NIST Safety Update

Richard Kayser

Chief Safety Officer, NIST

Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology

February 8, 2017

Welcome
AGENDA

Report regularly to VCAT on NIST’s safety improvement efforts.

CONTINUAL 

IMPROVEMENT

ACTIONS

TAKEN

SAFETY

INCIDENTS
35

32

34

39

46

42

35

23

15

22 23

13

23

15

10

18

16

23

21

13

11

16

13

5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17

Recordable Cases (w/o STSs) DART Cases

NIST Safety Incident Metrics 3
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EVENT INJURY

Employee was descending stairs when knee buckled Employee experienced pain in the knee

Employee was working in an area where fans were blowing Debris became entrenched in employee's eye resulting in irritation

Employee was entering building when door hit employee in head Employee received concussion

Employee was cutting a pipe with a powered pipe cutter Employee lacerated right thumb

Associate was reattaching a cover on piece of equipment, a bolt was 

sheared, and the employee's hand slipped and struck the sheared bolt Associate lacerated knuckle

Associate (DOC employee) slipped on a piece of broken plastic laying 

on walking surface

Associate experienced pain to the left side of the body, specifically 

shoulder and wrist

Employee fell descending stairs Employee tore knee ligament

Employee was using a folding knife while cutting plastic band on 

package Employee lacerated thumb

Employee was walking across grassy area, stepped in a hole, and fell Employee sustained bruises and scrapes to the face; experienced pain 

in the shoulder and arms

Employee was prepping glass slides when one slipped and hit knuckle Employee lacerated knuckle

An odor from a roofing chemical permeated an office area Employee became ill

Employee was walking down a hallway when a piece of debris entered 

the eye Employee received scratched cornea

Employee stood to walk away from desk when the individual fell due to 

a numb foot Employee fractured ankle

FY2017 OSHA Recordable Cases 4
5

Slips, Trips, 

and Falls

Struck By,

Struck Against,

Contact With

Overexertion

42%

23%

17%

Reported Incidents

FY 2013 – FY 2016 

Incident Reduction

OBJECTIVE

Reduce the occurrence of the 

most common types of incidents 

by identifying and eliminating 

their causes.
Incident Causes

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

6

Slips, Trips, 

and Falls

Uneven Surfaces

Obstacles in Walkways/Work areas

Snow and Ice

Wet/Slippery Indoor Surfaces

Work Practices

Struck By, Struck 

Against, Contact With

Work Practices

Distraction/Lack of Awareness

Sharp Tool/Workpiece/Object

Equipment or Furnishing Failure

Material/Equipment Storage Practices
7

OUR COMMITMENT 

TO CONTINUAL 

IMPROVEMENT
Safety Performance Improvement Drivers

VCAT and VCAT Subcommittee 

recommendations

Safety climate assessments

Incidents, unsafe conditions, and 

management/staff observations 

Enhanced workplace inspections 

(NEW)

8
9

ACTIONS TAKEN
2014 NIST Safety Climate Survey 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. 

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Why

To foster a shared understanding and 

sense of purpose

Who

All managers, supervisors, and safety 

personnel

What

Why we value safety, our safety policy, 

engaging the staff, managing risk, 

learning from our mistakes, ....

NIST Safety Leadership Training

?

11
Preparing 

Supervisors

to Support 

Employees’ 

Safety 

Rights 

12

14
Our Shared Standard of Safety Performance

Identify 

common

safety issues

Communicate 

issues and 

solutions

Monitor 

conditions in 

NIST spaces

Track 

elimination 

progress

Identify new 

common 

issues

OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES

The content of the “Shared Standard” is owned by NIST leadership. 

Meeting the “Shared Standard” is owned by all.

Communications: Provide senior executives with 

training; provide resources to management and staff.

Monitoring: Senior leadership conducts periodic and focused 

walkthroughs during routine safety management activities, e.g., 

management observations, laboratory visits. Common issues 

integrated into the Workplace Inspection Program.

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16
MANAGEMENT & 

STAFF OBSERVATIONS

NIST Safety Minutes

Sharing lessons learned across NIST 

INTERNAL AND 

EXTERNAL INCIDENTS

WORKPLACE 

INSPECTION DATA

CRITICAL-THINKING 

EXERCISES

VIDEO STORYTELLING

PEER-TO-PEER 

CONVERSATIONS, 

GOOD CATCHES

Strongly Motivated Engaging Content

17
NIST Safety Minutes

Sharing Lessons Learned Across NIST

Turnstile Safety

Revisited

Cutting Tools 

&

3D Printers

Thorough 

Hazard Reviews Slips on 

Ice & Snow

Decontaminating 

Equipment

Following 

Lockout/Tagout

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DISCUSSION