The US Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Occupational Health (FOH) has a continuing requirement for a contractor who can provide Environmental Health and Safety Services Support.

Federal Occupational Health (FOH), a component of the Program Support Center (PSC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has provided occupational health programs for federal employees for more than 70 years. FOH operates under the principles of the Health Promotion for Government Employees Act, Pub. L. No. 79-658, 60 Stat. 903 (1946), as amended and codified at 5 U.S.1. § 7901, which authorizes the head of an agency to establish a health service program to promote and maintain the physical fitness and emotional well-being of federal employees; 42 U.S.1. 231; and the Service and Supply Fund Charter.

FOH Environmental Health and Safety Services (EHSS) provides consultation and support to Federal occupational and environmental health managers throughout the Federal government.  FOH defines occupational health (OH) from the Federal government perspective as a comprehensive approach, with a public health perspective, to improving health, safety, and productivity in the federal workforce, while decreasing the Government’s liability and health care costs through various clinical, environmental, educational, and risk-based prevention programs.

Among its many functions, FOH EHSS assists Federal managers in establishing OH services for Federal employees, assessing and monitoring environmental hazards, complying with mandated and voluntary OH and environmental standards, FOH performs its work for other agencies under fully reimbursable interagency agreements issued in accordance with the Economy Act.

Agreements are negotiated with departments’ and agencies’ national headquarters and/or with their regional/local components.  Some agreements are for a standard package of OH program components; others are for an array of services and consultations tailored to particular OH or environmental needs.  In the aggregate, these agreements provide basic OH services through FOH OH centers for approximately 300,000 Federal employees, and expanded OH programs, including employee counseling, for over 1.3 million employees.  Insufficient Federal resources exist to complete work requirements, and acquisition of additional Federal employees is not in the best interest of the government due to the intermittent nature of work requirements.

