| Description |
For a variety of its own reasons not applicable to the Committee, the agency may implement all/most of the recommendations,
but few times recommendations are not implemented.
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NIST has implemented all of the recommendations. NIST has appointed a new Associate Director for Laboratory Programs, NIST
senior management has committed to making safety a core value at NIST and to specific actions aligned with that commitment,
and NIST has established and implemented a variety of audit mechanisms. NIST management has responded effectively to BRCI
criticism. The entire NISTorganization has been revamped with clearer roles and responsibilities. Resources forsafety have
been identified and applied. New talent has been attracted to a reorganizedsafety organization. Hazards analyses have been
performed throughout theorganization. Major progress has been made in developing a safety culture at NIST.The Director has
reorganized the various units to assist in promoting a safety imperative in all of NIST’s activities. Leadership and operations
have been strengthened; safety roles and responsibilities have been clarified. A totally new safety management program has
been created that emphasizes reviews, rewrites all relevant documentation, and establishes new training programs that are
meaningful to the various operating units. High-quality, experienced safety professionals have been hired at both sites. Their
specialties have been chosen so as to be able to provide useful safety support and partnership to the broad range of NIST’s
activities. The morale within the new Office of Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) organization is high, including those
members from the old Safety, Health, and Environment Department (SHED). Training related to safety and hazards has become
a much higher priority, with hundreds of staff members voluntarily signing up for training programs. New mechanisms such as
web sites and call centers have been established to make it as easy as possible for staff to access the resources and information
they need to ensure safe operations. A new ticketing system tracks all requests for safety assistance. Staff can open and
track their own tickets, thereby reinforcing their individual sense of safety ownership.The Director has established an Executive
Safety Committee to serve as a customer- and stakeholder-focused body for discussion, development, and review of NIST-wide
policies and procedures and to provide mechanisms for employee input and participation. Staff-initiated safety committees
that focus on particular areas continue to be encouraged. In one Operating Unit, a safety committee of experts from outside
NIST has been asked to meet with staff to discuss safety culture issues and to provide feedback to the Lab Director. This
director has found the results to be very useful and encouraging.In summary, the development of a genuine safety culture at
NIST is clearly under way. However, that Institute-wide goal has not yet been reached, and much steady effort over the months
and years ahead will be required
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