The Safety Operations and Support Branch is staffed by Safety and Occupational Health Specialists. Each NIH Institute and Center (ICs) has one or more Safety Specialist assigned to support their safety needs. Safety Specialists are usually the primary responders to all occupational health and safety issues at the NIH and will consult with or refer concerns to other safety groups as appropriate. Following is a list of some of the activities that Specialists handle:

• Respond to all incoming safety-related questions such as:
1. Handling, containment, and disinfection of potentially infectious materials;
2. Chemical storage, use, and disposal (in collaboration with the Division of Environmental Protection);
3. Selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE);
4. Selection and use of engineering controls such as chemical fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, safety showers and eye washes;
5. Indoor air quality (IAQ) concerns and odors;
• Perform annual safety surveys of laboratories registered to work with human tissue, blood, or body fluids; potential human pathogens; or recombinant DNA (rDNA) technologies;
• Investigate work-related injuries and illnesses and make recommendations to minimize potential for reoccurrence;
• Review Animal Study Proposals and participate as voting members of IC Animal Care and Use Committees;
• Assist IC Safety Committees to assess safety hazards and conduct annual surveys of ICs’ assigned spaces;
• Perform safety clearances of laboratories prior to certain maintenance or renovations