Health and Safety: DOE's Implementation of a Comprehensive Health Surveillance Program Is Slow
RCED-94-47
Published: Dec 16, 1993. Publicly Released: Jan 31, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the: (1) status of the Department of Energy's (DOE) efforts to implement a comprehensive health surveillance program; and (2) effectiveness of the current DOE health surveillance program.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should direct the Assistant Secretary of Environment, Safety and Health to develop an implementation plan for a comprehensive health surveillance program that outlines the tasks to be performed, as well as specific milestones based on the priority and resources assigned. |
Closed – Implemented
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health completed the implementation plan for the health surveillance program in September 1995. The plan includes the tasks, milestones and resources assigned to the program.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should direct the Assistant Secretary of Environment, Safety and Health to correct the data collection problems in the current program before expanding it to additional DOE sites. |
Closed – Implemented
According to the Director of Epidemiologies Studies, problems with the collection of health surveillance data have been corrected. Data are now being transmitted from DOE sites on a monthly basis and reports sent back to sites in a reasonable timeframe.
|
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Topics
Data collectionEnvironmental monitoringHealth hazardsHealth research programsNuclear facility safetyOccupational health and safety programsProgram evaluationRadiation exposure hazardsSafety standardsWorking conditionsOccupational diseases