EH-89-10 Four Publications from ES&H Provide Experience-Based Safety
                         ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY & HEALTH

                                  BULLETIN

Assistant Secretary for                              U.S. Department of Energy
Environment, Safety, & Health                        Washington, D.C. 20585

DOE/EH-0124                    Issue No. 89-10                   December 1989

Four Publications from ES&H Provide Experience-Based Safety and Health
Information to DOE Facilities

We have been making some changes in the ES&H bulletin series over the past few
months.  So, usually about a week or so after a Bulletin or a Safety Note is
distributed, we begin to get calls from our readers.  Most of the calls are to
request extra copies or to thank us for the useful information.  Many of the
calls are from folks who want to say that the publication is fine -- as far as
it goes -- but that we've only covered one aspect of the problem, and what
about the impact of x, or y, or z.  And, usually there are at least a few
calls from people who want to know if the recommendations we've listed are, in
reality, requirements that must be implemented at the facility.

To those of you who have noticed the changes we've made in the past few
months.  To those who have questions about the intent, the depth, and the
breadth of the series.  To those who aren't sure when a "recommendation" is a
"requirement." To those who never called, but always wondered about our
Bulletins and Safety Notes; our Safety Actions and Serious Accidents.  We --
those of us who write the series, those who review the series, and those who
choose the topics for the series -- thought we'd take this year-end
opportunity to bring you up to date on the philosophy behind the ES&H
bulletins.

Forewarned Is Forearmed - Shared Experience As An Early Warning System

The overall purpose of the bulletin series is to disseminate experience-based
safety and health information and lessons learned to all DOE facilities
quickly and systemically.  Loosely translated that means that, when a
safety/health problem or incident at one DOE facility (or several facilities)
is generic to the extent that it could occur at other DOE facilities under
similar circumstances, we try to make sure that a description of the
problem/incident, its likely cause, and some recommendations for preventing it
are sent out to each DOE facility as quickly as possible.

We also try to make sure that when the publication reaches your desk, you find
it contains a high level of useable, accurate information.  You may find us
quoting chapter and verse from the Code of Federal Regulations and DOE Orders
if we think they might be helpful.  What you probably won't find --
particularly if what you're reading is a Safety Note -- is coverage of every
possible aspect of a subject.  When we are developing topics into Safety
Notes, our job is to let you know there is a possibility that a problem
exists, to give you enough information to determine if the problem could occur
at your facility, and to provide you with a set of recommended actions (just in
case).  Even when writing the longer, more detailed Bulletin we only include
information that is directly relevant to the theme of the publication.  We
know there are many aspects to each and every problem/solution.  We cover
those we can, and save the rest for another time.

When a problem requires remedial actions to be taken at all DOE facilities, we
write a Safety Action.  It is the only publication of the four which lists
specific actions that must be taken at a facility.  A Safety Action always
concludes with a section entitled "Actions Required," rather than
"Recommendations." Any required actions will be implemented through your
facility contract office.

As you can surmise from all of this, each of the four bulletins in the series
has a specific format and function.  In a nutshell, the Bulletin is generally
the longest of the four; also the most detailed and most in-depth.  The Safety
Note is used to disseminate information considered to have more urgency; thus
it is usually brief and to the point.  The Safety Action is unique in that it
includes actions that must be taken at all DOE facilities. Publication of
Serious Accident is infrequent, since it includes information regarding
accidents defined as "serious" on the basis of standard DOE criteria.

The Publications: Topics, Sources, Formats

The information we use to write the bulletin series comes from a number of
sources.  One primary source of data is DOE's Safety Performance Measurement
System (SPMS) database.  We often identify specific topics that will be
developed for publication through a review of the unusual occurrence reports
(UORS) and the computerized accident/incident reporting system (CAIRS) in the
database.  Sometimes, information for the bulletin series is provided by
someone in the field who notices a potential safety or health hazard or is
involved in the investigation of an accident or event, and sends us the
relevant information to distribute DOE-wide.  Publications are also based on
information generated outside the DOE system.  A Bulletin or Safety Note might
be prepared based on pertinent information we've received from the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC), for example.  The results of research into safety
and health matters that are directly applicable to work at DOE facilities or
are simply of general interest also provide us with topics for the series.

The type of information you can expect to find in each of the four
publications, the format in which information is normally presented, and some
typical sources of subject matter for the bulletin series are described below.

o  Bulletin -- The purpose of the Bulletin is to provide detailed, in-depth
   information regarding specific safety and/or health-related topics.
   Although taking specific action is not usually required, general
   recommendations, which can be implemented at individual facilities as
   applicable, are included. Publications in the Bulletin category are often
   based on incidents reported in Unusual Occurrence Reports (UORs), on NRC
   Information Notices or other information generated from outside DOE, or on
   research into safety/health topics of general interest.

o  Safety Note. -- The purpose of the Safety Note is to quickly disseminate
   safety and health information that is considered to be urgent either
   because of the potential level of risk to facilities or because it involves
   dated material.  Publications in the Safety Note category are usually based
   on (1) an unusual occurrence, accident, or similar incident at a DOE
   facility or (2) information regarding a potentially serious and/or
   dangerous circumstance that could affect all facilities.  Due to the
   urgency of the information contained in the Safety Note, it is not subject
   to the depth of review given to other publications in the series.  A Safety
   Note is generally much shorter than a Bulletin (i.e., a maximum of one to
   two pages vs several pages). Therefore, the Safety Note is not expected to
   contain in-depth information on the given subject.

o  Safety Action -- The purpose of the Action is not only to disseminate
   information related to a safety or health topic, but also to detail
   specific actions that are expected to be taken at all DOE facilities.
   Rather than a "Recommendations" section, the Safety Action concludes with a
   section entitled "Actions Required".  This publication is also used to
   detail product recalls that formerly were announced in the Safety Alert
   (which is no longer published).

o  Serious Accident -- The purpose of Serious Accident is to describe
   circumstances surrounding those accidents that occur at DOE facilities and
   are defined as serious in nature. Usually these incidents are investigated
   by a formal board. Included in such a publication are causal factors,
   lessons learned, and recommendations.

Conclusion

We believe that the ES&H bulletin series is an excellent vehicle for
facilitating a DOE-wide exchange of information. And, from the calls we've
received in the past few months, it is apparent that many of you are finding
the topics discussed in the various publications to be timely and useful.  We
hope this description of the series will result in a better understanding of
the purpose and format of each of the publications.  If you'd like to have
extra copies or additional information or want to express your concerns or
suggest a topic, you can give us a call at FTS 233-3732 or Commercial
301/353-3732.



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This publication is one of several series of bulletins published so that DOE
program managers and contractors can share information about potential
occupational safety problems relevant to DOE operations.  For more information
or additional copies, contact Eleanor Crampton, Performance Evaluation
Division, Office of Safety Compliance, Assistant Secretary for Environment,
Safety & Health, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20545; Telephone
FTS 233-3732, Commercial (301) 353-3732.
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