Improving Safety at NIST

Pat Gallagher, Deputy DirectorOctober 6, 2008
Things I want to share Things I want to share

...

 My approach My approach My priorities My priorities Path forward Path forward
Major ingredients Major ingredients

1.Leadership Leadership2.Professional safety support Professional safety support3.Active participation Active participation
Major ingredients Major ingredients

1.Leadership Leadership

 Responsibility Responsibility Sets priorities and direction for organizat

Sets priorities and direction for organizat

 Defines roles Defines roles Delegates authority Delegates authority Accountability Accountability
Actions Actions

 Strengthen Director Strengthen Director’s office s office Clarify roles and relationships within line m

Clarify roles and relationships within line m

 Increase focus on operations Increase focus on operations Strengthen management support Strengthen management support Established/modified senior positions Established/modified senior positions Addressing Boulder management Addressing Boulder management 
CNST

CHCO

CFMO

CIO

CFO

ITL

BFRL

MEP TS

CS

TIP

PL

Director

Deputy

Current reporting linesat NIST (omitting staffpositions and Boulder)
NIST Directorate

(staff positions not shown) Director (vacant)

Deputy Director

Chief Scientist

Assoc. Director for 

Laboratory Programs

Laboratory

OU Directors (10)

PL, CSTL, BFRL, ITL, 

EEEL,MEL, MSEL, TS, 

CNST, NCNR

External Program OU

Directors (3)

TIP, MEP, BNQP
Major ingredients Major ingredients

1.Leadership Leadership2.Professional safety support Professional safety support

 Central role in safety management progr

Central role in safety management progr

 Defines requirements and performance s

Defines requirements and performance s

 Professional resource for line organizatio

Professional resource for line organizatio

 Reporting and analysis Reporting and analysis
Actions Actions

 Identifying benchmark organizations Identifying benchmark organizations Seeking senior safety executive Seeking senior safety executive Realigning safety office within NIST Realigning safety office within NIST Safety “surge”
Major ingredients Major ingredients

1.Leadership Leadership2.Professional safety support Professional safety support3.Active participation Active participation

 Thoughts on Thoughts on 

“safety culture safety culture

”

 Safety is about how work is done Safety is about how work is done Fully integrated into work processes Fully integrated into work processes

 Management and supervision Management and supervision Work activities Work activities Business and support systems Business and support systems
Actions Actions

 Increase safety support Increase safety support Resources Resources Improve information sharing Improve information sharing Establish meaningful metrics/goals Establish meaningful metrics/goals
Where are we now? Where are we now?

 Large mismatch between safety office and 

Large mismatch between safety office and 

 Inadequate resources Inadequate resources Decentralized Decentralized Efforts not integrated into normal work pro

Efforts not integrated into normal work pro

 Seems like an Seems like an 

“off

-normal

” activity activity

 Viewed as a trade off Viewed as a trade off

 Heightened sensitivity Heightened sensitivity Strong desire to improve Strong desire to improve Aligns with NIST core value of Aligns with NIST core value of 

“excellence excellence
Major ingredients Major ingredients

1.Leadership Leadership2.Professional safety support Professional safety support3.Active participation Active participation

My priorities as communicated to staff My priorities as communicated to staff

....

1.Strengthen management Strengthen management2.Improve safety management Improve safety management3.Align NIST for the future Align NIST for the future
Path Forward Path Forward

Immediate work activities: Immediate work activities:

 Clarify roles and responsibilities Clarify roles and responsibilities Ensure adequate authority Ensure adequate authority Strong support for local efforts Strong support for local efforts  The “surge” Share information/best practices Share information/best practices Reprioritize resources Reprioritize resources
Path Forward Path Forward

Building a stronger safety program: Building a stronger safety program:

 Establishing clear and effective line relatio

Establishing clear and effective line relatio

 Defining roles, responsibilities, authorities

Defining roles, responsibilities, authorities

 Strengthen supporting management funct

Strengthen supporting management funct

 Benchmarking other organizations Benchmarking other organizations Rebuilding an effective safety office Rebuilding an effective safety office Define clear performance goals and meas

Define clear performance goals and meas

 Move from local effort to integrated safety 

Move from local effort to integrated safety 

approach approach – risk-based prioritization based prioritization
Discussion Discussion