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Oversight of Contractor Safety

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
2025-17547
Report Type
Inspection / Evaluation
Description
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that establishing a safety and health program is one of the most effective ways of protecting workers.  The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Standard Programs and Processes (SPP) 18.004, Contractor Safety Management, establishes the contractor safety program and defines oversight requirements for managed task contractors and subcontractors working on TVA-owned-or-controlled sites to meet state and federal safety and health regulations.   TVA-SPP-18.004 outlines several contract pre-mobilization requirements, including requiring all contractors to submit a Site-Specific Safety and Health Plan (SSSHP), which should adequately identify hazards inherent to the work environment and address safe-work practices based on the scope of work identified in the contract.  In addition, the process requires (1) a TVA Contractor Oversight Representative (COR) be assigned as the single point of contact for providing appropriate technical direction and oversight of work performed by each contractor and (2) TVA Safety to conduct audits of contractor safety performance.  Due to the importance of the health and safety of personnel working at TVA sites, we performed an evaluation of TVA’s oversight of contractor safety. We determined TVA was not providing adequate oversight of contractor safety in accordance with the contractor safety program.  While some oversight was provided through tracking and trending of contractor safety performance, there were several areas that were not adequate.  Specifically, TVA (1) could not provide completed SSSHPs for some contracts, (2) could not identify the COR for most of the contracts we reviewed or provide documentation that some of their responsibilities were being performed, and (3) did not perform safety audits as required.
Joint Report
No
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
View report on Oversight.gov

Recommendations

We recommend the Vice President, Safety and Shared Services, perform a review to identify active contracts without completed Site-Specific Safety and Health Plans and expedite completion of the plans by the contractors.

We recommend the Vice President, Safety and Shared Services, perform a review to identify active contracts without a Contractor Oversight Representative and assign individuals to fill those roles and complete the required responsibilities.

We recommend the Vice President, Safety and Shared Services, continue taking steps to enhance identification and awareness of the Contractor Oversight Representatives’ roles and responsibilities.

We recommend the Vice President, Safety and Shared Services, take steps to verify audits of safety performance are completed and documented in compliance with the Tennessee Valley Authority Standard Programs and Processes 18.004, Contractor Safety Management.