Occupational Medicine programs and professionals are associated with Department of Energy (DOE) sites and facilities nationwide, enabling the Department to meet critical obligations in the areas of health, safety, and security. The medical services required at each of these sites and facilities reflect an increasingly diversified mission. It is therefore vital that managers and medical professionals be fully informed regarding applicable requirements and resources. The following four guiding principles, however, are applicable at all DOE sites and facilities:
1. Occupational Medicine services are determined and directed only by medical professionals by virtue of formal education, training, certification, and licensure, thus ensuring that employees and employers always receive appropriate and evidence-based medical services. DOE and other Federal departments or agencies depend to a significant degree upon the services of medical professionals capable of delivering the highest standard-of-care to employees while fulfilling their obligations to employers. Medical services in the occupational setting as a rule are both administrative and clinical in nature, reflecting the recognized competencies and standards of
physicians and nurses in the specialty of Occupational Medicine. Resources regarding the history, qualifications, and value associated with the specialty of Occupational Medicine include the following:
2. Occupational Medicine programs play a critical role within the Workplace Safety System at all DOE sites and facilities and under the authority of a site-specific "authority having jurisdiction" (AHJ), generally DOE, the Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), or the Department of the Navy (DON). In addition, DOE sites and facilities frequently support the Department of Defense (DoD) by undertaking "work for others" which is governed by an additional agreement between DOE and DoD. Awareness of the AHJ by management is critical to the appropriate allocation of resources and the effective utilization of Occupational Medicine programs.
3. Occupational Medicine services for the protection of workers from occupational hazards reflect a graded approach whereby an increased number and complexity of hazards dictates the need for an increased medical services such as medical surveillance and interventions such as medical screening of employees undertaking physically-demanding and physically-hazardous duties. While the "General Duty Clause" established by OSHA and incorporated by DOE enables programs to address emerging hazards not historically specified by health and safety standards, only through a comprehensive assessment or job hazard analysis (JHA) with consideration for physical, chemical, biological, and radiological hazards by Industrial Hygiene and Health Physics professionals can medical professionals determine the most appropriate medical services. A JHA also ensures that employees for whom hazardous exposures have not occurred are not subjected to unnecessary medical screening tests which may result in false-positive test results and ultimately harm at the expense of both the individual employee and the employer.
4. Occupational Medicine programs reflect the principle that DOE will treat its employees as the Department's greatest asset. Such treatment includes not only the delivery of protective medical services and the management of occupational injuries and illnesses, but also the promotion of health and productivity, responsiveness to employee concerns, and the dispute of resolutions where health is concerned. The Administration cares about the health of employees and strongly supports wellness programs at Federal departments and agencies, asking that they promote health and wellness initiatives within their organizations.
For additional information regarding the Occupational Medicine Guiding Principles, please submit inquiries to the following:
Michael Ardaiz, MD, MPH, CPH
Chief Medical Officer
1000 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20585
(202) 586-8758 (phone) Michael.Ardaiz@hq.doe.gov
Claudia Beach, RN, BA, COHN-S
Occupational Health Nurse
19901 Germantown Rd.
Germantown, MD 20874
(301) 903-9826 (phone) Claudia.Beach@hq.doe.gov
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Counselor Christopher Kuczinski of EEOC addressing the Site Medical Directors at a BNL Workshop
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Dr. Peter Lichty, Site Medical Director at LBNL, leading an influenza immunization campaign at LBNL.
Dr. Joe Falco, Site Medical Director at BNL.
Dr. Rick Sauerman, Site Medical Director at SNL, with emergency medical staff at SNL.
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Dr. Al Wiley, Director of REAC/TS, demonstrating the REAC/TS role in Federal response to radiological emergencies.
Dr. Jamie Stalker, Site Medical Director at ANL, critiquing emergency medical services during an exercise at ANL.
