MINUTES--WRD Safety Committee Meeting, December 1997 To: "Catherine L Hill, ACH/Operations, Reston, VA " cc: "Robert S Williams Jr., Hydrologist, Denver, CO ", "Gordon L Nelson, District Chief, AK, Anchorage, AK ", "Jess D Weaver, District Chief, Alabama, Montgomery, AL ", "Randolph B See, District Chief, Kentucky, Louisville, KY ", "Derrill J Cowing, District Chief, Idaho, Boise, ID ", "Gary N Paulachok, District Chief, PA, Lemoyne, PA ", "Kenneth L Lindskov, District Chief, Rapid City, SD ", "W. Scott Gain, District Chief, Nashville, TN ", "Robert W Craig, Chief, Yucca Mtn. Project, Las Vegas, NV ", "Robert M Hirsch, Chief Hydrologist, Reston, VA ", "David P Russ, Reston, VA ", "Stephen F Blanchard, Deputy ACHO, Reston, VA ", "Lewis Wade, ACH/Water Information, Reston, VA ", "Verne R Schneider, ACH for TS, Reston, VA ", "Mary J Baedecker, ACH for Research, Reston, VA ", "William J Carswell Jr., Regional Hydrologist, Reston, VA ", "Timothy L Miller, Chief, NAWQA, Reston, VA ", "Thomas H Yorke Jr., Chief, OSW, Reston, VA ", "William M Alley, Chief, OGW, Reston, VA ", "Janice R Ward, Acting Chief, OWQ, Reston, VA ", "James G Peters, Program Officer, Reston, VA ", "Gail E Mallard, Hydrologist, Reston, VA ", " WRD Safety Committe, Reston, VA ", "Gary W Kramer, Reston, VA ", "F. Dave Byrd, Sup Hyd Tech/Dist Safety Coord, Williamsburg, KY ", " WRD Archive File, Reston, VA ", "Carole Nethaway, Secretary (OA), Reston, VA ", "Melvin Lew, Hydrologist, Reston, VA ", "William G Shope Jr., Chief, Br. of Oper. Support, Reston, VA ", "Ronald V James, Research Chemist, Menlo Park, CA " From: "Ronald V James, Research Chemist, Menlo Park, CA " Subject: MINUTES--WRD Safety Committee Meeting, December 1997 Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 13:29:25 -0500 Sender: "Carole Nethaway, Secretary (OA), Reston, VA " In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 405 MEMORANDUM February 26, 1998 To: Catherine L. Hill Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations From: Ronald V. James /signed, Melvin Lew/ Chair, Safety Committee Subject: SAFETY--Water Resources Division Safety Committee Meeting, Louisville, Kentucky, December 9-11, 1997 This memorandum summarizes the meeting of the Water Resources Division (WRD) Safety Committee held December 9-11, 1997, in Louisville, Kentucky. The meeting was held as part of our continuing commitment to provide direction to, and guidance for, safety, occupational health, and environmental issues of importance to WRD. The minutes of the meeting are attached. Special thanks were given to Ms. Linda Maglothin (Secretary, Kentucky District) for providing logistical assistance and to Dave Byrd (collateral duty safety officer, Kentucky District) for participating in the work groups and sharing his technical expertise with the Committee. Highlights of the August meeting include: Catherine Hill, Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations, attended the Thursday morning session and was given an update on Committee activities. She participated in discussions of selected elements of the WRD Safety Program and recommended that the Chairperson of the Safety Committee make a presentation to the Senior Staff on the Committee's accomplishments and goals. Steve Eck, USGS Eastern Region Safety Manager, conducted an open discussion with the WRD Safety Committee on Bureau activities and the progress of the revision of the USGS Occupational Hazards and Safety Procedures Handbook (445-2-H). Mississippi District personnel have completed several generic JHA's. Also, Ralph Teller has prepared a JHA for streamgaging during flood conditions. When reviewed and approved by the Safety Committee, a link to these generic JHA's will be added to the Safety Homepage. Draft memos on the following topics were prepared or revised by the Safety Committee. The memos will be submitted to Cathy Hill for approval and distribution. o District Safety Reviews o WRD Defensive Driver Training Policy o Hazardous Waste Coordinator Training o Chemical Laboratory Safety o WRD Immunization Program o Cableway Safety: Cablecar and Reel Retrofits Review comments from field personnel on the following topics were discussed. Revised documents will be completed and submitted to the technical offices for review. o WRD Hazardous Waste Site Operations o Confined Space (Stilling Well) Guidelines o Cableway Safety Plan o WRD Drilling Safety Plan The next meeting of the WRD Safety Committee will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, April 21-23, 1998. Attachment Attachment WRD Safety Committee Meeting Minutes December 9 - 11, 1997 Louisville, KY The Water Resources Division (WRD) Safety Committee met at the Kentucky District Office in Louisville on December 9-11, 1997. Ron James, Chairperson, opened the meeting and Randy See, the Kentucky District Chief, welcomed the Committee to Louisville. The