United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1993-12-16 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:RCED-94-47 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-47 P0b002ee18037a56b f:rc94047 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-47 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-47 RCED-94-47 Nuclear facility safety Occupational health/safety programs Safety standards Health hazards Health research programs Environmental monitoring Working conditions Radiation exposure hazards Program evaluation Data collection operations Letter Report RCED 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. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-47/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-47.htm GAO/RCED-94-47 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-47 Letter Report GAO/RCED-94-47; Health and Safety: DOE's Implementation of a Comprehensive Health Surveillance Program Is Slow; Nuclear facility safety Occupational health/safety programs Safety standards Health hazards Health research programs Environmental monitoring Working conditions Radiation exposure hazards Program evaluation Data collection operations