Safety Presentation for VCAT

Dr. Elizabeth Mackey

Chief Safety Officer and 

Director of the Office of Safety, 

Health and Environment

February 14, 2024
Agenda:

 Management Review and 2024 Goals 

 Incident and Near Miss Data

 Leading Indicator Safety Metrics 

 Status of Action Plans

 Status of Safety Management System
Management Review Agenda Topics

October ESC Part 1: Review of Action 

Plans: Incident Investigation; External 

Assessment; Safety Culture Survey

November ESC Part 2: Safety Management 

System Status, Directives Updates; 

Training Data; Incidents and Corrective 

Action Data 

December ESC Part 3: Inspections and 

Deficiencies; Communications; Draft Goals 

and Actions
1 2

3 4

Final 2024 Goals

• Issue and Implement Audit Program; conduct first 

external ISO 45001 Pre-certification assessment

• Develop and issue remaining SMS Directives

• OUs finish re-reviews of existing hazard reviews

Complete and Fully Functional SMS

• Communicate Status of Implementation of the NIST Safety 

Culture Action Plan developed by multi-level, multi-OU 

teams (nine actions)

Improve NIST Safety Culture

• Strengthen Role and Responsibility of the CSO

• Define stronger roles for OSHE staff to ensure 

consistent hazard mitigation across NIST

• Implement a phased approach to increasing safety 

staffing and services provided, including OU embeds

Strengthen OSHE Roles & Responsibilities 

• Establish goals for improving leading metrics, e.g., near 

miss reporting, timeliness of corrective actions, training 

completion

• Complete Build of Safety Dashboard

Performance Metric Goals and Access

Goals Posted on ESC Website to be 

featured with link in the Safety 

Standard Newsletter
Reported Events: Lagging and Leading Indicators Q1

Type Cases Affected Staff OSHA Recordable Cases

Injury 9 9 3

Illness 9 12 10

Near Miss 9 0

Property Damage 5

Contamination by 

Radioactivity 0 0 0

Spill / Release 4

Exposure 1 1 0

Other 0 0 0

Total Cases FYTD 37

Note: Of 13 OSHA Recordable Cases, 8 were DART (Days Away, Restricted or Transferred)

Of 8 DART cases, 2 were injury cases (both STF) and 6 were COVID cases

Of 12 Illness Cases Covid-19; 8 were COVID, 4 OSHA Recordable hearing loss cases

On track for pre-COVID number of 

events per year (150-175)

Near miss reporting, 9 of 37, well below 

the target of >50%

Key Actions: Weekly Summary 

Communication to NIST Leadership; focus 

on analysis of potentially serious 

incidents for common root causes
Lagging Indicator: Total Recordable Case, Days Away Restricted or Transferred

CY22 Industry 0.9 and 0.5; NIST 1.45/1.35

• NIST CY22 Rate was heavily 

influenced by COVID cases (values 

w/o COVID, 0.18/0.13, much lower 

than NAICS)

• NIST TRC and DART numbers during 

COVID years were lower than 

Industry Sector.

• In previous years, NIST numbers were 

lower than or comparable to the 

applicable industry sector 

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

NAICS TRC

NIST TRC

NAICS DART

NIST DART

Calendar Year

Rate

NAICS: North American Industry Classification System, NAICS Sector: Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences.
1 2

3 4

Leading Indicators: January 2024 Data

NIST General Safety: 95.5% (267/6036)

NIST Leadership: 98.9% complete (6/533)

FY24 NIST Rules of Behavior: 91.0% (581/6433)

(Red = incomplete. All values improved since Dec ESC mtg)

Training Completion 

2901 Activities Approved (MML data)

Risk Distribution: 52% RHI=2; 36% RHI=1, 7% 

RHI=3 (200), 6% RHI=0

FY23 re-review initiative continuing in FY24

Hazard Reviews

Inspections Conducted in FY24: 922

Deficiencies Abated in FY24: 1006

Deficiencies Outstanding from FY24: 231

Deficiencies Outstanding (FY18-23): 799 

(Down from 1700 reported to ESC in Dec, ongoing)

Inspections Performed

Total Corrective Actions in FY24: 22

Closed in FY24: 13 + Implemented: 2

Open in FY24: 7 (of which 5 are overdue)

Stale Open FY18-FY23: 65 (of total of >3,100)

