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News & Highlights
October 2004
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News & Highlights -- October 2004
National Fire Prevention Week -- October 3-9
Nearly 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes that do not have smoke alarms, or have alarms that do not work. This year's Fire Prevention Week campaign -- Test Your Smoke Alarms -- focuses on making sure homes and facilities are equipped with smoke detectors, and what to do when the alarm sounds. Sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association, click-on Fire Prevention Week. Resources focus on families and kids, teachers and the classroom, and the fire service community.
Over the past four years, Interior has experienced an average of four structural/building fires per year. Fortunately, none has resulted in personal injury. The causes of the fires include stored batteries and materials, electric appliances, unknown origin, and one case of arson.
DOI Safety and Occupational Health Manual, DM 485, Available on CD
Department Manual, DM 485, sets forth the policy for the implementation and administration of the safety and occupational health program for the Interior Department.
It consists of 29 chapters that range from defining the responsibilities of safety and health officials to safety awards. The DM is available through the Electronic Library of Interior Policies, ELIPS, by clicking-on DM485.
A CD of the DM 485 is available by request. It has been popular with bureau field sites, particularly with the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is restricted through court order from internet access. To obtain a copy, send your name, address, and email or phone number to: Harrison Daniel, Office of Safety and Occupational Health, Denver, CO e-mail: hdaniel@ios.doi.gov fax: 303-236-7336 tel: 303-236-7128 ext 229.
Report on DOI Employee Occupational Workers' Compensation Program Cases for Chargeback Year 2004
This report provides an analysis of Interior Department Occupational Workers' Compensation Program (OWCP) costs and accidental injuries and occupational illnesses of employees for the period 1 July 2003 - 30 June 2004. Comparative charts, by bureau, are given for costs of compensation, lost time injuries/illnesses, incident rates, and injuries by occupation. Information in the report is based on accidental injury and occupational illness claims submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor. Click-on Report on Employee OWCP Cases for Chargeback Year 2004 (pdf format).Winter is Approaching.... Check for Vermiculite Attic Insulation in Older Buildings
Learn about the current Best Practices for limiting potential exposures to vermiculate insulation that may be contaminated with asbestos. Two valuable resources are provided:- Vermiculite Attic Insulation in Older Buildings, 3pp. An Office of Occupational Health and Safety Guidance Document for Interior Department employees; click-on, DOI Guidance Document (pdf format).
- Current Best Practices for Vermiculite Attic Insulation, Environmental Protection Agency, May 2003, 2-page brochure. A comprehensive review of the issues with references to more resources; click-on, EPA Insulation Brochure.
SafetyNet's 2005 Events Calendar
Events and activities are being added to the 2005 Calendar. It is still early for many events to be scheduled, but with travel and budgets concerns; It is Time to Start Thinking 2005.
The calendar presents Federal and national health and safety activities of interest to Interior employees. It also provides DOI bureaus the opportunity to list major safety & health events throughout the year; particularly, those open to all Interior employees. To add a bureau or other event, contact Harrison Daniel, DOI Office Occupational Health & Safety, Denver, CO e-mail: hdaniel@ios.doi.gov fax: 303-236-7336 tel: 303-236-7128 ext 229.
Click-on, 2003-2005 Calendar. The Calendar is permanently located under the News and Highlights category found on the SafetyNet homepage.
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News & Highlights -- September 2004
Interior Employee Killed In An All-Terrain-Vehicle Accident
Tragically, on August 2, 2004, a Bureau of Land Management employee lost his life while conducting land health assessments. The fatality resulted when the all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) the employee was operating overturned trapping him underneath. This is the third Interior Department employee fatality in FY 2004.Motor vehicles represent the 3rd leading cause of safety and health incidents throughout the Interior Department. Of all the accidents reported from these incidents, 75% involve Off-Highway-Vehicles (OHV's) that include all-terrain-vehicles, snowmobiles, and off-road-motorcycles. Of the accidents reported, 30% involve Interior employees and 70% involve visitors to our Federal lands. Click-on DOI Motor Vehicle Incident/Accident Quiz to learn of motor vehicle incidents.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has a Position Statement that describes all-terrain-vehicles, their risks, and safety recommendations. Click-on Position Statement.
