PPE Concerns Copilot
Description
The PPE Concerns Mailbox received inquiries that NIOSH/NPPTL staff must review and respond to. To date, over 10,000 questions have been received with answers provided. Responding to an inquiry requires a multi-step process that staff must complete manually, including • Reading the inquiry • Logging the inquiry and information about the inquiry and inquirer in an Excel spreadsheet • Searching through the spreadsheet of past questions • Reviewing prior responses for relevance • Drafting a reply based on similar previous responses or researching and composing a new answer from scratch if no match is found • Sending response to additional staff if further subject matter expert review is needed • Obtaining Executive Leadership review and approval, if needed • Updating the spreadsheet with the finalized response, reply date, and staff who assisted with the response This process can be time-consuming, repetitive, and inconsistent, especially when multiple team members are handling and categorizing inquiries or when there are high volumes.
Detailed example
The Copilot will analyze incoming questions, search the existing dataset for relevant responses, and generate draft replies for human review. After staff revise and approve the response, the Copilot will assist by sending the finalized email to the submitter and updating the spreadsheet with the new question-and-answer (Q&A) pair and supporting information.
AI / analytics pattern
Natural Language Processing: AI that processes, interprets, and shares information in human language.
Automation level / stage
a) Pre-deployment – The use case is in a development or acquisition status.
Expected benefit
The Copilot could handle the initial steps—reviewing the question, searching past responses, and drafting a reply—which currently take the most time. For straightforward or simple, repeat questions, this could reduce staff time from 30–60 minutes to under 10 minutes, with staff only needing to review and finalize the AI-generated draft. Even for more complex inquiries, having a well-structured starting point and a searchable interface would significantly cut down manual effort and improve turnaround time across the board. Additionally, the Copilot would improve time savings when a new staff member is assigned to managing the mailbox due to events such as staffing changes. The Copilot would allow a more seamless transition of the mailbox, whereas the current process requires months of on-the-job training to effectively navigate the spreadsheet and learn the proper standard responses to use for specific inquiries. Additionally, the Copilot would remove the burden of relying on memory recall to determine where a previous response is in the spreadsheet when staff receive specific, repeat questions.
Controls / human review
ATO: Not reported; PIA: Not published