Workplace Safety at NIH: Achievements and Measures

1. FY02 ASA Presentation Provide Workplace Safety Presented by: Deborah E. Wilson, DrPH, SM, CBSP Occupational Safety & Health Branch Division of Safety, ORSNational Institutes of Health November 18, 2002

2. ASA Template

3. Customer Perspective

4. Customer Segmentation:NIH Injury/Illness Data • 12 years of injury/illness reports were analyzed • Injury/illness rates were calculated for each IC per 100 employees.

6. FY02 Injury/Illness Rates • Injury/illness rate of 4.93/100 employees. • Downward trend in injury/illness rates over the past several years. • Laboratories have lower injury/illness rates than the Clinical Center and industrial or physical plant work areas. • Sprains, strains and other ergonomic injuries are the most common injuries/illnesses experienced by NIH employees.

10. Provide Safety and Health Training – A Unique Customer Measure • Number of attendees at OSHB-conducted training courses: • “Laboratory Safety at the NIH” • “Working Safely with HIV and other Bloodborne Pathogens.” • Percentage of attendees passing the end-of-course quiz.

11. Safety and Health Training • For FY02 • 2481 individuals completed a course • 99% of the attendees passed the end-of-course quiz • For 1997-2002 • 11,634 individuals completed a course • Nearly 99% of the attendees passed the end-of-course quiz.

14. Customer Satisfaction Measure • Student evaluation forms for three “Working Safely with HIV and other Bloodborne Pathogens” courses were analyzed. • 183 evaluation forms were analyzed.

15. Analysis of Student Evaluation Forms • Respondents rated • Usefulness of the course information in relation to their work as high • Their interest in the topic prior to the course as moderate • Amount of information presented that was new as low. This may be due to the fact that the attendees already had laboratory experience prior to attending the course

17. Analysis of Student Evaluation Forms (continued) • 95% of the respondents rated the course presenters as good or excellent. • 70% of the respondents reported that they are likely to review the course handout.

18. For respondents likely to change some of their laboratory work practices ---- • Laboratory work practices/activities most likely to be changed: • Preparation/response in the event of a potential exposure • Selection/use of disinfectants

19. For respondents likely to change some of their laboratory work practices ---- • Laboratory work practices/activities likely to be changed: • Use of sharps (minimization or replacement) • Minimization of Medical Pathological Waste (MPW) • Selection/use of gloves, barrier protection, etc.

20. For respondents likely to change some of their laboratory work practices ---- • Laboratory work practices/activities least likely to be changed: • Participation in medical surveillance programs • Purchase of laboratory safety items described in NIH stores • Packaging MPW Waste in Burn Boxes • Set up and use of biological safety cabinets

21. Internal Business Process Perspective

22. Performance Objectives • Zero Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations • Provide timely laboratory surveys for registered laboratories • Provide timely review of human pathogen registration documents (HPRDs) • Provide efficient Biological Safety Cabinet service • Provide timely review of asbestos abatement plans

23. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations • During FY02, achieved the program goal of zero OSHA citations received by the NIH.

24. Provide Timely Laboratory Surveys • The program goal is to annually conduct surveys of laboratories registered for work with infectious agents and performing nonexempt recombinant DNA work under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules.

25. FY02 Laboratory Survey Results • Number of labs = 1370, 30% increase over FY01 (1054). • Labs surveyed = 754, 30% increase over FY01 (582).

29. Provide Timely Review of HPRDs • The program goal is to process documents within five working days from the time they were received in OSHB. • During FY02, 74% of the HPRDs were reviewed on time.

32. Provide Timely Biological Safety Cabinet Servicing • Contract requires response to emergency service requests within 48 hours. • During FY02, service requests = 3,020 17% increase over FY01. • 99% of the time the service was provided within 48 hours.

35. Provide Timely Review of Asbestos Abatement Plans • The program goal was to review these plans within five working days from the time they were received in OSHB. • During FY02, 100 asbestos abatement plans were received in OSHB for review. • 100% were reviewed within 48 hours.

37. Learning and Growth

38. Enhance Quality of Work Life • OQM data for Oct 2001-June 2002 for Service Group 21 showed: • 20% employee turnover. (During the period, several employees retired and others received promotions to occupational safety and health management positions in other federal agencies.) • average hours of sick leave used; number of awards; and number of ADR cases were consistent with other ORS Service Groups. • Zero EEO complaints and ER cases.

39. Readiness Index Conclusions • Increase and re-align staffing to service the rapidly expanding research mission • Employ group and individual training to fully utilize new staff more quickly. • Expand staff skills in the area of bio-defense research safety

40. Financial Perspective

41. Accident injury/illness analysis Animal study protocol reviews Asbestos abatement oversight Biological safety cabinet certifications/repairs Ergonomic assessments Ethylene oxide surveys Formaldehyde/glutaraldehyde surveys Hearing conservation surveys HPRD & rDNA document reviews Laboratory sample analysis Laboratory surveys Respiratory protection Safety committee management Safety training Safety shoes Waste anesthetic gas surveys Regulatory Compliance Activities

42. Regulatory Compliance Unit Cost • Regulatory compliance level of effort x No. of units completed = No. regulatory compliance units (RCUs) • Budget $ / Total RCUs = Unit Cost in $/RCU

43. Regulatory Compliance Unit Cost Comparison • Work load increased by 10%; cost of performing the work decreased by 12% • FY 2002 • Total RCUs performed = 20,147 • Cost per RCU = $ 244 • FY 2001 • Total RCUs performed = 18,087 • Cost per RCU = $278

44. Recommendations-2002 • Offer web-based training in laboratory safety and health to the NIH community. • Fully implement the OSHB electronic laboratory safety survey system. • Increase personnel resources to complete laboratory safety surveys & service the expanding research mission. • Develop protocols and re-align personnel to ensure all HPRDs are reviewed within one week.

45. APPENDICIES

46. ASA Template (continued)

47. ASA Template (continued)