Safety Update for VCAT

June 2021

Liz Mackey, Chief Safety Officer

Office of Safety Health and Environment Director 

Office of Safety, Health and 

Environment
Align phased operation criteria with OMB memo 21-15

 Use CDC community level of transmission data

NIST Leadership updated weekly

Maintain COVID-19 prevention protocols for staff, contractors 

and visitors; provide requirements and recommendations that 

reflect latest CDC guidance, best practices, scientific information

Updated protocols to ease requirements for vaccinated staff

Case response, disinfection, and notification protocols

Assisted with new and revised hazard assessments

Issue requirements for contractor safety plans

COVID-19 Pandemic Management
Communication of COVID-19 Prevention Protocols

Town Hall Meetings– All staff and all managers

Websites: COVID FAQs, visitor page, safety website

NIST Directives: Pandemic Operational Phases; COVID 

Mitigation Protocols; Use of Face Coverings; Visitor, 

Contractor and Delivery Personnel Requirements

COVID Safety Documents (list not comprehensive):

• Daily health screening form updated weekly

• Safe start-up after absence from campus

• Badging In procedures

• Use of common areas

• Eating and drinking on campus

• Mask use guidance, selecting face coverings

• Updating hazard assessments

• Mitigation recommendations for exposure scenarios

• Good hygiene practices, hand-washing video

Safe Return to Campus Training, Version 4 coming soon
Office of Safety Health and Environment leads the response to on-campus COVID-19 cases, overseeing disinfection of 

potentially contaminated spaces and notification of close contacts when necessary, and monitoring case data for trends 

and potential transmission on campus. Business Operations Office maintains daily staffing report tallies for DOC.

Case Data (May 31, 2021)

 339 cases reported as symptomatic, or COVID-19 positive to COVID19@nist.gov (assigned case numbers)

 129 cases of those tested positive (includes teleworkers and on-campus staff)

 OSHE has responded to 76 cases (March 17, 2020 - May 31, 2021) for persons with COVID symptoms or who tested 

positive and were on a NIST campus while potentially infectious, i.e., within 48 h of symptom onset, or COVID-19 

positive test date for asymptomatic cases

 76 response plans

 47 required disinfection of spaces

 58 had close contacts on campus

 19 were COVID positive (of these, 6 people had one or more close contacts)

 1 investigation to evaluate circumstances and determine whether there may have been transmission on campus. None 

were close contacts of other cases on campus.

COVID-19 On-Campus Case Management
DOC/NIST- HHS Coronavirus Vaccine Clinic

• Department of Commerce COVID team members worked with 

Department of Health and Human Services to select a location 

for a COVID vaccine clinic for federal staff in the National Capital 

Region

• NIST was selected based on the infrastructure available 

including a fully operational Health Unit, freezers with adequate 

capacity, temperature -80°C, indoor locations with sufficient 

space, adequate parking, etc.

• All-Hands-On-Deck in Management Resources enabled the 

vaccine clinic to proceed installation of additional security 

features; upgrade of electrical service to the Health Unit to 

support a new freezer; installation of wireless access point for 

clinic computers and internet connections to monitor freezers

• Daily support for HHS staff from Management Resources

HHS-NIST COVID Vaccine 

Clinic Served 1,000’s of 

federal employees in the 

National Capital Region
Employee Viewpoint Survey: COVID Communications

86% Agree

7% Neutral

6% Disagree 
Employee Viewpoint Survey: COVID Safety Priority

95% Agree

3% Neutral

2% Disagree
Employee Viewpoint Survey: Supervisors and COVID Safety

Immediate Supervisors

• Concern for Health and Safety, 94% agree

• Support Efforts to Stay Safe, 95% agree

• Raise Health Concerns, 91% agree
Safety Program Deployment Status

Briefings Held in FY21

 Machines and equipment (new)

 Management Observations Process (redeploy)

 Cryogen Safety (redeploy)

Briefings Planned for FY21/FY22

 Compressed Gas Safety (re-deploy)

 Out of Service (new)

 Overhead Cranes and Hoists (new)

 Inspection Testing and Maintenance (new)

 Fall Protection (new)

 Laser Safety (new)

Deployments/Re-deployments

 Standard briefings held

 No establishment of “effective date” 

until maximum telework is lifted

 Schedule for effective dates will be 

developed and issued in 

collaboration with SAC and ESC
OSHA Recordable Cases (RC) and subset that represent 

Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART)

FY21 to Date

• 9 Injuries

• 4 Sprain/Strain

• 3 Cuts/Lacerations

• 1 Bruise/Contusion

• 1 Concussion

• 4 OSHA Recordable (all 

DARTS)

• 3 Illnesses 

• 2 are Recordable Hearing 

Loss Cases
FY21 Occupational Health and Safety Initiatives

 Collaboration with NIST Enterprise Risk Management Office on assessment of incident and near miss data and 

on impact of COVID-19 

 Developing a process for risk analysis of workplace inspection data and incident data to assist NIST with 

prioritization of mitigation efforts (remediation, awareness campaigns, etc.) and to flag NIST-wide issues

 Communications: New Website and a new communications/training specialist

 Hazard Recognition, e.g. : Mitigating workplace reproductive hazards: The Birds, the Bees, and NaN3

 Incident Lessons Learned, e.g.: Do “asbsestos” you can to avoid exposure by requesting a penetration 

permit from OFPM

 Product Alerts, e.g.: Safety Alert: Kidde Recalls TruSense Smoke and Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarms

 Telework Safety Tips: Anything "off" in your home office?

 COVID Reminders, e.g.,: Maintaining good safety practices “on the home stretch.”