Water Safety

                                                 February 28, 1967

To:       District Chiefs & Project Chiefs, MCR

From:     Regional Hydrologist, MCR, WRD

Subject:  Water Safety

Attached is a copy of memo from Assistant Chief, Administration and
Technical Services to Regional Hydrolgists, on the above subject, dated
2/21/67; and a copy of RECOMMMENDED UNIFORM SAFE PRACTICE (RUSP) No.
4-61, dated October 31, 1961.

You will note from Mr. Leeson's memo that it is compulsory that all water-
craft owned or operated by the Survey shall conform with U.S. Coast Guard
requirements for life jackets and emergency flotation equipment and that
all occupants shall wear life jackets when on these watercraft.  Although
not mentioned in Mr. Leeson's memo, it is also a requirement of the Coast
Guard that gasoline-powered boats should carry Coast Guard approved fire
extinguishers.  Will you, therefore, please make sure that all your boats
are equipped with Coast Guard approved life jackets and fire extinguishers.

You should also provide each of your employees with appropraite type life
jackets or vests for wearing in other possible hazardous conditions around
water as noted in numbered paragraph 3 of Mr. Leeson's memo.  These life
jackets should be in the vehicles and we especially recommend that they be
use dwhen climbing from a bridge floor to an installation down on a pier;
when working from cable cars; and when wading streams, especially the wider
and swifter streams where there is a possibility of stepping into a hole or
getting swept off one's feet by the current or where the depth of the water
is near the limit of wading.  District Safety Officers and chiefs of field
parties are charged with the responsibility to see that these practices are
followed.

You will note from Mr. Leeson's memo that we are requested to furnish the
Washington office by March 15 an updated list of the officially designated
Regional and District Safety Officers.  We have such a list; however, it
is about a year old and since that time districts have been reorganized and
you will probably have one safety officer for the district.  In order for
us to update the list, will you kindly send us by return mail the name of
the District Safety Officer for your district.

                                 FOR THE REGIONAL HYDROLOGIST:




                                 W. R. Eaton

Attachments
[Contact the Branch of Operational Support, Reston, for a copy of
RUSP 4-61, Cross-Reference MCR67.83].

MCR Distribution:
   A,B (w/o attachments)
   FO-2, SL-1, SL-6 (w/attachments)

Key Words:  Personal Flotation Devices, Watercraft