EHS Compliance for Government Contractors: What You Need to Know

Government contractors, particularly those in the defense industrial base, face a layered compliance landscape that goes well beyond standard OSHA and EPA requirements. From ITAR facility security to DFARS cybersecurity and DoD-specific environmental regulations, the compliance burden is significant — but so are the contract values at stake.

ITAR and Facility Security

International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) require defense contractors to implement comprehensive facility security programs. This includes physical access controls with visitor logging and escort procedures, secure storage for ITAR-controlled materials and data, personnel security including background checks and need-to-know protocols, cybersecurity measures for ITAR-controlled technical data, and export control compliance procedures. Our ITAR security audit evaluates all these elements with the precision of our military security background.

Environmental Requirements for Federal Facilities

Facilities performing federal work must comply with both standard EPA regulations and additional federal environmental requirements. Executive Order 14057 mandates sustainability and environmental stewardship for federal operations. DoD Environmental Management System (EMS) requirements may apply to subcontractors. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental clauses include specific compliance obligations.

NAICS Codes and Contract Eligibility

EHS compliance auditing falls under NAICS code 541620 (Environmental Consulting Services) as the primary classification, with 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services) as a secondary code. Understanding these classifications is important for both contractors seeking auditing services and for auditing firms pursuing government work.

Maintaining Contract Eligibility

A single compliance failure can disqualify a contractor from future federal work. Maintaining OSHA compliance with a strong safety record (low EMR), current environmental permits with clean compliance history, adequate facility security (ITAR, NIST 800-171), and documented management systems (ISO certifications are increasingly preferred) protects both your current contracts and future bidding capability.

Visit our Government Contracting Services page for more details on our federal compliance capabilities. For government contractors needing ISO management system certification, Exceleor has extensive experience with defense industry certifications. Need a fractional compliance officer to manage your ongoing government compliance program? ConsultFactor provides experienced EHS executives on a fractional basis.

Contact us to discuss your government contractor compliance needs.