following Committee members and Bureau Eastern Region Safety Manager were in attendance: Member Position Function Ron James WR Regional Safety Officer Chair & WR Rep. Melvin Lew Hydrologist Secretary Bill Shope Chief, Br. of Op. Support Management & HIF Rep. Carlos Arozarena CR Regional Safety Officer CR Rep. Clyde Sholar NR Regional Safety Officer NR Rep. Roger Rumenik SR Regional Safety Officer SR Rep. Derrill J. Cowing District Chief, ID District WR District Chief Rep. Jess Weaver District Chief, AL District SR District Chief Rep. Jim Lewis Senior Tech., TN District Section Chief Rep. Ken Thompson Data Chief, AK District Section Chief Rep. Ralph Teller Hydro Tech, SD District Senior Tech Rep. Bill Schaffstall Hydro Tech, PA District Senior Tech Rep. F. Dave Byrd Safety Officer, KY District District Rep. Steve Eck Visiting USGS Eastern Region Safety Manager 1. Discussions on the Agenda, Working Groups, and Participants. The following agenda items were addressed by the Committee in general session. Results of the deliberations are reported in detail below. 2. National and Regional Issues. 3. Bureau Activities. 4. WRD "Safety Policy and Guidance Memorandums" Book. 5. USGS Visual Identity. 6. District Health and Exercise Program. 7. Chemical Laboratory Safety. 8. USGS Safety Policy on Working during Adverse Conditions. 9. Job Hazard Analyses Repository. 10. Denver Federal Center Radiation Clean up. 11. Safety Review of a Denver YMP Laboratory. 12. Collaborating with Other Divisions on Sharing Safety Resources. 13. Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations. 14. USGS Firearms Safety Committee. 15. Environment Canada. 16. Provide Hantavirus Awareness and a Generic Hantavirus Infection Prevention Plan. 17. Hazard Communication Training Requirements. 18. Safety Training for Supervisors and Managers. 19. Next Meeting. The following work group topics were assigned and approved by the Committee. Work groups reported to the Committee on these topics. Actions taken are described below. WORK GROUP A: Bill Schaffstall, Clyde Sholar, Bill Shope, Jess Weaver and Steve Eck. A-1. Hazardous Waste Coordinator Training. A-2. District Safety Reviews. A-3. Respiratory Protection Guidelines and Generic Respiratory Protection Plan. A-4. WRD Immunization Program. A-5. WRD Hazardous Waste Site Operations. A-6. District Safety Annual Reporting Requirements and Management Safety Awards Criteria. WORK GROUP B: Carlos Arozarena, Dave Byrd, Melvin Lew, Roger Rumenik, and Ken Thompson. B-1. District Generic Safety Plan. B-2. Confined Space (Stilling Well) Guidelines. B-3. WRD Drilling Safety Plan. B-4. Inactive or Abandoned WRD Facilities. WORK GROUP C: Derrill J. Cowing, Ron James, Jim Lewis, and Ralph Teller. C-1. Guidelines for Sampling and Taking Measurements from Boats. C-2. WRD Safety Program Evaluation. C-3. WRD Defensive Driver Training Policy. C-4. Inclusion of Safety Elements in Technical and Management Training Courses. C-5. Safety Communication Procedures. C-6. Cableway Safety Plan. C-7. WRD Safety Homepage. C-8. Cablecar and Reel Retrofits C-9. Firearms Safety and Training. 2. National and Regional Issues. Members of the Safety Committee expressed their thoughts and concerns. National- The Branch of Operational Support has budgeted $40,000 this fiscal year to support Committee activities. Committee member suggestions for use of these funds can be made to Bill Shope. Mike Fields who had been handing the Safety Homepage for the Branch of Operational Support retired in December. Support for the Safety Homepage has been transferred to Cheryl P. Nelson, Acting Chief, Information Management Section, HIF. Her E-mail address is (cpnelson@usgs.gov). The WRD Safety Homepage is now located at the URL: http://wwwhif.er.usgs.gov/uo/safety.html The Office of Aircraft Services working capital fund cost ($287K for FY 98) to support the USGS Aviation Program will be paid at the Bureau level. For this fiscal year, none of the working capital fund costs will be passed down to the WRD districts. Bill Shope or Melvin Lew will be the point of contact in Reston to provide support to the WRD Safety Program and to provide the communicating link to the Bureau safety office. Northeastern Region- The position of Regional Safety Officer in the Northeastern Region has been upgraded to a full-time position. Since the August Safety Committee meeting, Clyde Sholar conducted a safety assistance visit to the Illinois District, conducted a safety review of the Ohio District, revised safety components in the Northeastern Region Strategic Plan, and added a link on the Northeastern Region Homepage to the WRD Safety Homepage. At the Northeastern Region District Chiefs meeting in Rosemont, IL, changes in the character of our work force were discussed. There seems to be a shift in new hires from people with rural backgrounds to people raised in urban