9.1 Purpose. To specify the minimum Occupational Safety and Health Program (Program) requirements for the structure and function of the Department of the Interior (Department or DOI) Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) Council, the DOI Safety and Occupational Health Council, the U.S. Geological Survey (Bureau or USGS) Safety and Health, Council; USGS Specialized Program Committees, regional safety, occupational health committees, employee/management safety and occupational health committees, and safety and occupational health working groups.
9.2 Reference. 29 CFR Part 1960, subpart F, identifies requirements for certified committees and should be considered in establishing non-certified committees within the Department.
9.3 Safety and Occupational Health Committees and Councils—General.
A. The USGS uses committees at its headquarters and appropriate regional and field locations to enhance workplace safety and occupational health compliance.
B. Where committees exist, they will serve as advisors to their respective management, and as such, will enhance communications between management and personnel. Their scope of responsibility and involvement will be established in a functional statement, approved by their management.
C. Committee meeting minutes, the committee’s recommendations, and management’s responses will be in writing and retained for at least 2 years. Copies of these records should be provided to the next higher level manager for review.
D. Committee members should receive appropriate training within 6 months of their appointment to the committee.
E. Committees and their purposes are varied depending on the complexity and size of the organization and the nature of its operation. The committees are an integral part of the overall management effort to ensure that safe and healthy working conditions are established and maintained, including safe work habits and methods. Subcommittees may be established for the purposes of research, investigations, inspections or special safety projects.
F. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Councils and Committees should be used at Bureau Headquarters, Regional Headquarters, and field-level locations (district, center, team) to enhance workplace occupational safety and health compliance. The USGS has established the following formal Bureau and regional committees:
(1) Bureau Occupational Safety Health Council
(2) Bureau Environmental Management Council (See SM 308.63 and 445-1-H, Chapter 2)
(3) Bureau Aviation Advisory Committee
(4) Bureau Diving Control Board
(5) Bureau Watercraft Safety Committee
(6) Bureau Firearms Safety Committee
(7) Bureau Radiation Safety Advisory Board
(8) Regional Occupational Safety Health and Environmental Committees (See SM 308.63 and 445-1-H, Chapter 2)
G. Occupational Safety and Health Councils and Committees should be composed of employees knowledgeable of the process (real estate, machinery and equipment, labor methods, etc.) problems, conditions, or concerns with which they are dealing. They should have knowledge of the policy, regulations, standards, rules, procedures, etc., which guide and define the parameters of their operational activities and suggested solutions. A committee should include at least as many non-management members as managers.
H. Locations with over 20 employees will establish a safety, an occupational safety and health committee to enhance effective communications between employees and management, with meetings conducted on a quarterly basis, as a minimum, with membership of no fewer than three members with each member of the committee serving a minimum of 1 year. The chair of the committee is elected by the committee.
I. Facilities having fewer than 20 employees have the option of foregoing the implementation of a formal safety committee by requiring quarterly safety meetings with all employees in attendance. During these meetings, safety problems and resolutions, project assignments, status reports, and safety awareness activities should be discussed. Such meetings are intended to be a safety forum presided over by the organizational management or the Collateral Duty Safety Program Coordinator where meaningful safety business is conducted and positive results achieved.
9.4 Occupational Safety and Health Working Groups—General.
A. Working Groups designated by the Bureau OSH Council or Regional OSH Committees will be composed of a minimum of one safety and occupational health manager to provide group direction and oversight and an equal number of field representatives who have agreed to work together to develop safety, occupational health, or environmental program element guidelines or other documentation, to conduct research on specific safety and occupational health issues, or to perform other tasks on behalf of the Bureau or Region.
B. When Working Groups draft safety, occupational health, or program element guidelines or other projects, the governing council or committee will be responsible for distribution to all Bureau and Regional Occupational Safety and Health Managers and officers for review and comment. The comments will be summarized, voted on the governing regional committee and subsequently the Bureau OSH Council and recommendations for adoption will be provided to the DASHO. Upon approval, the Bureau Safety and Environmental Management Branch will serve as the administrator for publication and distribution.
9.5 Department DASHO Council.
A. The DASHO Council comprises the Departmental DASHO and Bureau DASHO’s. The DASHO Council provides executive-level Bureau and office involvement in the formulation of policy and the management of the Departmental Program.
