SAFETY--Bureau and Water Resources Division Safety and Health Reviews To: " WRD Archive File, Reston, VA " Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 16:27:44 -0500 From: "Carole Nethaway, Secretary (OA), Reston, VA " In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 441 MEMORANDUM December 8, 1997 To: William F. Gossman, Jr. Acting Chief, Office of Program Support From: Catherine L. Hill /signed, Stephen Blanchard/ Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations Subject: SAFETY--Bureau and Water Resources Division Safety and Health Reviews The position of the Water Resources Division (WRD) on safety and health reviews of WRD district programs is outlined in the attached WRD Memorandum No. 96.27, dated May 15, 1996. This memorandum clarifies WRD's position on safety management evaluations by bureau safety personnel. This position has been coordinated with Gary Kramer, Bureau Safety Manager. The WRD regional safety officers are responsible for reviewing the district safety and health programs within their regions. Results of the reviews are communicated to the appropriate WRD regional and bureau safety management offices to facilitate management of the WRD and bureau safety programs. The WRD Safety Committee supports bureau safety personnel's effort to conduct safety management evaluations of regional office safety programs, as mandated by the Department of the Interior (DOI) Department Manual 485 (DM 485, 5.3.B). The Committee endorses the bureau's continuing participation in the WRD safety reviews as the means for meeting DOI requirements. This cooperative approach minimizes the number of office visits and associated interruption of district operations while optimizing the effectiveness of the safety reviews. If you have questions, please contact William G. Shope, Jr., Chief, Branch of Operational Support, extension 5364. Attachment ATTACHMENT In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 405 May 15, 1996 WATER RESOURCES DIVISION MEMORANDUM NO. 96.27 Subject: SAFETY--Water Resources Division Safety and Health Reviews This memorandum describes the Water Resources Division's (WRD) new approach to conducting safety and health reviews. The approach was formulated by the WRD Safety Committee to provide more effective and, in many cases, fewer reviews. The new approach will coordinate and combine, when feasible, bureau, division, and local reviews that will include an emphasis on assisting WRD management and collateral duty safety officers to improve their safety and health program. There are no new or additional reviews. The division review replaces the safety inspections previously conducted by the Branch of Operational Support. The new approach supports WRD's commitment to a safety program that complies with applicable laws and regulations, equips the work force with training and equipment, and provides a work environment to complete its mission safely and in good health. Safety and Health Reviews will be performed by the WRD Regional Safety Officers and/or the Division Safety Officer. The organizational units to be reviewed will include all districts, Branches of Regional Research, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Ocala Quality of Water Service Unit, Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, National Water Quality Laboratory, and Yucca Mountain Project. The current plan is to review organizational units on a 4-year cycle. Some units may be reviewed more or less frequently, depending on need and availability of resources. Uniformity of the review process will be maintained by designating a few reviews each year to be done by a team of two or more Safety Officers. When possible, Safety and Health reviews by WRD and bureau safety personnel will be coordinated with each other and in concert with local annual inspections to maximize the value gained by use of a larger review team and to minimize the number of inspections and disruption of district/branch operations. The WRD Safety and Health Review will focus on three elements of the safety program. About one-half of the review effort will evaluate the managerial, operational, and promotional aspects of the unit's safety program. This evaluation will include environmental compliance. Approximately 30 percent of the review will be spent on inspection of equipment and facilities. The remainder of the review will be devoted to assisting safety personnel to understand and implement the steps necessary to improve their safety program. These proportions are to be considered as guidelines. The fraction of the review spent on any one element may be adjusted to fit specific needs at the reviewer's discretion. Appropriate checklists will be used in the review to achieve completeness. These lists, in suitable form, will be distributed prior to a review so that personnel involved will have knowledge of the reviewer's expectations. Reviewers are encouraged to report both positive and negative findings. Negative findings will be prioritized by the reviewer. The unit's safety officer will be responsible for maintaining these findings in the Hazard Elimination Log. Resolution of negative findings shall be done as soon as is practicable. This policy shall become effective on the date of this memorandum. If you have any questions regarding any aspect of these procedures, please contact the appropriate Regional Safety Officer. /signed/ Catherine L. Hill Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations This memorandum does not supersede any previous WRD memorandum. Distribution: A, B, S, FO, PO