environments. Along with the background differences and greater diversity in attitudes, strength and agility prevail. To adjust to these changes, it was suggested that we look for new technologies and procedures for improving safety and increasing the ease with which we accomplish our work. Pfiesteria is a concern in some Northeastern Region Districts. Safe sampling techniques are being addressed in the Maryland District, and safe procedures for performing analyses are being addressed in the Kentucky District Sediment Laboratory. The recent informational memorandum issued on this subject seemed to confuse rather than clarify the issues. As a result, contact has been made with the Eastern Region's Technical Advisory Committee on Pfiesteria (TACP). Information received from TACP is being distributed to affected WRD offices. Some Pennsylvania District staff completed the USFWS electrofishing course and provided Clyde Sholar with a comprehensive document on electrofishing safety. Steven Smith, of the Northeastern Region, sent the Northeastern Region NAWQA Study Unit Biologists a message describing key safety issues when conducting night electrofishing operations. The above information was provided to the other regional safety officers for broader distribution. The Indiana District Chief had previously provided Clyde Sholar with information about the use of pagers and GPS Cellular locator devices to improve the safety of field employees. Bill Shope indicated that Ernie Hubbard of OSW has additional information on this topic. Central Region- The State of Colorado Hazardous Waste Management Division has conducted inspections throughout the Denver Federal Center. Violations have been found and an "Order of Consent" has been imposed by the State. Bureau of Reclamation has been fined $187K by the State for violations found in their facilities. Nine violations have been found at the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) resulting in a penalty assessment of $70K. Some of reported violations are being challenged. Corrective action is being taken by the laboratory to address the reported violations. Carlos Arozarena believes that good record keeping is essential for a successful challenge, and that we need to do a better job of keeping documentation. Carlos Arozarena reported on a situation involving an unused gaging station on private property. The property owner found mercury on the floor and reported it to the State. The District immediately cleaned up the building to the satisfaction of the property owner and State personnel. Southeastern Region- Steve Eck, newly appointed Eastern Region Safety Manager, accompanied Roger Rumenik on a safety program review of the Alabama District and a follow-up safety review of the Mississippi District and the HIF. In addition, laboratory inspections and training in proper procedures for handling hazardous wastes were conducted at seven Florida District offices. Rumenik made a presentation on current safety issues at the Regional Surface-Water Seminar held in Atlanta. The audience included Surface-water Specialists, Data Chiefs, and Senior Technicians. Districts are doing a better job in meeting their safety program requirement, based on responses from scheduled annual reporting and from results of safety program reviews. Two safety alerts were issued during the quarter--on pfiesteria as a concern in coastal areas, and proper attention to CO2 cartridges in SOS PFD's. Appreciation was given to district and regional personnel who provided time as reviewers to policy and plans developed by the Committee: Drilling Safety Plan; Hazardous Waste Site Operation, and update; Cableway Safety Plan, and update; and Working Safety in Stilling Wells. Appreciation was also given to Susan Lane, Tampa Subdistrict Safety Officer, for her contribution to WRD's safety program in water-quality field sampling. She is relinquishing her position after 8 years of devoted service. Collaborating with other divisions continued in the areas of boat operators' training and participating in Bureau Safety Committee meetings. In the area of outreach, Fred Morris (MS) participated in the Mississippi AquaFair where he instructed 200 5th-graders on the proper use and choice of personal flotation devises (PFD's). Western Region- Derrill Cowing and Ken Thompson attended an international meeting with the Canadians. The Canadians have upgraded their safety program, and in March 1995, they developed a Safety and Health Manual for Hydrometric Field Activities. They are serious on the subject of safety, and their field manual contains some good information that is applicable to working conditions that we experience. A copy of the Manual was provided to the RSO's. The Canadians use a company called "Rescue Three International" for providing fast water rescue training. The Nevada District has also used them and they