B. The DASHO Council determines collective action to achieve the Departmental Occupational Safety and Health Strategic Plan and gives direction to and approves actions by the DOI Occupational and Safety Health Council.
C. The DASHO Council was formed by a secretarial charter that is detailed in http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/handbook/hb/445-2-h/app9.html of this Handbook. The charter describes the DASHO Council purpose, authority, membership, functions, organization, and structure.
9.6 Department of the Interior Safety and Occupational Health Council.
A. The DOI Safety and Occupational Health Council comprises Bureau Safety and Occupational Health Managers. This Council provides a focal point for coordinating safety and occupational health program activities of the Bureaus and serves as an advisory body on Program matters to the Departmental DASHO and the DASHO Council. It provides a forum for the exchange of safety and occupational health program information between the Office of Occupational Safety and Health and Bureau Safety and Occupational Health Managers, as well as other Departmental officials.
B. The DOI Safety and Occupational Health Council is structured and operates in accordance with established bylaws approved by the Department and maintained by the Council included as Appendix 9-2, Organization and By-Laws of the Department of Interior Safety and Occupational Health Council.
9.7 USGS Occupational Safety Health (OSH) Council.
A. Serves as an advisory body on OSH program matters to the Bureau Executive Leadership Team through the Bureau DASHO.
B. Provides a focal point for oversight and coordination of Bureau OSH policy and programs.
C. Provides Bureau OSH policy and program interpretation, coordination, and assistance to the Regions.
D. Provides a forum for the exchange of information between the Bureau Headquarters, Bureau Specialized Program Committees, and Regional Headquarters Committees. Charters and/or bylaws of the Bureau Council and Regional Committees are detailed in SM 308.64, Appendix A, Charter, USGS Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Council and SM 308.64, Appendix A, Charter, USGS Regional Occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental (OSHE) Committees.
9.8 Responsibilities.
A. Bureau Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Program Manager.
(1) Establishes a Bureau-level Occupational Safety and Health Council to address issues at the Bureau and regional levels as appropriate, with representation from the Safety and Environmental Management Branch, each region, and each Specialized Program Manager. Provide recommendations for program implementation and advises the USGS Executive Leadership Team through the Bureau DASHO. The Bureau Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Program Manager or designee shall serve as the Council Chair and publish meeting agendas and minutes from quarterly meetings.
(2) Establishes an Aviation Advisory Committee to address aviation safety and related aviation issues at the Bureau level. Serves as an advisor to the Bureau DASHO through membership on the Bureau Occupational Safety and Health Council. Ensures Aviation Advisory Committee membership is representative of each region and regional science program as appropriate, as well as the Bureau Aviation Manager and Bureau Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Program Manager, or designee. Ensures election of a chairperson by committee members, and that meetings are held biannually with agenda/minutes published.
(3) Establishes a Diving Control Board, which advises the Bureau DASHO through membership on the Bureau Occupational Safety and Health Council, to address underwater diving issues. Reviews accidents related to underwater diving, inclusive of making recommendations to prevent recurrence of similar accidents. Ensures the Board membership is representative of each region and regional science program that has underwater diving operations. Ensures that two-thirds of Board’s members are certified as underwater divers.
(4) Establishes a Watercraft Safety Committee, which advises the Bureau DASHO through membership on the Bureau Occupational Safety and Health Council, to address all watercraft issues. Reviews all accidents related to watercraft, inclusive of making recommendations to prevent recurrence of similar accidents. Ensures the membership is representative of each region and regional science program as appropriate. Ensures that at least two-thirds of the committee’s members are DOI-certified as motorboat operators.
(5) Establishes a Firearms Safety Committee, which advises the Bureau DASHO through membership on the Bureau Occupational Safety and Health Council, to address all firearms issues. Reviews all accidents related to firearms, making recommendations to prevent recurrence of similar accidents. Ensures membership is representative of each region and regional science program that has firearms activities. Ensures that at least two-thirds of the members trained and certified in firearms.
(6) Establishes a Radiation Safety Advisory Board, which advises the Bureau DASHO through membership on the Bureau Occupational Safety and Health Council, to address all radiation issues. Reviews all accidents related to radiation, making recommendations to prevent recurrence of similar accidents. Ensures the membership is representative of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) designated Radiation Safety Officers from each location who possess an NRC site license for radiation operations. Ensures that at least two-thirds of the members trained and certified in radiation safety.
