DOI - Analytical Laboratory Services - MRAS

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA), is undertaking market research to identify qualified vendors capable of providing analytical laboratory services. These services are essential for the Wildland Fire Service's efforts to assess occupational exposures and implement medical surveillance programs for wildland firefighters. The ultimate goal is to ensure the safety and health of firefighters by accurately quantifying exposure levels and determining necessary mitigations.

The contract seeks accredited industrial hygiene and environmental laboratory analytical services to support air and other media testing/sampling related to hazard exposure assessments. This work is crucial for fulfilling occupational safety and health program requirements, especially as it pertains to wildland firefighting operations. The contractor will be responsible for conducting a large-scale sampling effort, analyzing approximately 2,000 samples collected by government personnel or authorized contractors, ensuring that all data is legally defensible and meets high-quality standards.

The scope of work involves providing laboratory analysis using standardized methodologies accredited under programs such as the American Industrial Hygiene Association Laboratory Accreditation Program (AIHA LAP) or equivalent bodies like the EPA's Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP). The services include managing samples under secure chain-of-custody processes, performing analytical tests using validated methods from OSHA, NIOSH, or EPA, supplying necessary equipment for sample collection, ensuring quality control in reporting results, and consulting on method selection when needed.

This initiative highlights DOI's commitment to enhancing wildland firefighter safety through rigorous exposure assessment protocols that comply with DOI OSH policy and OSHA standards. By identifying potential airborne hazards and quantifying worker exposures accurately, this contract will help validate existing controls' effectiveness against established OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) and ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLVs), ultimately guiding future mitigation strategies including respiratory protection measures.