Pay Administration

OPM has denied requests for new hazardous duty pay categories when--

1. the duties would involve remote or potential hazards rather than present or actual hazards--i.e., when the duty is not inherently hazardous and an accident or injury is unlikely;
2. adequate safeguards would reduce the risk to a less than significant level;
3. overseas post differentials already compensate or take into account the hardships and hazards encountered in overseas assignments, such as presence in a war zone;
4. the risk of exposure to the hazard is not directly connected with the performance of assigned duties;
5. the hazard would not be "unusual" and would be hard to distinguish from the ongoing hazards that are inherent in the job; or
6. the hazardous duty or physical hardship is already listed in appendix A.