come highly recommended. The company has a web site at http//www.rescue3.com. Field personnel in the performance of their jobs occasionally encounter wild animals. Ron James recommended that guidelines be developed for dealing with wild animals. He will follow-up with a proposal to be presented to the Committee in April. A statement was made at a previous Committee meeting that workers' compensation could be denied if an employee was injured on the job and was not following official safety procedures. Ron James contacted OWCP to clarify this statement. He was told that employees injured on the job are entitled to workers' compensation unless the claim is proved to be fraudulent, or there is documentation demonstrating the employee's repeated failure to follow safety directives and repeated reminders to the employee to follow policy. 3. Bureau Activities. Steve Eck, USGS Eastern Region Safety Manager, conducted an open discussion with the WRD Safety Committee on Bureau activities and the progress of the USGS Safety Manual (445-2-H) revision. Steve was asked what the approval process would entail regarding final acceptance of the revised 445-2-H. He will obtain the information and relay it to Mel Lew for distribution to the Committee. The Bureau has established a working group to develop policy recommendations on the implementation of an automated mechanism for reporting accidents under the Safety Management Information System (SMIS). Roger Rumenik volunteered to serve on the SMIS working group. A second working group established by the Bureau deals with "Specialized Safety Programs." Mel Lew will represent WRD on this work group. It will develop recommendations on the Specialized Safety Program support and staffing. The work group consists of six members, all the Division Safety Managers, a Regional Safety Manager, and a Bureau Safety Office representative. The present Specialized Program Managers will serve in an advisory capacity to the work group. To assist the work group in developing a recommendation, Gary Kramer is preparing a generic specialized program management plan; and the Specialized Safety Program Managers are preparing mission statements, including expected goals, objectives, and priority issues for their respective programs. Melvin Lew will provide copies of the management plan and the Specialized Safety Program Managers' reports to the WRD Safety Committee for their review and comment to assist WRD management in developing the Division's response to this effort. The draft USGS Safety Manual has been placed on the USGS internal web page for comments from Survey personnel. Comments were received until January 23, 1998. The Bureau will evaluate comments and the revised Manual will be provided to the Divisions for their formal review by the middle of February. The DOI Safety Seminar is scheduled for the week of May 18, 1998, in Phoenix, AZ. 4. WRD "Safety Policy and Guidance Memorandums" Book. After discussing various alternatives for keeping the WRD Safety Policy and Guidance Memorandums notebook up to date, the Committee recommended that efforts be focused on maintaining the contents of the notebook on the WRD Safety Homepage. The Committee also recommended that a means be developed to easily update hard copies of the notebook from the web, and that a more user-friendly method be developed to identify and locate specific memos. The Branch of Operational Support will follow up on these tasks and an informational memorandum will be drafted for Committee review. 5. USGS Visual Identity. Difficulties have been encountered in attempts to acquire signs, clothing, and safety-related items that display the USGS visual identity. There is confusion over where these items can be purchased and the appropriate use of federal funds for this purpose. Bill Shope is working with others at Headquarters to resolve these issues and will keep the Committee informed of developments in this regard. 6. District Health and Exercise Program. Back injuries are one of the most frequent injuries that are experienced by WRD employees. To prevent these injuries, some districts have asked if they can provide health and exercise programs for their employees. The answer in general is, "Yes." Details are provided in "The Federal Fit Kit" which is available from the Government Printing Office for $16.00, stock no. 006-000-01325-2. The Federal Fit Kit is designed to provide informative guidance for establishing and improving Federal employee fitness and health programs and facilities. The vinyl three-ring binder is red, white, and blue. It has approximately 150 pages of text. 7. Chemical Laboratory Safety. The Committee agreed with Ron James that the Open File Report 83-131 entitled, "Laboratory Safety Handbook," is out of date. The Committee accepted the recommendation to adopt the handbook entitled, "Prudent Practices in the Laboratory, Handling and Disposal of Chemicals" as the source of safety standards and procedures for safe working practices in the laboratories of the Water Resources Division. This handbook is prepared by members of the laboratory community through sponsorship of the National Research Council and is kept up-to-date by periodic revisions. A memorandum superseding WRD Memorandum No. 83.98 will be prepared describing this change. 