The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environment, Safety and Health Assessments, within the Office of Enterprise Assessments, is responsible for conducting assessments to provide information on the effectiveness of DOE programs and performance in protecting our workers, the public, and the environment from hazards present at Department sites and during Departmental operations. This information provides assurance to our stakeholders and identifies areas for improvement to our leadership to support safe performance of the Department’s missions. We strive to provide balanced assessment reports that identify areas of effective performance as well as weaknesses. We also strive to efficiently analyze complex activities and operations with an eye toward providing constructive and insightful information within a context that helps line management identify a path forward to make needed improvements. We meet these challenges through the competence and dedication of our staff and our proactive efforts to coordinate with line management before, during, and after assessments and other oversight activities.

We also conduct special reviews and studies of safety and emergency management topics and activities where warranted based on circumstances or performance, at the request of line management, or as directed by senior DOE management or the Director, Office of Enterprise Assessments.

Kevin Kilp, Director

David Young, Deputy Director

The Office of Environment, Safety and Health Assessments is divided into four sub-offices as follows:

Nuclear Safety and Environmental Assessments

The Office of Nuclear Safety and Environmental Assessments has designated Site Leads who are are staff members assigned to each DOE site with nuclear facilities and activities. The Site Leads are responsible for maintaining operational awareness of the status of site nuclear facilities and operations through meetings, site visits, tours, and issue status reviews, and by evaluating pertinent operational, oversight, assessment, and performance data. The information gained through these activities is then utilized to make informed decisions about and select independent oversight activities that are specific to the conditions at a particular site. Our Office also selects topics for conducting similar assessments at multiple sites or facilities (called Targeted Assessments) that are utilized to look across the Department at specific functional areas. Topics are chosen based on such factors as performance trends, new or changed nuclear safety requirements, and the need for additional information to assess the status and adequacy of site nuclear safety documentation and its implementation.

Tom Sowinski, Director

Worker Safety and Health Assessments

The Office of Worker Safety and Health Assessments conducts assessments that provide independent information on occupational safety and health programs and performance, and performs analyses of occupational safety and health risks, issues and performance trends across the DOE complex.

Kimberly Nelson, Director

Emergency Management Assessments

The Office of Emergency Management Assessments conducts assessments of Departmental and site emergency management policies, plans, procedures, standards, and guidelines, and evaluates the effectiveness of their implementation throughout the DOE complex.

Jack Winston, Director

NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND SAFETY BASIS ASSESSMENTS

The Office of Nuclear Engineering and Safety Basis Assessments conducts assessments and performs studies that focus on nuclear safety engineering, nuclear facility safety bases, and performance analysis of nuclear facilities and operations.

Brent Jones, Director