Safety Reporting

As labs, storage areas, and offices are packed up and moved, GESTA would like to remind employees that there are established procedures for reporting hazards, close calls, and mishaps. Every year during safety week we're shown examples of what can happen if safety procedures aren't followed. NASA Goddard carries a long tradition of learning from past mistakes so we don't repeat them. Reporting hazards, mishaps and close calls helps all of us to remain safer in our workplace and protect both people and hardware. 

If you see an unsafe situation, remember that it's within every employee's right to call a safety stop, even if you are not directly involved. You can then elevate the concern through reporting pathways, as shown in the following chart, until you are satisfied that it's been resolved. 

From the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) NASA Safety Reporting System (NSRS) website, “a hazard is defined as a situation that might result in a death or injury or damage to equipment or property.”

From the NASA Procedural Requirements for Mishap and Close Call Reporting, Investigation, and Recordkeeping (NPR 8621.1D):
“1.1.1 A NASA mishap is an unplanned event resulting in at least one of the following:

a. Occupational injury or occupational illness to non-NASA personnel caused by NASA operations or NASA-funded research and development projects.

b. Occupational injury or occupational illness to NASA personnel caused by NASA operations or NASA-funded research and development projects.

c. Destruction of or damage to NASA property, public or private property, including foreign property, caused by NASA operations or NASA-funded research and development projects.

d. NASA mission failure before the scheduled completion of the planned primary mission.

1.1.2 A close call is an event requiring first aid treatment or less, or property damage or mission failure with a direct cost of less than $20,000, based on a worst case estimate by the responsible organization, but has NASA mishap potential. For Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) events where the UAS damage cost is below $20,000 NASA responsible organizations report the event in the NASA Mishap Information System (NMIS) as a “Non-NPR 8621 event” to document the potential hazards of UAS operations. This includes any engineering analysis, findings and corrective actions from the event.”

If you feel coerced into doing something that you would normally consider too risky for personnel or hardware, if your workplace won't provide necessary safety equipment, training, or assistance while still demanding the job be done, or if you would be breaking a safety rule for personnel or hardware by performing the activity, these qualify as reasons to stop work and may potentially be reportable as a hazard or close call. If your normal path of reporting isn't effective or if you fear reprisal for reporting, use the NASA Safety Reporting System (NSRS) for reporting hazards: https://sma.nasa.gov/sma-disciplines/nsrs

The reporting process goes through OSMA for close calls and mishaps:
https://sma.nasa.gov/sma-disciplines/mishap-investigation 

Employees who would like help navigating the NSRS website form or who would like a mishap or close call reported but cannot or do not wish to submit it themselves can contact GESTA for assistance and guidance. Stay safe out there!