Incident-related Corrective Action Status

RHI 2 RHI 1

RHI 3

RHI 0
Key Action Items Developed in Response to FACA Key Action Item Status (✓ Complete; ☐ in progress)

LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT:

- Resource Allocation

- Establish Vision 

- Communication

 SMS Contract funded; work started Dec 1

 Vision Statement developed, presented to Safety Commission

 Ongoing, next up: Actions Completed Communication

STRENGTHEN OSHE ROLES AND AUTHORITIES

- Increase staffing

- Increase roles and authorities

- Make organizational changes as needed 

 OSHE has hired 1 embed, 3 new inspectors; Next Up: JILA embed (offer 

made), MR (posted) and EL embed, Fall Protection Specialist (reposted)

 Underway: Contract Tasks to assess OSHE location and structure

SMS IMPROVEMENTS

- Revise hazard review, workplace inspection programs

- Improve training

- Improve incident investigations

- Fill Safety Management System Gaps

- Improve IT Apps

 Both HR and WPI revisions under review within OSHE

 Hire a new training specialist, PD developed, position to be posted

 Contractor Task to develop case studies for incident investigation training

 Contractor Task to develop three programs 

 Dashboard nearing completion; 3 FTEs to work on HR app

CULTURE

- Accountability

- Inculcate Elements of a strong safety culture

- Safety Culture Program

- Safety Culture Survey and Improvement Plan 

 Supervisor performance element and new ROB Issued

 Krause Bell sessions for all supervisors underway 

 Deployed Safety Culture program; Town Hall roll out

 Survey, Action Plan, Tracking Table on Safety website

ACHIEVING AND SUSTAINING EXCELLENCE

- Benchmarking

- External Evaluations

- Audit Program (Current Gap)

 FY23 benchmarking with NREL, ORNL, ANL completed; 

 FY24 plans for visits to NIH and PNNL

 Contract Task 3, ISO 45001 underway, Task 4 Audit program next up
Action Executive Sponsor Safety Barometer Question Status

Establish a Boulder 

Health Unit.

Del Brockett Medical resources are sufficient for treating the 

injuries that occur. (Boulder percentile score; 

12.8)

√ Complete. Boulder site added to the Gaithersburg Health 

Unit Contract. Medical staff on-site, supplies and equipment 

refresh, EMRS access underway. 

Provide adequate safety 

staff. 

Laurie Locascio, Chuck 

Romine, Del Brockett

Management has provided adequate staff to 

manage and support its safety program. (35.7)

28% Complete. Hired: 1 NCNR Safety embed, 3 new safety 

Workplace Inspectors. Planned 10 more safety staff.

Establish annual safety 

training. 

Laurie Locascio The same basic precautions are used by 

employees who deal with hazardous materials.

(Boulder Percentile Score: 5.9)

Approximately 25% Complete. Revised General Safety 

Training for all new staff and as refresher to current staff 

planned for April 2024. 

Management statement 

on value of safety. 

Laurie Locascio, North 

Star Team

Management published a policy that expresses 

their attitude about employee safety. (35.9)

√ Complete. The north star team developed vision statement 

that ties safety to the core value of excellence. 

Develop performance 

plan objectives. 

Essex Brown Job performance standards for production / work 

output are higher than safety performance 

standards. (36.2)

√ Complete. Supervisor safety performance plan element 

issued for use this FY; all staff required to review Safety 

Rules of Behavior every year. 

Optimize the Hazard 

Review process. 

Chuck Romine The hazard review process reduces risk 

associated with my work. (53% Agreed, 40% 

Neutral, 7 % Disagreed)

Approximately 20% Complete. The suborder has been 

revised to simplify requirements. Next steps stakeholder 

review; revision of the IT app will follow 

Safety Culture Improvement Plan: Items to address NSC Safety Barometer Survey Low Scoring Items
Safety Management System: Program Status 91% Complete

Key Action: 3rd Party ISO 45001 Pre-certification 

Assessment Underway

Known SMS Program Gaps: Directives to be filled, 

with assistance of Safety Consultants:

• Audits and Assessments 

• Contractor Safety 

• Construction Safety

• Corrective and Preventive Action (Draft)

• Electrical Safety (Under SAC review)

• Management of Change (Draft) 53, 80%

7, 11%

6, 9%

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS 

AND RESOURCES

All Environmental Management (14) and Fire and Life 

Safety (4) Directives are complete and implemented
Questions, Suggestions