Environment, Safety, and Health – Subcontractor Documents

Subcontractors can find NREL Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) requirements below for use in the planning, procurement, and execution of work activities at the lab.

It is important that all subcontractors and their lower-tier subcontractors familiarize themselves with these requirements before submitting proposals or ES&H plans for work to be performed on NREL sites.

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Construction Subcontractors

Construction Environment, Safety, and Health Manual identifies the minimum requirements for construction subcontractors and their lower-tier subcontractors that require personnel to perform construction activities at NREL.

Per U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) policy, all construction subcontractors must provide a safe and healthful workplace for their personnel, as detailed in 10 CFR Part 851: Worker Safety and Health Program. Subcontractors are responsible for ensuring compliance with the applicable requirements.

Construction Fall Hazard Analysis Form ensures effective fall protection systems are in place anytime workers are exposed to falls at heights of 6 feet or more. Subcontractors develop and submit a fall protection plan as part of the site-specific Construction ES&H Plan.

NREL adheres to DOE health and safety requirements (10 CFR 851), which include following OSHA standards and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values. Employers may refer to Silica Engineering Controls and Respiratory Protection Table for Construction (29 CFR 1926.1153), which provides information on engineering controls and respiratory protection for typical tasks. However, for tasks not listed on the table, exposure assessments must also be conducted to demonstrate compliance with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value of 25 ug/m3.

Silica Fact Sheet (English)

Silica Fact Sheet (Español)

Temporary Traffic Control Manual identifies the traffic control-planning requirements for roadway construction, utility work, and maintenance operations. This manual serves as a site supplement to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for work performed on NREL-owned property.

Each construction project (subcontract) requires its own Construction Environmental Safety and Health Plan (CEHSP). NREL recommends using a graded approach in the development of CEHSPs. This approach determines the level of rigor for implementing the work planning and control attributes based on the importance/significance of the activity in relation to the associated hazards and consequences. The level of detail within each CEHSP and corresponding Activity Hazard Analysis should be commensurate with the size, complexity, and risk level of the construction project. NREL's Construction Environmental Health and Safety Manual (CEHS Manual) is the governing document that accompanies the CEHSP and must be used when completing this CEHSP to ensure that NREL-specific requirements are being met and incorporated into the project-planning process (see above). Instructions for filling out the CEHSP are provided along with the template.

Construction Plan of the Day and Daily ES&H Activity Briefing Instructions and Forms are effective ways to communicate to the workforce the importance of safety and the hazard controls associated with the work. These forms are designed to provide structure and facilitate your documentation of both:

Flatirons Construction Plan of the Day Form

South Table Mountain and Leased Sites Construction Plan of the Day Form

Per the Environmental, Health, and Safety Subcontract Risk Evaluation Worksheet, all NREL construction subcontractors and their lower-tier subcontractors must meet acceptable ES&H criteria before being awarded a subcontract. NREL's Acquisition Services team includes this form as part of construction solicitations and confirms that all subcontractors have properly completed the worksheet. All lower-tier subcontractors must also submit the worksheet prior to performing work on NREL-owned or -leased facilities.

If you have any questions about these documents, please contact Patricia Goodman-Holdridge or your appointed project ES&H point of contact.

Service and Maintenance Subcontractors

The Service and Maintenance Subcontractor ES&H Manual identifies the minimum requirements for service subcontractors and their lower-tier subcontractors that require personnel to perform work activities at NREL sites. Per DOE policy, all subcontractors shall provide a safe and healthful workplace for their personnel. These conditions will be ensured by implementing the worker safety and health program established in 10 CFR Part 851: Worker Safety and Health Program. Each contractor is responsible for ensuring compliance with "all applicable requirements" that govern their work at NREL facilities, including any consensus standards incorporated in 10 CFR Part 841 by reference.

If you have questions about these documents, please contact John Boysen or your appointed project ES&H point of contact.