8. USGS Safety Policy on Working during Adverse Conditions. WRD personnel face adverse conditions in some form every day. Personnel need to use common sense, use their training, and be aware of their surroundings. An educational video on coping with potential violence in field operations is available to us. The video was prepared by the National Park Service and the topics addressed include, violence on public lands, external threats, family stress, extremist groups, and strategies one can use to improve one's feeling of security while on the job. Mel Lew will provide a copy of the video to the RSO's for review. Carlos Arozarena asked for a policy on the purchase of electrolyte beverages for personnel in the field. Roger Rumenik provided a copy of a USGS briefing by the Office of Procurement and Contracts dated, August 1994. This briefing states that with the cancellation of Survey Manual Chapter 403.30, protective clothing and equipment may now be acquired using any purchase method, including bankcards. It further states that supervisors can fully exercise their own judgment and authority in determining what items of protective clothing or equipment are needed for a given work situation. The document also states that DOI has determined that it is appropriate for agencies to purchase products such as insect repellent, sunblock, and electrolyte replacement beverages when needed by employees for performance of official duties. 9. Job Hazard Analyses Repository. Mississippi District personnel have updated and prepared 14 generic Job Hazard Analyses (JHA's). Also Ralph Teller has prepared a JHA for streamgaging during flood conditions. Review of these JHA's by the Safety Committee will be accomplished over the Intranet after they have been given a URL address by HIF personnel. When reviewed and approved by Safety Committee members, a link to the generic JHA's will be added to the Safety Homepage. 10. Denver Federal Center Radiation Clean up. Carlos Arozarena reports that Tim DeBey (new chairperson of the Bureau Central Region Safety Committee) and Darrell Liles (new Radiation Safety Officer) are doing a good job in cleaning up the accumulated waste. Tim DeBey has stated that funding support is needed to continue clean-up efforts. Cathy Hill recommended to Carlos that Tim DeBey submit a proposal to the Central Region WRD Radiation Safety Committee for evaluation. The WRD Radiation Safety Committee's evaluation should then be forwarded to her for consideration. In November, Carlos reported to the Branch of Operational Support, Cathy Hill, and the other RSO's that a Nickel 63 sealed source from the National Water Quality Laboratory was missing. The report included the existing paper trial for the sealed source. Carlos asked if the line of communication that he followed to notify WRD was correct, or should the notification be via Tim DeBey. Cathy Hill stated that his direct line of communication with her was correct. The contractor and subcontractor that were involved in a spill of radioactive materials at the Denver Federal Center have begun clean-up efforts at their expense. 11. Safety Review of a Denver YMP Laboratory. At the last Committee meeting, Carlos Arozarena and G. A. Rodriquez (YMP Safety Manager) reported that they were denied entry to one of the YMP laboratory facilities at the Denver Federal Center because of clean room conditions. The misunderstandings have been resolved, and assurance was given that the lab would be made available during the next review. 12. Collaborating with Other Divisions on Sharing Safety Resources. WRD safety personnel are engaging is shared responsibilities and resources in collaborating with other divisions in areas of bureau-level committees as: Bureau Safety Committee, subcommittee to evaluate specialized safety programs, and subcommittee to recommend policy to implement the Safety Management Information System (SMIS); and in the area of boat operator training. Also, accessible to other divisions is WRD's Safety Homepage. 13. Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations Attends Meeting. The Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations, Cathy Hill, attended the Thursday morning session and was provided with an update of Committee activities. She also participated in general discussions with the Committee on the progress of the WRD Safety Program. To fulfill the need to review the WRD Safety Program, Cathy recommended that the Chairperson of the Safety Committee make a presentation to the April 14-16, 1998, meeting of the Senior Staff. She reminded the non-permanent members of the Committee that they have a responsibility to represent their peers, pointing out that they represent their peers point of view in the Committee as well as carrying the Committee's perspective back to their peers. Cathy also requested that the Safety Committee meetings be scheduled one year in advance. She would like to attend one meeting a year and advanced scheduling will be helpful. 14. USGS Firearms Safety Committee. Cathy Hill announced that the retirement of William Hotchkiss, WRD, CR, would result in a vacancy on the USGS Firearms Safety Committee. She requested that the WRD Safety Committee make a recommendation for his replacement. The Committee felt that it was important that the WRD representative also represent the Alaska perspective. Therefore, the Committee recommended that Gordon Nelson, District Chief, Alaska, or his appointee represent WRD on the Bureau Firearms Safety Committee. 15. Environment Canada. As a follow-up to Derrill Cowing and Ken Thompson meeting with the Canadians, the Committee agreed to invite them to one of our Committee meetings to discuss and share information on common safety issues. Bill Shope will invite them to our next meeting. 16. Provide Hantavirus Awareness and a Generic Hantavirus Infection Prevention Plan. The district generic Hantavirus infection-prevention plan, modeled after the Utah District Plan, has been placed on the WRD Safety Homepage. 17. Hazard Communication Training Requirements. Requirements for Hazard Communication Training is generally determined by State and local agencies. The Safety Committee recommended that the Regional Safety Officers assume the responsibility for encouraging local offices to provide this training and monitoring the adequacy of it. The RSO's agreed to include assessment of Hazard Communication Training in the District Safety Reviews. 18. Safety Training for Supervisors and Managers. In keeping with the Chief Hydrologist's desire to provide safety training for Managers and Supervisors (Committee minutes, August 1997, item #5), the Committee will develop a plan for such training. In January, Ron James will make a safety presentation to WR managers as part of a management training session. In February, Ron James and Roger Rumenik will provide safety training to the managers and supervisors in the Arizona District. Based on the experience gained at these presentations, the Committee will begin working on the plan at the April meeting. 19. Next Meeting. The next meeting of the WRD Safety Committee will be held in Atlanta, GA. The meeting will be for 3 days, and is scheduled to begin on April 21, 1998. Tentative dates and locations of meetings following the April meeting will be September 15-17, 1998, in Anchorage, AK and January 12-14, 1999, in Tacoma, WA. REPORTS OF WORK GROUPS TO THE COMMITTEE GIVING PROGRESS AND STATUS OF ASSIGNED TOPICS: A-1. Hazardous Waste Coordinator Training. Because local authorities often determine hazardous waste regulations, work group "A" recommended that a national approach to Hazardous Waste Coordinator training would not be practical. The Committee agreed that an informational memorandum would be drafted that would stress the local nature of the applicable regulations, point out sources of local training for the Coordinators, encourage responsible disposal of hazardous wastes, and point out that the regulations governing hazardous waste disposal are in place to protect the environment. A draft memo was prepared referencing the "USGS Environmental Compliance Guide, December, 1994" as the best source for Federal information and for a listing of local Hazardous Waste Management Agencies. The memo will be submitted to Cathy Hill for approval and distribution. A-2. District Safety Reviews. The draft memo to the Bureau's Office of Program Support, requesting coordination of Bureau/WRD district safety reviews was revised to identify that the coordination of reviews had the support of the Bureau Safety Manager. The revised memo will be submitted by Bill Shope to Cathy Hill for approval. A-3. Respiratory Protection Guidelines and Generic Respiratory Protection Plan. Steve Eck looked at the respiratory protection guidelines and the generic respiratory protection plan and had some minor concerns. He will take the plan back to Reston for review. He will provide his suggestions to Mel Lew by the first of the year. This documentation package will be revised and provided to the Committee for review. A-4. WRD Immunization Program. The memo was revised to remove the medical advice. The Committee agreed that medical advice and treatments should not be in the memo. Current medical advice and treatments should be given by the doctors at the time needed. The revised