Although there has been substantial progress made in the multi-year environment, safety and health planning process, more remains to be done. Some redirection will occur, partially in recognition of deficiencies surfaced through the planning and analysis effort.
There is a substantial backlog of identified, but unfunded, environment, safety and health programmatic activities. The causes of this backlog are believed to be:
a previous inattention to and lack of investment in environment, safety and health infrastructure and programmatic needs within DOE; coupled with
resulting noncompliance with individual DOE environment, safety and health requirements.
In addition the move from operational activities to less well-defined post-operational cleanup activities has resulted in the need for additional attention to ES&H programs. While considerable funds have been expended on audit-driven corrective actions focused on strict compliance with environment, safety and health requirements in the last few years, it is evident that more needs to be accomplished in establishing sound, comprehensive, and integrated environment, safety and health programs. These programs will address the root causes of environment, safety and health deficiencies, prevent their recurrence, and improve overall performance.
While much progress has been made, further improvements are still needed. Key areas of improvement for the next budget cycle include:
Enhanced and more timely support to the Department's Annual Corporate Review Budget Process.
The Department's Annual Corporate Review Budget Process necessitates that next year's Environment, Safety and Health planning and budgeting process provide more focused risk management and budget analysis information to Headquarters earlier in the budget cycle to support senior management decision-making.
Increased emphasis on prevention and protection programs and proactive risk management investments to achieve longer-term cost savings.
Historically, the Department's approach to environment, safety and health planning has been to emphasize reactive corrective actions, often fixing an environment, safety and health problem only after it poses a sufficient risk to draw attention in external audits or manifests itself in an accident. Next year's Environment, Safety and Health Management Planning Process will expand the focus of environment, safety and health planning and budgeting to the development and funding of prevention and protection programs, emphasizing proactive risk management investments that address environment, safety and health problems before they grow to the size of posing significant risks to the workers, public, or the environment.
Translation of plans and budgets into performance commitments; an integral part of line management ES&H accountability.
Next year's ES&H Management Planning process must integrate more information concerning the specific results or products associated with the planned and budgeted activities. These "expected outcomes" can form the basis for mutually-defined performance commitments and facilitate environment, safety and health program reviews by Operations Offices or Headquarters programs.
Please send comments to support@tis.eh.doe.gov
Last modified: 02/27/96 16:17:28