B. Bureau Occupational Safety and Health Council (See SM 445-2-H Appendix 3 for additional responsibilities).
(1) Monitors performance of the USGS occupational safety and health program and makes policy recommendations regarding the operating of that Program to the head of the agency through the DASHO.
(2) Monitors the operation and assist in the development of established Bureau-level committees.
(3) Reviews Bureau programs as deemed appropriate by the Council. Program activities that may be reviewed include reports of inspections, internal and external evaluation reports, Bureau occupational safety and health training programs, proposed USGS policies, Bureau plans for abating hazards, responses to reports of hazardous conditions, program deficiencies, and allegations of reprisal.
(4) Monitors and recommends changes in the resources allocated to the entire agency occupational safety and health program.
C. Bureau Specialized Safety Program Committees. Responsibilities of Bureau-level Specialized Safety Program Committees are described in the respective program chapters within this Handbook and paragraphs 9.8 A (2-6) in this chapter; SM 308.66 Specialized Safety Program Committees and SM 308.66, Appendices A-E.
D. Regional Occupational Safety and Health Program Managers/Officers.
(1) Establish and actively participate in a region-level occupational safety and health committee to address issues at the regional level as appropriate, with representation from the Office of Regional Services, Regional Specialized Program Managers, and other members as shown within the Regional Committee Charter located in SM 308.65, Appendix A.
(2) Communicate regional occupational safety and health, and environmental committee recommendations to the Regional Executive Team through the Chief, Office of Regional Services.
(3) Coordinate Office of Regional Services support for the regional occupational safety and health and environmental committee for the publication and distribution of meeting agendas and minutes.
(4) Serve on the Bureau Occupational Safety and Health, and Environmental Management Councils.
E. Regional Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Committees (See SM 308.63, Appendix A , SM 308.65, Appendix A and 445-1-H, Chapter 2).
(1) Monitor performance of the occupational regional safety and health, and environmental programs and make recommendations regarding the operation of the programs to the head of the agency.
(2) Monitor the operation and assist in the development of established field-level committees.
(3) Review regional occupational safety, health, and environmental programs as deemed appropriate by the Committee. Program activities that may be reviewed include reports of inspections, internal and external evaluation reports, Bureau safety occupational health, and environmental training programs, proposed USGS policies, Bureau plans for abating hazards, responses to reports of hazardous conditions, program deficiencies, and allegations of reprisal.
(4) Monitor and recommend changes in the resources allocated to the entire regional occupational safety and, health, and environmental programs.
F. Field Level Occupational Safety and Health Committees.
(1) Assist in effective implementation of the Program at their respective establishment level, by reviewing the program and making recommendations regarding the operation of the Program.
(2) Monitor findings and reports of workplace inspections to confirm that appropriate corrective measures are implemented.
(3) Participate in inspections of the establishment when requested by organizational management, or when the committee deems it necessary for effective monitoring of established inspection procedures.
(4) Review internal and external evaluation reports and make recommendations concerning safety, occupational health, and environmental program establishment.
(5) Review and recommend changes to procedures for handling occupational safety and health suggestions and recommendations from employees, as appropriate.
(6) Comment on policy and/or standards proposed by the Bureau Safety and Environmental Management Branch when requested by organizational management, or when the committee deems it necessary.
(7) Monitor and recommend changes, as required, in the level of resources allocated and spent on the Program.
(8) Review organizational responses to reports of hazardous conditions, Program deficiencies, and allegations of reprisal.
(9) Develop and compile local safety plans covering organizational facility layout, activities, environmental factors, and emergency procedures that are non-duplicative of other pertinent instructions and contain complete instructions for emergencies, precautionary measures concerning any unabated hazards or situations unique to the station, safe procedures and techniques for station activities, provision for assisting the visiting public, and other appropriate matters, in conjunction with the Collateral Duty Safety Program Coordinator, Chemical Hygiene Officer, supervisors, and employees.
(10) Review and/or coordinate the review of the local safety plan annually and update as necessary. If a local committee is not established, the organizational Collateral Duty Safety Program Coordinator assumes this responsibility.
9.9 Definitions.