1. The Employer is committed to provide and maintain safe and healthful working conditions for employees in accordance with the following laws, rules and regulations:
a. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-596);2.b. Executive Order 12196, Occupational Safety and Health Programs for Federal Employees;
c. Department of Labor Regulations on Federal Employee Occupational Safety and Health Program (29 CFR 1960);
d. Occupational Safety and Health General Industrial Standards and Interpretations (29 CFR 1910); and
e. 6 FAM 610.
a. The Employer will appropriately designate a Safety and Health Officer and a Unit Security Officer at each major duty station. The Employer will publicize the names of the designated Safety and Health and Unit Security Officers.3. The Employer shall encourage employees to work safely and to report any unsafe or unhealthful conditions to the employee's immediate supervisor.b. The Union through its designated representative may request periodic meetings with the Safety and Health Officer and Unit Security Officer to discuss general matters of safety and health and security concern. At the periodic meetings or at any other time, the designated Union representative may recommend to the Employer:
(1) Procedures for the Employer's consideration for use in emergency evacuation;c. The Safety and Health and Unit Security Officers will advise the Regional or Office Director of problems raised in their periodic discussions with the designated Union representatives.(2) Improvements in the workplace, equipment or procedures that will reduce or eliminate risks of accidents or injuries;
(3) Improved methods or approaches to skill training that may result in greater safety to employee(s), thereby increasing efficiency and morale; and
(4) Procedures to improve the physical and personal safety of employees.
4. SAFETY INSPECTIONS: The Employer shall conduct an annual safety inspection of all areas occupied by unit employees, and a designated Union representative shall have the right to participate in the inspection on official time. When safety inspections are made pursuant to OSHA or other statutes, or Departmental regulations in areas where unit employees work, the Union will be notified and a Union representative may accompany the inspector or inspecting team. The Employer agrees to provide the Union with a copy of all reports of safety inspections. Upon request, the Employer agrees to provide the Union statistical summaries of accident reports.
5. EMPLOYEE RIGHTS: The employee has the right:
a. To have access to copies of the Department's safety standards and injury and illness statistics;6. ALLEGATIONS OF REPRISAL: No employee shall be subject to restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal because such employee has filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to Section 19 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970 or to Executive Order 12196, or because such employee has participated in or is about to participate in any such proceeding, or because of the exercise by such employee on behalf of himself, herself, or others any right afforded by Section 19 of the Act or Executive Order 12196. These rights include, among others, the right of an employee to choose not to perform his or her assigned task because of a reasonable apprehension of health risk or serious injury coupled with a reasonable belief there is insufficient time to seek effective redress through established hazard and abatement procedures.b. To comment on occupational safety and health standards which the Employer follows or proposes;
c. To report and request inspections of workplaces which the employee believes to be unsafe or unhealthful, without fear of coercion or reprisal; and
d. To appeal to the Safety Director or the Assistant Secretary for Administration if the employee disagrees with the final disposition by the Department concerning working conditions reported as unsafe or unhealthful.
7. VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINAL: Operators will not be expected to work continuously at a terminal in excess of one hour periods. Operators are encouraged to briefly interrupt their video display terminal work (for example, by standing, stretching, etc.) at the end of every hour before resuming work. Approved breaks and lunch periods may also be used to interrupt the work periods.
8. In each Agency where a move or major renovation is undertaken, the Employer will request that GSA (or building management) provide and maintain separate lavatory facilities for building employees. It is understood that resource constraints, local regulations, and building occupancy arrangements cannot guarantee separate facilities.
Clean drinking water shall be accessible to employees except in highly unusual and temporary emergency situations, i.e., water shutdown for emergency plumbing repair, etc. The employer shall provide alternative water sources where there is a certifiable need.
9. Management will take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of all employees, including those employees using private interviewing rooms or interviewing the public in the field.
10. In the Case of job related injury/illness, the appropriate Employer representative will explain to the employee the rights and options available under the Federal Employee's Compensation Act. The Employer representative will supply the employee with the appropriate claim forms and assist the employee in the completion of the forms. Employee submitted forms will be promptly forwarded to PER/ER for proper handling and disposition. The Employer will ensure that employee - submitted forms and forms that must be completed by the Agency are promptly forwarded to the appropriate District of the Office of Workers' Compensation Program.
11. Union/Management councils will encourage employees and Employer officials to obtain training in CPR and First Aid. As determined by the Employer, official time may be granted to obtain such training. A First Aid kit will be provided and maintained by the Employer in each office.
12. The Employer agrees to notify the Union Vice President of threats
to the safety of the employees.