using CorityTM, the Survey Tracking System (STS), 

and the Integrated Facilities Management System (IFMS). STS is used by the 

Occupational Safety and Health Office (OHSO) and the Office of Laboratory Science and 

Safety (OLSS) to identify all CDC spaces requiring a survey and manage the results of all 

associated surveys while IFMS is used by the Office of Safety, Security, and Asset 

Management to create, review, authorize, or track the progress of changes to CDC owned 

facilities. Incidents and their corrective actions are tracked in these systems, assigned a 

date by which a response is required and are not closed out by the initiating safety 

personnel until resolved by the appropriate staff and their supervisor. Additionally, in 

CDC laboratory areas, OLSS created a “Lab Alert” system of rapid communication to 

share awareness of reported hazards with all laboratory programs. 

3. NIOSH personnel report safety concerns through the local Environmental, Health and 

Safety (EHS) Team, managers, the local Health and Safety Committees, and through 

anonymous mechanisms that are available at each worksite. Safety concerns are 

expected to be corrected within 30 days. Requests or concerns are logged and tracked to 

completion by the local EHS Office within NIOSH using a SharePoint database. 

4. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) utilizes accident and incident reporting that 

have structured timelines for submission of Employee Resources and Information Center 

ERIC system tickets, DOL Employee Compensation and Operations Management Portal 

(ECOMP) submittals. The Workplace Incident Management System and Quality 

Management information System all of which provide time tracking of the abatement of 

hazards as well as documentation on notification and corrective action. All of these 

systems utilized by FDA have integrated schedule features that provide notification if 

issues are not corrected within specific time bound parameters.
71

Department of Homeland Security

1. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): Inspection findings are issued within 15 days of 

the inspection date. Findings are tracked in CBP’s Human Resources Business Engine –

Safety Tracking and Reporting (HRBE-STAR) System. The Management Official in 

Charge has 30 days to correct the hazard and report the corrective action in HRBESTAR. The inspection results are also reported to the local safety and health committee 

and the union official that accompanied the inspector. The corrective actions are 

discussed at the next local safety committee meeting. CBP Health Physicists and Safety 

and Occupational Health Specialist monitor corrective actions and conducts follow up 

inspections as deemed necessary. Most hazards are corrected within 30 days. Repeat 

violations are rare. 

2. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Each fixed site facility conducts an 

annual safety & health self-evaluation via a self-evaluation checklist that requires an 

abatement plan for each identified deficiency. The local Safety Official provides their 

completed checklist to the Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) Division for review 

and follow up on abatement of identified deficiencies. FEMA’s ESH Division performs 

routine Safety & Health technical assistance reviews at FEMA locations to evaluate 

facility and its operations to assess safety and health program strengths and weaknesses, 

identify compliance issues, best management opportunities, and recommended corrective 

actions. ESH Division tracks the findings with the local Safety Official until they are 

successfully closed. 

3. U.S. Coast Guard: The Coast Guard Hazard Condition Management System (HCMS) is 

used to document and track hazardous conditions from identification to corrective action. 

Safety managers are required to provide specific corrective actions for each hazardous 

condition in the system and the unit Executive officer (XO) is required to endorse 

completion of corrective actions within the HCMS system. All imminent and serious 

hazardous conditions are closely tracked by OSH professionals to ensure implementation 

of appropriate interim and permanent controls within policy-required timelines.

Department of Justice

1. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives: During Facility Safety 

Inspections, for example, any office hazard discovered and documented requiring 

immediate attention is brought to the attention of the Supervisor and GSA. 

Environmental, Safety, and Health (ESH) typically performs follow-up action at thirtyday intervals. 

2. Drug Enforcement Agency: In addition to the return of the Certification page to HQ upon 

completion of the self- inspection, for a potential hazard that will take longer than 30 

days to correct the deficiency and abatement form is attached. The abatement form is 

reviewed and followed up on until reported completed. 

3. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Findings associated with regular workplace 

inspections are maintained on the Division’s Hazard Abatement Log that tracks the 

hazard in addition to the abatement practices. The Regional Occupational Safety and 

Environmental Program Managers and Full-time Field Office or Division ESH 

professional assist in abating hazards. Most FBI properties are leased facilities, and the 

lessor is responsible for facility- related hazard reduction and mitigation. Before 

properties are leased, a market survey is conducted to identify and eliminate hazards 
72

before moving into the space. Hazards are assessed and mitigated during the planning 

process for operational activities. 

4. United States Marshals Service (USMS): The USMS attempts timely tracking of the 

abatement of hazards and weekly tracks for correction. USMS District/Division 

Management and OEOSH coordinates to track the abatement of hazards. The hazards are 

tracked via email, on the Form USM-468, and all abatement notes, updates, and 

resolutions are documented on the form. Of note, any hazard information documented on 

the Form USM-468 is shared with supervisors for immediate action and/or abatement.

Department of the Interior

1. Abatement tracking is decentralized in many DOI Bureaus/Offices. Most use 

spreadsheets or a database to track abatement of reported hazards and safety deficiencies. 

Status updates to inspection hazards and safety deficiencies are recorded at various 

intervals depending on the Bureau/Office with quarterly updates being the most frequent. 

2. Two Bureaus have developed a more comprehensive means to track abatement hazards. 

3. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) developed a system known as the Safety and Condition 

Assessment Portal (S&CAP) which enables BIA safety inspectors to document the results 

of several types of inspections into the Indian-Affairs Facilities Management System. 

S&CAP enables authorized users to create an abatement/correction for the 

hazard/deficiency identified during the inspection. This system also provides an 

automated abatement plan email notification that follows the hazard through the duration

of the abatement process. 

4. U.S. Geological Survey uses an electronic system (Safety Management Information 

System Inspection and Abatement System) to create Abatement Plans that integrate Risk 

Assessment Codes for all safety and health findings and those initially identified through 

condition assessments. All inspection findings not abated within 30 days are 

automatically transferred to the local organization’s hazard abatement log within the IAS. 

This system provides automated email notifications on the status of the hazard abatement 

to both management and those responsible for the abatement.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

1. The Safety, Health, and Environmental Tracking System (SHEtrak) is used at most 

Centers for tracking and correction of hazardous situations found as part of annual safety 

inspections. Hazards or non-compliances identified by safety and health inspectors, 

during routine and unannounced inspections, are coordinated with applicable personnel 

(i.e., facility safety heads, building managers, system or facility managers, or employee 

supervisors) and tracked to closure using this application. 

2. A set amount of time is allotted for the abatement plan to be incorporated. If it is not 

completed by this time, an interim abatement plan is required, and a final closure date is 

agreed upon. A fixed time period is assigned for final closure. Not achieving an end date 

generates an automatic email every day to the safety professional that issued the finding 

along with the employee assigned to correct the finding until it is properly closed. 

3. As noted earlier, we are developing an application tool that will replace SHEtrak’s 

functionality and be more aligned with a centralized agency approach to facilities 

funding. This new tool is expected to be operational near the close of CY2021. 
73

4. Hazards identified as a result of a mishap or employee injury require immediate 

abatement to an acceptable level of risk. Final abatement is documented as part of a 

corrective action plan to prevent occurrence of similar work-related injury, property 

damage, or mission failure. Depending on the mishap classification, the tracking and 

completion of corrective actions is assigned to the appropriate management level. 

Corrective actions are tracked in the NASA Mishap Information System until resolved. 

They are then reviewed and authorized as complete by the appropriate Office of Safety 

and Mission Assurance Engineer.