memo will be submitted to Cathy Hill for approval and distribution. A-5. WRD Hazardous Waste Site Operations. A Revised Version of the WRD Hazardous Waste Site Operations policy, which will supersede WRD Memorandums No. 96.17 and No. 93.33, was sent to select field personnel for comments. Their comments were reviewed by work group "A." A revised document will be prepared and provided to Committee members for review. A-6. District Safety Annual Reporting Requirements and Management Safety Awards Criteria. This topic as not addressed at this meeting and will be considered at the next meeting of the Committee. B-1. District Generic Safety Plan. The generic plan covers a wide range of subjects that will allow districts to pick and choose appropriate areas of need. The draft plan is about 25% complete and is up to 20 pages. It is too large to be completed during work group sessions. Work on the draft plan will continue between Committee meetings. B-2. Confined Space (Stilling Well) Guidelines. The interim memo WRD 97.32, summarizing the results of the "Hazard Evaluation Program," and restating interim safety guidelines for entry into stilling wells, was distributed by Cathy Hill on September 9, 1997. Review comments from Regional Surface Water Specialists and confined space subcommittee members on the draft guideline for entering and working in gaging station stilling wells were discussed. The guidelines were revised to: identify a site condition that allows for one-person entry; define training requirements; provide examples of documentation required to be filled out for each entry; add fall protection/ladder requirements; and provide guidance for extraction methods during two-person entry conditions. Roger Rumenik will revise the plan and forward it to Committee members for comment. After that review, the revised plan will be submitted to the Office of Surface Water for additional input. B-3. WRD Drilling Safety Plan. The Safety Committee has continued its effort to develop a drilling safety plan that will promote the safety of all WRD personnel engaged in well-drilling and well-logging activities. Building on the Bureau of Reclamation's Drilling Standards, a draft plan was prepared and reviewed. Reviewers' comments, and some elements of the CR plan, will be incorporated into the WRD plan. Elements to be added from the CR plan include, supervisor and employee responsibilities; and use of personal protective equipment. Roger Rumenik will revise the proposed WRD drilling plan and forward it to Committee members for comment. After that review, the revised plan will be submitted to the Office of Ground Water for additional input. B-4. Removal of Inactive or Abandoned Facilities. The Division does not have a complete inventory of inactive facilities. Some districts are addressing the issue of removing unused facilities, and others are not. This topic was assigned to work group "B" for consideration at the next meeting of this Committee. C-1. Guidelines for Sampling and Taking Measurements from Boats. At a previous meeting, the Safety Committee identified the need to develop safety guidelines for sampling and taking measurements from boats. Tom Edwards has agreed to take a common-sense approach and develop qualitative guidelines for these operations. Ron James will contact Tom Edwards and establish a delivery schedule for the draft guidelines. C-2. WRD Safety Program Evaluation. As reported above (item #13), the Chairperson of the Safety Committee will make a presentation to the Senior Staff at its April meeting. The presentation will include a description of the WRD Safety Program, and will identify present safety issues. The Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations stated that the presentation will serve the purposes of the WRD Safety Program Review, previously discussed at the Committee's last meeting (minutes, August 12-14, 1997, item #25). C-3. WRD Defensive Driver Training Policy. The DOI requires that driver training be provided as needed. The Bureau policy requires the training every 3 years. The draft memo on driver training was reviewed and revised. This memo will be submitted to Cathy Hill for approval and distribution. It will supersede WRD Memorandum No. 91.39. C-4. Inclusion of Safety Elements in Technical and Management Training Courses. The Committee identified this topic as an important issue that should receive continuing effort. Prior to the next meeting of the Committee, an assessment will be made of progress to date and a report prepared for the Committee to be presented and discussed in April. C-5. Safety Communication Procedures. At the April 1997 Safety Committee meeting, procedures were established regarding the review and/or dissemination of correspondence on safety issues. This action can be found in the Committee meeting minutes of April 29-May 1, 1997, item #16. The following