• Perform environmental health, environmental management, industrial hygiene, ergonomic, fire protection, indoor air quality and safety investigations, studies, and evaluations, which may include:
  • Developing survey protocol outlines, cost projection estimates, and tentative site visit schedules
  • Performing environmental sampling, to include air, water, soil, process by-product and waste materials or physical agents; evaluating sample analyses by laboratories maintaining certification/accreditation appropriate for the analyses required; interpreting results, and preparing scopes of work for additional studies and/or remedial measures
  • Reviewing and evaluating accident and injury statistics, identifying potential workplace safety and health hazards, and developing safety plans
  • Conducting employee interviews, developing and administering questionnaires, and analyzing and interpreting results, conducting risk assessment and risk management studies
  • Drawing conclusions based upon current scientific methodologies and knowledge; comparing findings with current standards or criteria
  • Providing concise, cost-effective, and health-protective recommendations that address deficiencies or problems observed or noted in investigations, studies, and evaluations
  • Providing site visit reports, interim reports, and final project reports
  • Preparing scopes of work for known health, safety, or environmental deficiencies from which remediation efforts can be implemented by others
  • Preparing health, safety, emergency and environmental management plans in accordance with regulatory requirements and agency needs
• Perform quality assurance activities related to environmental health, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, radiation safety and health, and safety management investigations, studies, and evaluations, which may include:
  • Calibrating sampling instrumentation
  • Preparing cost, and other comparisons of instrumentation and supplies for acquisition by the FOH program
  • Using appropriate sampling techniques, analytical standards, and blanks
  • Certifying that instrumentation, methodologies, and techniques are consistent with acceptable professional practice
  • Providing a summary report of training delivered, which may include summarizing findings of student-provided course evaluations
• Perform inspections of buildings and facilities for compliance with requirements of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). This may include:
  • Reviewing architectural and “as built” plans, work change orders, and other records for the specification of any materials that may contain asbestos
  • Inspecting the building for friable materials, and materials or products that are likely to contain asbestos
  • Delineating homogeneous areas and developing a sampling plan for bulk sampling collecting samples and having them analyzed for asbestos by an accredited commercial laboratory
  • Performing visual inspections and collecting information on the physical condition and location of asbestos containing building materials and on other characteristics of the building that may affect the likelihood that asbestos containing building materials may be disturbed and that fibers may be released and distributed
  • Evaluating results, interpreting sampling data, and preparing written reports, cost estimates and remediation project scoping documents
• Develop facility asbestos management plans according to FOH criteria and AHERA protocol. This may include:
  • Reviewing AHERA/FOH building inspection findings that include physical assessment of the building and commercial accredited laboratory findings and selecting appropriate control/response action(s), (e.g., repair, encapsulation, enclosure, or removal of asbestos containing material (ACM), etc.)
  • Designing operations and maintenance (O&M) plans for ACM’S
  • Identifying the cost and options for financing response actions, including O&M programs
  • Preparing written O&M plans/reports.
• Provide industrial hygiene/environmental oversight of asbestos abatement projects. This oversight may include:
  •  Assisting in the development of asbestos removal specifications
  •  Reviewing and approving site specific abatement plans
  • Monitoring abatement workers’/contractors’ work practices and procedures and providing guidance on practices
  • Performing air monitoring and bulk sampling before, during, and after asbestos removal projects
  • Conducting visual inspections of containment before, during, and after abatement activities.
• Perform lead-based paint inspections, water and air testing and firing range evaluations and risk assessments of buildings and facilities according to FOH criteria and policies. This may include:
  • Reviewing architectural and “as built” plans, work change orders, and other records for the specification of any materials that may contain lead
  • Inspecting the building for presence of materials or products that are likely to contain lead
  • Inspecting firing ranges including collecting, air, bulk and wipe samples for lead dust contamination
  • Developing a sampling and testing plan for paint samples and x-ray fluorescence tests
  • Collecting samples and having them analyzed for lead by an accredited commercial laboratory
  • Performing visual inspections and collecting information on the physical condition and location of lead paint and on other characteristics of the building that may affect the likelihood that lead paint may be present along with conditions which may be a hazard to building occupants
  • Evaluating results, interpreting sampling data, and preparing written reports, cost estimates and remediation project scoping documents
• Develop facility lead management plans according to FOH criteria and other official protocols such as those for client agencies. This may include:
  • Reviewing building inspection findings that include physical assessment of the building and commercial accredited laboratory findings and selecting appropriate control/response action(s), (e.g., repair, encapsulation, enclosure, or removal of lead-based paint, etc.)
  • Designing operations and maintenance (O&M) plans for lead-based paint
  • Identifying the cost and options for financing response actions, including O&M programs
  • Preparing written O&M plans/reports
• Provide industrial hygiene/environmental oversight of lead abatement projects. This oversight to include:
  • Assisting in the development of lead removal specifications
  • Reviewing and approving site specific abatement plans
  • Monitoring abatement workers’/contractors’ work practices and procedures and providing guidance on practices
  • Performing air monitoring and bulk sampling before, during, and after lead-based paint removal projects
  • Conducting visual inspections of containment during, and after abatement activities
• Conduct hazardous materials inventories, waste characterization and on-site surveys for proper handling and storage of hazardous materials. Conduct subsequent computer data entry into appropriate databases
• Provide safety and health personnel to support disaster recovery operations as a result of disaster declarations and other related requests
• Provide full time environmental, safety and health personnel to support customer agencies worksites and their overall occupational health and safety programs
• Perform food safety inspections of retail food establishments in federally leased and owned buildings and temporary food vendors at federal disaster sites to ensure compliance with current FDA Food Code standards
• Perform evaluations on the proper selection, use and fit of personal protective equipment
• Provide industrial hygiene/environmental oversight of mold remediation projects.  This oversight may include:
  • Assisting in the development of mold removal specifications
  • Reviewing and approving site specific abatement plans
  • Monitoring abatement workers’/contractors’ work practices and procedures and providing guidance on practices
  • Performing air monitoring and bulk sampling before, during, and after mold removal projects
  • Conducting visual inspections of containment before, during, and after abatement activities
• Provide consultation to the FOH program and to Federal managers and employees, service provision sites, and other professionals. Consultation activities may include:
  • Communicating findings, results, conclusions, and recommendations of investigations, studies, and evaluations
  • Providing training and education to federal employees (e.g., hazard communication, hazard awareness, and other regulatory training related to OSHA and EPA standards) including the preparation of training manuals and other training materials, and recording of trainee registration and course completion data
  • Participating in FOH  business development activities, including advising federal managers of other occupational health services available (e.g., other environmental services, employee assistance programs, wellness/fitness, medical surveillance)
  • Participating as a member of a multi-disciplinary occupational health team in providing environmental health/industrial hygiene investigations, studies, and evaluations
  • Serving as a consultant to FOH committees, work groups, and task forces
• Provide environmental management system services and sustainability services to support greening the government initiatives, which may include
  • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) inspections for environmentally sustainable design, construction and operation of facilities
  • Site and structure design efficiency evaluations
  • Energy, water and materials efficiency evaluations
  • Indoor air quality enhancements
  • Operations and maintenance optimizations
  • Waste reduction; and communicate findings, results, conclusions, and recommendations of investigations, studies, and evaluations