A Look at Wildland Fires Across the Nation
National acreage burned by wildland fires this year, as of August 23, 2004, is nearly double the 10-year average for this same period. From January 1st through August, 23th, 2004, a total of 6,501,003 acres have burned (54,088 fires). The 10-year average for this same period is 3,368,527 acres burned with 60,605 fires. Three large fires in Alaska have accounted for 1,631,927 acres burned this year.
Lessons learned will continue to influence firefighting policy, as well as insurance policies of those living in wildland/urban interface areas. The following sites provide the latest information on the national fire situation, drought conditions, wildland fire statistics, and how to protect homes and dwellings:
- Secretary's Message on Fire Safety (pdf format). Secretary Gale Norton's message on our duties to support fire emergencies and the paramount goal of firefighter and public safety.
- Current Wildland Fire Update. Latest available fire statistics, nationwide and state-by-state summaries including number of fires and acres burned. Many of the large fires have individual websites that include maps, glossary of terms, Q and A's, photos, and investigations.
- National Drought Map and Summary. Presents a continually updated drought monitor map and interesting drought information for your area and across the Nation.
- Past Fire Information Since 1960. Past information nationwide from 1960 including the number of fires, acres burned, cause, and Federal costs.
- FireWise. A site for homeowners who live in fire-prone areas. Information provided can help individuals learn how to lessen the risk of damage caused by wildland fire to their home and property.
Hail and Farewells -- the Changing Faces and Offices of the DOI Safety and Health Program
The Department of the Interior has reorganized its Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. The occupational health and safety functions, formerly under the Office of Managing Risk and Public Safety (MRPS), are realigned under a new Office of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The new office logo is pictured to the left. Click-on DOI News Release. Diane Schmitz, formerly the Team Leader for Occupational Health and Safety within the Office of MRPS, is head of the new Office of OHS. Congratulations Diane!
The OHS Office reports to Kathleen Wheeler, Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer, who is our new DOI Designated Agency Safety and Health Officer (DASHO), Click-on DASHO. All the Interior safety and health community Welcomes Kathleen!
Special Thanks goes to Bob Lamb, who served as our recent DASHO during the establishment of the DOI Workers' Compensation Website . This website has been established to provide information and procedures on workers’ compensation, as well as to provide information on the benefits provided under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA).
SafetyNet Needs To Hear From You
SafetyNet's monthly News and Highlights
- Bureau of Reclamation, Elephant Butte Field Division, Achieves OSHA's STAR Status (October 2003 News). The Field Division continues to be the only DOI-employee managed facility to earn this highest STAR status under the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). An entire labor-management-employee feat.
- U.S. Geological Survey, Regional Safety Managers, Earn Recognition and S&H; Manager Certification (July 2003 News). Interested in certification? Dan Stanley, Roger Rumenik, and Clyde Sholar accomplished it.
- DOI's Office of Occupational Health and Safety's, Industrial Hygienist, Tim Radtke, Evaluated Air Quality at the World Trade Center, NY (January 2002 News).
- Learn From Others and Yourself. Everyone's duties become safer through employee reporting of close call experiences. Learn how to Share Your Close Call Experiences in SafetyNet.
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News & Highlights -- August 2004
A New Category Has Been Added to SafetyNet
Safety Performance
- SMIS, Safety Management Information System. This section provides a brief description of the DOI SMIS web-based safety and health information system for employees that are not responsible for reporting injuries and accidents.
- DOI Annual Report to the Secretary of Labor. This section provides a description of the Annual Report required under the OSHA Act of 1970, and copies of the report for the past three years.
Safety & Health Measures. This section provides a list of the Top 10 most frequent Safety and Health incidents of 2003, a brief summary of fatalities, and a power point presentation, Safety and Health Performance, which presents Department-wide, bureau and Federal agency statistics.
- Close Call Incidents. To make us more aware of hazards we face in our specific job duties, this section will report on close call incidents that could have been worse. Employees are encouraged to submit a brief accounting of their experiences. The first close call is submitted by your SafetyNet Information Manager. Click-on and learn, and submit your experiences.
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