Supervisors and managers are responsible for ensuring and promoting safety in their work areas. Not only are supervisors required to assess hazards and put procedures in place to control hazards but they are also responsible to enforce safety policies.
Below are resources and additional information regarding supervisor's and manager's safety responsibilities.
Training 
Workplace Health Concerns
OSHA
Occupational Medical Service
Supervising Minors
Workers' Compensation Program
Reasonable Accommodations
Employee Assistance Program
IC Safety Committees
Ergonomics
Traveling and Transportation Safety
Publications
Contractor Safety Materials
Safety Responsibilities for Supervisors
Training
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their employees are trained in the safe practices required to recognize and control hazards in the workplace. Formal training is available through several resources. In addition, it is recommended that supervisors keep a record of any on-the-job training they conduct regarding safety.
The following training is available from DOHS:
Training from non-DOHS affiliates & government:
Supervisors are also required to provide the following training:
- Emergency response and evacuation
- How to report injuries, illnesses, spills, exposures and safety and health concerns
- Working with hazardous materials
Your IC may have additional information on required training. Please consult with your AO for more information.
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Workplace Health Concerns
Supervisors should contact their
IC Safety and Health Specialist if they need help to identify workplace hazards and/or recommending appropriate hazard controls. Your IC Safety Specialist can help address a variety of concerns including mold , flooding, noise and air quality.
If you have a pest issue (bugs, rodents, etc.) in your workplace, you should contact
Integrated Pest Management.
For more information about monitoring workplace hazards, please visit the
Industrial Hygiene web page.
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OSHA
Occupational Medical Service
Occupational Medical Service
If an employee gets hurt, they need to report to Occupational Medical Service (OMS). OMS is open Monday-Friday, 7:30am-5pm. If an employee is exposed to biological materials outside of normal business hours, please have them call the Clinical Center Operator at 301-496-1211. All other types of injuries occurring outside of business hours should report their injury to Occupational Medicine by calling during the next business day at 301-496-4411. Any injury that occurs while at work should be reported within 24 hours. Serious injuries must be reported immediately. After an employee reports an injury, they will receive a follow-up inquiry from the IC Safety Specialist and an accident investigation will be conducted. Accident investigations help to identify areas needing improvement whether it is fixing sidewalks or retraining the employee.
Everyone at NIH is entitled to receive emergency medical care at OMS, this includes including visitors, volunteers, contractors and federal employees. For more information, visit
Eligibility and OMS.
Pre-placement evaluations are required for some new employees. For more information, visit
Pre-placement Evaluations.
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Supervising Minors
There are special laws governing minors who work. The NIH has developed policies and guidelines that provide guidance for supervision of minors.
States have
laws restricting the hours minors may work. Be familiar with the labor laws for the state you work in:
The
Department of Labor 
also has information on minor labor.
Supervisors should prepare a parental consent letter for parents or legal guardians of minors to sign and return to the NIH. Minors are defined as students under the age of 18. This sample letter should be modified to include specific NIH assignments and potential hazards to which the student will be exposed. Specific IC supervisor contact information should be added, and the letter should be returned and maintained on file by the supervisor and/or IC student coordinator.
Safety Consent For Minors Working in NIH Labs 
All supervisors of minors in the laboratory need to review this guidance document to ensure that minors are not exposed to certain hazardous materials while working in NIH laboratories. As stated by the Deputy Director of Intramural Research, Dr. Michael Gottesman's Memorandum Summer Students and Laboratory Safety, "One of the most important roles we fill when introducing summer students to NIH laboratories is to demonstrate that safety is an integral part of planning and conducting science." For example, all students should be appointed under an approved hiring authority. Of special concern are those students who are under the age of 18- minors.
Please be aware that minors are prohibited from working with specific materials and that they are prohibited from working in specific areas. For example, minors may not work with:
In addition, should there be the need, report all accidents and promptly seek proper medical care from the Occupational Medical Service (OMS). Minors may need to receive pre-placement medical evaluations from the OMS, depending on their assignment.
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Reasonable Accommodations
You can find help for complying with reasonable accommodations through the Institute and Center Services Division of the NIH Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management.
If you need help fitting a workspace to an employee, arrange for an ergonomics evaluation.
If you need more guidance about reasonable accommodations, contact the
Employee Assistance Program.
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IC Safety Committees
All work areas, including offices, are surveyed yearly by your IC Safety Committee. Visit the
IC Safety Committee webpage to identify your IC Safety Chair.
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Traveling and Transportation Safety
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