NIST SAFETY UPDATE

Richard Kayser

Chief Safety Officer

NIST VCAT

Gaithersburg, MD

June 9, 2015
AGENDA

Continue to report regularly to the VCAT on NIST’s safety improvement efforts, 

including the actions identified in the safety climate survey.

Slips, Trips, and Falls 

Baseline

Enhanced Workplace 

Inspection Program

2014 Safety Climate 

Survey

Shared Standard of

Safety Performance

2
Planned Actions

01 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS

AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Improve communication to employees 

of their safety rights and responsibilities.

02 UNSAFE CONDITIONS 

AND PRACTICES

Provide guidance on addressing unsafe 

conditions and practices.

03 INCIDENT REPORTING & 

LESSONS LEARNED

Implement improved incident reporting 

processes and mechanisms for sharing 

lessons learned.

04 SAFETY TRAINING

Improve the quality of 

safety training.

05 MANAGEMENT OBSERVATIONS

Incorporate discussions of safety culture 

issues into management observations.

06 PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS

Re-emphasize the importance of employees 

receiving safety performance feedback during 

performance appraisals. 

3
Why

To foster a shared understanding and 

sense of purpose

Who

All managers and supervisors

and OU/ OSHE safety personnel

How

Self-paced on-line presentation 

supported by safety resources

NIST Safety Leadership Training

?

4
Why We 

Value Safety

Getting Everyone 

Involved in Safety

Safety Laws

and Regulations

Our Safety Policy Managing Risk

Safety Education 

and Training

What Was Covered

Learning from our 

Incidents

Safety Management 

System

NIST Safety Leadership Training

5
Preparing 

Supervisors

to Support 

Employees’ 

Safety Rights 

6
7
From the 2014 NIST Safety Climate Assessment

Believe their coworkers 

appreciate it when 

they point out ways they 

can work more safely.

57%

of employees

Say they help 

others identify and 

minimize hazards.

86%

of employees

51%

of employees

Agree that

co-workers give tips 

to each other on 

how to work safely. 

70%

of employees

Say they feel comfortable 

challenging co-workers

on safety issues.

91%

of employees

Appreciate when a 

co-worker points out 

potential hazards in 

their work activity.

Personal Responsibility for the Safety of Others

8
“Reporting a safety 

issue can bring 

repercussions back 

to the one 

reporting more 

times than not.” 

“Some project 

leaders will lash 

out at you 

personally if you 

bring up a safety 

concern.” 

“I stopped reporting 

safety problems in 

other areas because 

nothing changes 

and management 

gets irritated.”

“Reported numerous 

safety concerns to my 

DSR and group leader, 

only to be accused of 

picking on people and 

having my credentials 

questioned.” 

“You can catch 

more grief for 

doing the right 

thing then for 

going along.” 

Speaking Up

Comments from the 2014 Safety Climate Survey

9
What’s the ugly 

secret behind workplace 

injuries?

Someone didn’t 

SPEAK UP

A CRUCIAL CONVERSATION ABOUT SAFETY

NIST Safety Colloquium

June 10, 2015

10
Get it Done.

Unsafe practices that 

are justified by tight 

deadlines.

Undiscussable 

Incompetence.

Unsafe practices that stem 

from skill deficits that 

can’t be discussed.

Just this Once.

Unsafe practices that 

bypass precautions 

considered excessive.

This is 

Overboard.

Unsafe practices that 

bypass precautions 

considered excessive.

Are You a 

Team Player?

Unsafe practices justified

for the good of the team, 

company, or customer.

Five Crucial Conversations

That drive workplace safety

01

02

03

04

05

11
Discussion

From Blue Ribbon Commission II

We, the Blue Ribbon Commission II (BRCII), have had the opportunity to visit the laboratories of the 

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD, and Boulder, CO, in the month 

of October 2010. These visits are just two years after the Blue Ribbon Commission I (BRCI) issued a report 

highly critical of safety at the NIST laboratories. The progress in the last two years has been both 

impressive and dramatic. The new NIST Director has led what can be termed a transformational safety 

initiative.

NIST management has responded effectively to BRCI criticism. The entire NIST organization has been 

revamped with clearer roles and responsibilities. Resources for safety have been identified and applied. 

New talent has been attracted to a reorganized safety organization. Hazards analyses have been 

performed throughout the organization. Major progress has been made in developing a safety culture at 

NIST.

Despite the extraordinary progress, much remains to be accomplished in order for the new safety efforts 

to be institutionalized beyond the tenure of the current NIST Director. The first priority is the need to 

appoint an Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (and Principal Deputy) who will drive the present 

successes to the next level. The second priority will be to address the enthusiasm gap observed at the 

laboratory director level. In our interviews and focus group sessions with staff members from across the 

NIST organization, we were amazed at how well the NIST Director has driven the message all the way 

down to the bench-level scientists, even with a circumspect response of some of the laboratory directors.

“Keeping score” is an important part of a robust safety program. It is time for NIST to develop a suite of 

metrics. The commission strongly encourages NIST not to “reinvent the wheel” but to take advantage of 

the work of done by other laboratories and by industry.
From Blue Ribbon Commission II

Audit is an important part of a safety assurance program. Self-assessment is not an 

audit; rather, it is an important part of an audit. Because the Department of 

Commerce has no such function, another source will be needed. Some 

possibilities are a reciprocal relationship with the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the Department of Energy (DOE).

In summary, we recommend the following actions:

1. Appoint crucial Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (Principal Deputy).

2. Address the enthusiasm gap in some senior management.

3. Establish an Audit mechanism.

In conclusion, the commission has thought about what would be a desirable endstate for safety at NIST. We would wish that the safety culture and program at NIST 

would be the standard by which all scientific laboratories would measure 

themselves. Within five years, senior science managers should be visiting NIST to 

learn about safety the way that scientists now visit NIST to learn about science and 

engineering.