Health and Safety

Workers in the Energy Department's (DOE) industrial complex are at risk of exposure to ionizing radiation, potentially toxic chemicals, and other health hazards. A 1989 DOE panel recommended that the agency implement a health surveillance program to systematically collect and analyze data on workers' health and workplace conditions to detect illnesses or health trends linked to workplace exposure. In the 4 years since, DOE has not fully implemented such a program. DOE attributes the delays to technical difficulties and staffing shortages, although GAO believes that a lack of program planning has also been a contributing factor. DOE now projects full program implementation by 1998. Until a comprehensive program is developed, DOE will continue a program that began at the University of Washington in 1983--one that is limited to analyzing patterns of illnesses and injuries on the basis of information provided by DOE sites. A lack of complete reporting of illnesses and injuries, however, limits the current program's ability to flag the occupational diseases, injuries, and premature deaths that threaten workers. Expanding the program to additional sites without correcting these problems will simply make a program with limited effectiveness larger and will do little to improve the health of DOE workers.

GAO found that: (1) although almost 4 years have passed since the Secretary of Energy directed the establishment of a comprehensive health surveillance program, DOE has not fully implemented a new health surveillance program; (2) implementation of a comprehensive DOE health surveillance program is still 5 years away because of staffing shortages and a lack of program planning; (3) the current program is limited to analyzing patterns of illnesses and injuries based on information provided by DOE sites; (4) the current program covers only about 40 percent of the DOE workforce and does not provide early warning signs of potential workplace hazards that are needed to protect workers from occupationally-related diseases, injuries, and premature death; (5) the reports on workers' injuries and illnesses are not always timely and useful; and (6) the DOE Office of Health is improving the timing and organization of the current program's reports and plans to expand the current program to additional sites in 1994.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Team: Phone: