Officials from the National Park Service and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Tuesday signed an agreement to improve safety and health programs for the Park Service's 21,000 employees nationwide.
Concerned with data that indicated an increase in accidents among park employees, Park Service Director Robert Stanton asked OSHA for assistance in improving the work environment at his agency.
Under the agreement, OSHA agreed to work with 10 selected park sites, which will serve as safety and health models for the entire Park Service.
"We are confident that this agreement will result in a far safer working environment for our employees, better employee training and a more focused safety and health program," Stanton said.
Over the past several years, the Park Service has experienced the highest employee accident rates of all Interior Department agencies. In 1997, the Park Service's lost-time rate due to illness or accident was triple that of other Interior divisions, such as the Fish and Wildlife Service, according to Park Service data. The agency reported 1,090 accidents last year. The primary cause of the accidents was unsafe work practices.
OSHA chief Charles Jeffress said his agency will focus on helping the Park Service comply with OSHA standards, address unsafe work practices and manage workers' compensation cases.
NEXT STORY: House to vote Thursday on impeachment inquiry