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| OSHA Strategic Partnerships Program
> Region 8 > #314 Partnership Agreement |
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INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
BILLINGS, MONTANA AREA OFFICE
AND
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE,
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
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Article I. Background
In past years, the National Park Service (NPS) has experienced the highest employee injury and illness rates of all Department of Interior (DOI) bureaus. Recognizing this problem, the NPS approached the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) asking for assistance in improving the employee safety and health programs at establishments with high Lost Time Case
Rates (LTCR).
In FY 2002, the SMIS Lost Time Case Rate for Glacier National Park was 8.47. This was 2.3 times the Intermountain Region
rate of 3.67.
As a result, Glacie r National Park and OSHA entered into this Agreement pursuant to the authority of the NPS Organic Act of 1916, 16 U. S. C. 1-4, Sections 19 and 24 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and Executive Order 12196
that allows OSHA to provide assistance to specific sites categorized as National Parks, National Recreation Areas, and
National Seashores.
Article II. Objectives
- Establish a Safety and Health program at Glacier National Park that will meet the Risk Management Program
Elements addressed in the NPS Directors Order 50B
- Reduce the number of OSHA recordable employee injuries within the park by 10% for each year of this agreement.
- Reduce the number of OSHA lost time injuries within the park by 10% for each year of this agreement.
- Provide safety and health training to all employees in the recognition and avoidance of safety and health hazards specific to the work being done at Glacier National Park.
Article III. Statement of Agreement
OSHA and Glacier National Park agree to work in partnership to improve employee safety and health at the Park. Accordingly, they make the following commitments:
OSHA Billings Area Office will:
- Help identify programmatic needs at the park by reviewing the park's safety and health program and provide practical help in implementing the program.
- Provide safety and health awareness training for park employees.
- Provide training to top and mid-level management on the values of an improved safety and health culture in the park.
- Provide abatement assistance for unique hazards in the Park.
- Provide priority safety and health assistance via telephone, fax, electronic mail or by way of brochures, booklets and other types of available correspondence.
Glacier National Park will:
- Establish a Safety and Health Program that meets the NPS standards in DO 50B.
- Implement a 3-year strategic action plan to meet the standards and assess the progress through an annual self-evaluation.
- Establish a Safety and Health policy written by the Park Superintendent and distribute to all employees of the Park.
- Commit to having Park management attend safety and health awareness training provided by OSHA.
- Conduct job hazard analysis for high hazard jobs and funded projects throughout the park.
- Conduct internal safety and health surveys in all areas of the park.
- Abate all hazards identified by the park safety and health surveys.
- Ensure employee participation in the safety and health surveys and the safety and health audits.
- Ensure that employees are not subject to restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal for filing a report of an unsafe or unhealthful working condition, or other participation in the Safety and Health Program.
- Implement a system of accountability for safety and health matters within the park.
- Annually, commit a percentage of the park funding for safety and health improvements.
Article IV. Verification Process:
Both parties will evaluate this agreement on an annual basis to determine progress towards the stated objectives. This evaluation will include an on-site evaluation, and will include:
- An annual evaluation of the park's safety and health program using OSHA's "Form 33" or a substantially equivalent evaluation tool to be determined by the parties. The results of these evaluations will be compared to a baseline
assessment, which will be established by using the same evaluation tool for 2003.
- An evaluation of progress towards the desired reductions in OSHA injury claims by comparing yearly OSHA data to that from calendar year 2002 in the following categories:
- Number of OSHA recordable injuries
- Number of OSHA lost time injuries.
- The Park will also track various activity measures such as the number of employees who received safety and health training, the number of job hazard analysis performed, the number of internal safety and health surveys
conducted, the number of near misses, and the number of hazards abated as a result of those safety and health surveys.
- The Park will report to the Billings Area Office on an annual basis the percentage of the park's budget allocated to safety and health.
Article V. Inspections:
All formal complaints, serious accidents, catastrophes, and fatalities will be inspected by OSHA according to standard agency procedures. Scheduled inspections, if any, will be limited in scope by focusing on those hazards which account for the most
serious injuries/ illnesses and highest number of injuries/ illnesses in the park.
Article VI. Terms of Agreement:
This agreement will be in effect for a term of five years from the date of signature. The agreement will be reviewed at the end of the term by both parties and may be renewed by a simple letter of renewal signed by the undersigned representatives, or their
designees, and the undersigned bargaining unit representative, or his designee. The agreement may be updated at the time of
renewal or, at any time prior to renewal, by mutual agreement of the representatives noted above.
Article VII. Key Officials:
The key officials in this agreement include the Superintendent, Glacier National Park, and the OSHA Area Director, Billings Area Office. Other key officials include the Deputy Superintendent, Glacier National Park, the division chiefs of the Park, the
Park Safety and Health Committee Chairperson and the Director, Intermountain Region for the NPS.
Article VIII. Payment:
The technical and program development assistance, training, etc., described above will be provided by the OSHA Area Office in Billings, will be provided without requiring compensation from NPS. Assistance from other OSHA offices may require
compensation from NPS, but will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Any such compensation will be transferred according
to the policies of the agencies and the respective departments of which these agencies are a part.
Article IX. Termination:
Either agency may cancel the agreement by notifying the other agency at least sixty (60) days in advance. Reason(s) for
cancellation of the agreement will be stated in the notice of cancellation.
SIGNATURES
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Michael Holm
Glacier National Park Superintendent
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Date |
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Jerry O'Neal
Glacier National Park, Deputy Superintendent
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Date |
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David J. DiTommaso
OSHA, Area Director
Billings Area Office |
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Date |
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