NREL Earns Prestigious Safety and Environmental Certifications

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has received three significant certifications demonstrating the lab’s commitment to the environment, safety and management excellence.

Certifications earned by NREL include ISO 14001:2004 (environment); ISO 9001:2008 (quality); and OHSAS 18001 (health and safety). In July 2011, a team of external auditors from NSF International Strategic Registrations visited NREL to conduct a comprehensive and rigorous independent assessment of the policies, procedures, tools and roles and responsibilities used to manage environment, safety and quality at NREL.

“These milestone certifications demonstrate NREL’s commitment to the safety and protection of our workers, visitors, the public, and our environment while conducting high-quality mission work,” deputy lab director Bill Glover said.

The third-party audit noted many “system strengths” at NREL. For example, staff demonstrated a high level of awareness of NREL’s policies regarding environmental protection, integrated safety management, and quality assurance and an overall high level of housekeeping in the labs and workspaces.