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HRD-78-13 1 (1978-05-18)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaaxhm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: [OCURENT RESUME 05989 - [B14264471 Health Hazard Evaluation Program Needs Improvement. HRD-78-13: B-163375. May 18, 1978. 27 pp. + 4 appendices (10 pp.). Report to the Congress: by Elmer B. Staats, Comptrollez General. Issue Azea: Consumer and Worker Protection Development and Promulgation of Necessary Health Standar4s (S11). Contact: Human Resources Div. Budget Function: Health: Prevention and Control of Health Problems (553). Organizaticn Concerned: Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; Department of Labor; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health; Occupational Safety and Health Admi nistration. Congressional .elevance: House Committee on EducatP'n and Labor; Senate Committee on Human Resources; Congress. Authority: Occupational Safety and Health Act ef 1970 (90 U.S.C. 651). The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established the health hazard evaluation prcgraL Laich requires the Department of Health, Education, and Velfare (HEW) to determine, when properly requested by embloyers cr employees, uhether substances in workplaces are toxic. The Frogra I.s administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and requires that evployers and employees be advised of the results of health hazard evaluations as scon as possible. Findings/Conclusions: Although the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IIOSH) estimates that millions of workers are exposed to thousands of cancer-causing and other dangerous substances in their workplaces, it had received only 892 reguests for health hazard evaluations in abcut 6 year;. NIOSH has done little to publicize and promcte the progran, and officials believe that most employees and employers are Lot aware of either NIOSH or its health hazard evaluation program. After making health hazard evaluatiovs, NIOSH tahes a long time to prepare comprehensive, technical reports that recipients say not understand. Hazards could be identified and corrected sooner and NIOSH personnel could be used more effectiwely if reports were issued soon after the evaluations were made. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration headquarters does not have a policy, ard its area offices dc not have a progran )r procedures, for using hazard evaluation reports to plan inspections. Recommendations: The Secretary of HEW should: widely publicize the hazard evaluation program, sake reports more timely by simplifying and shortening them, notify workers immediately when there appear to be toxic conditions, reevaltiate issued reports to determine if changes to exposure levels affected the toxicity determinations, analyze evaluation reForts to determine whether new or revised standards are needed, establisa a program for measuring program effectiveness, and

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