is a clarification of the procedures: Barring unforeseen circumstances, a. All safety correspondence originating with the Safety Committee will be distributed in its final form to Committee members for review at least 3 days prior to being sent to the Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations for signature and distribution; b. All safety correspondence originating with the Branch of Operational Support will be distributed in its final form to Committee members for review at least 3 days prior to being signed and distributed; c. All safety correspondence originating from Headquarters will be sent through, or copied to, the Regional Safety Officers; and d. To assure all safety correspondence reaches all WRD safety personnel, email correspondence will be sent to the safety_wrd mail list. C-6. WRD Cableway Safety Plan. Review comments were received on the revised cableway safety plan. This plan describes three levels of cableway training. It outlines training requirements for personnel that construct, use, or inspect cableways. The Committee addressed 31 issues raised by the reviewers. Ron James will incorporate the reviewers' comments and the Committee's discussion into the draft plan, and will forward it to Committee members for comment. After that review, the revised plan will be submitted to the Office of Surface Water for additional input. C-7. WRD Safety Homepage. The Safety Committee has defined this topic as one that will be addressed at each Committee meeting. The topic will be assigned to one of the work groups, which will ensure that the Safety Homepage is reviewed and recommendations made to the Committee. A list of recommendations was approved and given to Mel Lew for implementation. The list includes: a. The need to update the WRD safety events calendar for 1998. The RSO's will provide G.J. Hwang with the necessary information. b. Many lower level pages need to be reformatted to allow headings to wrap on the display. c. Some pages are present in multiple versions. The most appropriate version should be identified and links changed accordingly. Work group "C" has been carrying out this review responsibility for the past 2 years. Beginning in April 1998 (for an undefined duration), work group "B" will accept this task. C-8. Cablecar and Reel Retrofits. At the November Instrumentation Committee Meeting, the recommendation was made for mandatory use of a retrofit kit to strengthen critical structural members of cablecars, and of a pullout fitting for the reel end of reel cables. The Safety Committee agreed to prepare a memorandum recommending the retrofit kit for cablecars and requiring the pullout fitting. Mel Lew will draft this memo to be reviewed by the Committee members. The Committee decided it would not include these upgrade issues in the Cableway Safety Plan. It was deemed important to set a precedent for announcing such changes by memo rather than amending the Cableway Safety Plan with every change in technology or procedure. C-9. Firearms Safety and Training The WRD Safety Committee reviewed the proposed Chapter 19 of the USGS Occupational Hazards and Safety Procedures Handbook (445-2-H) which defines the USGS firearms safety program. As a result, the Committee recommends that the Bureau reconsider its approach and adopt a policy that deals directly with the primary hazard to our employees, that of the potential lethal attack by wild animals. Because employees are authorized to carry firearms as a part of this policy, firearm safety, by necessity, will form a significant part of this policy. It should: 1. Place highest priority on preventing and/or avoiding animal attacks using all means available. 2. Emphasize training in animal awareness, animal behavior, and proper employee behavior in the presence of wild animals or when in areas likely to be occupied by wild animals. 3. Stress that use of firearms for protection against animals is strictly a last resort measure to be used only when all other options have been exhausted. 4. Provide appropriate and adequate firearms safety training that takes into consideration working conditions and animal behavior. 5. Be sufficiently comprehensive and general so that local management has the responsibility for implementation, yet, have the flexibility to meet the needs of the local situation and local personnel. 6. Be sufficiently general to accommodate organizational differences. An alternate Chapter 19 has been drafted and will be submitted to Committee members for review. After final approval by the Committee, the draft will be submitted to the Bureau Safety Manager prior to January 23, 1998. (This document was distributed via email to: wrd-archive WRD Senior Staff Chief, National Water Quality Lab (Arvada) District Chief: AK, AL, KY, ID, PA, SD, TN Chief, Yucca Mt. Project Safety Committee Members USGS Safety Manager Dave Byrd, KY)