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Contacts & Councils

DASHO Council

Purpose: The purpose of the Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) Council is to provide executive level bureau and office involvement in the formulation of policy and the management of the Departmental Safety and Health Program. The Council determines the collective action to achieve the Departmental Occupational Safety and Health Strategic Plan.

The Council also provides direction to and approves action by the Department of the Interior Safety and Health Council. This S&H; Council functions at the operational level, and is comprised of bureau and office safety and health managers.

Members: Kathleen Wheeler, Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer, represents Secretary Gale Norton as the DOI DASHO. DASHO Council Members is a list of members from each bureau and how to contact.

Meetings & Reporting: The DASHO Council meets no less than four times per year with the schedule determined by its members. Meeting dates and summary minutes since January 2003 are posted in DASHO Council Summary Minutes.

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DOI Safety and Occupational Health Council

Purpose: The purpose of the Department of the Interior Safety and Occupational Health Council (S&H; Council) is to discuss significant departmental safety and health issues, and to recommend to the Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) approaches for enhancing the safety and health program. The Council's by-laws establish membership, meeting frequency, and other rules for setting agendas and conducting meetings.

Members: The S&H; Council is comprised of a key safety personnel from within the DOI and the bureaus. Each bureau of the Department is represented by the Bureau Safety and Occupational Health Manager or designee. The FY 2004 Chair of the Council is Linda Rowley, Safety and Occupational Health Manager, Bureau of Reclamation. Safety Council Members is a list of members and how to contact.

Meetings & Reporting: The Council meets quarterly with the schedule determined by its members. Meeting dates and summary minutes since January 2003 are posted in DOI S&H; Council Summary Minutes.

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Serious Accident Investigation

Purpose: Serious accidents require special investigation and reporting. The definition and the policy and requirements for reporting a serious accident and for conducting the accident investigation are found in the Departmental Manual (DM) Part 485, Safety and Occupational Health Program, Chapter 7: Incident/Accident Reporting/Serious Accident Investigation. To view click-on 485 DM - Chapter 7. To print a copy in WordPerfect format, go to the end of the chapter and follow the instructions.

Certified Employees: DOI Employees trained to conduct serious accident investigations are listed by bureau and date trained. A Training Package is available to refresh individuals selected to serve on a Serious Accident Investigation Team (SAIT). The video and handbook are designed to assist the SAIT by reviewing the accident investigation process and helping the individuals function as a team.

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Watercraft Safety Working Group (WSWG)

Purpose: The purpose of the Watercraft Safety Working Group, established in 1992, is to provide for the safe operation of motorized and non-motorized watercraft 65 feet or less in length. This is accomplished by developing the policies and procedures for the training and certification of watercraft operators, and by establishing watercraft safety programs that help ensure safe operation of the craft and employee conduct.

Minimum requirements for the safe operation of DOI watercraft and for the certification of watercraft operators are found in Department Manual, Part 485, Safety and Occupational Health Program, Chapter 22, Watercraft Safety. To view and print a copy of the chapter click-on 485 DM - Chapter 22.

Activities: The WSWG prepares policy recommendations, develops standardized watercraft operating instructions, coordinates Motorboat Operators Instructor Level Training with Department and bureau training centers, and integrates applicable U.S. Coast Guard regulations into the DOI regulations and procedures. WSWG members represent DOI and respective bureaus on National boating and water safety committees and associations that include (click-on link):

2004 Operator and Instructor Training Courses: DOI employees that operate watercraft and instructors that provide training must be certified and maintain certification status. Training emphasizes the demonstration of practical and hands-on exercises in learning safe boating skills. Three types of courses are offered:
        Motorboat Operator Certification Course, MOCC;
        Motorboat Operator Instructor Certification Course, MOICC; and
        Refresher Training for the MOCC and the MOICC.

    o Watercraft Courses sponsored in FY 2004 by the Fish and Wildlife Service, how to obtain a copy of the MOCC Student Manual, and a list of FWS Instructors are provided in FWS Courses / MOCC Student Manual / Watercraft Instructors.

    o An MOICC Course sponsored by the National Park Service and open to all bureaus will be held August 16-20, 2004, at Gulf Island National Seashore, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Course registration closes July 23, 2004. For information and to register, click-on MOICC Course Announcement (pdf format).

    o Motorboat Operator Refresher Training. Specific policy defining required refresher training for both operators and instructors of motorboats has been approved by the DOI Safety and Occupational Health Council and the Office of Managing Risk and Public Safety. The new policy has not yet been published in the Department Manual, but is in effect and is found by clicking-on Operator Refresher Training. Note: The training requirements will appear as Appendix 4 of Chapter 22 of 485 DM in the next revision of the manual expected in 2004.

Watercraft Hazards: Dangers from carbon monoxide from boat engines and power generator exhausts, difficulties with working onboard watercraft, and the hazards of cold water boating continue to be dangers in spite of hazard awareness efforts and training.

    o Carbon Monoxide Dangers Onboard Houseboats. National attention has focused on the danger of operating gasoline-fueled electric generators onboard houseboats following the drowning of two young boys on August 2, 2000. Click-on CO Dangers - Generators and Houseboats for a compliation of selected Safety and News Releases, Technical Reports, and CO Hazard Information. Although there is much awareness of this serious safety and health hazard, CO incidents have not declined during the past two years.

    o  A Primer -- Working From Boats. Many Interior employees work, and some live, onboard watercraft under all weather and working conditions throughout the United States on rivers, lakes, inlets and the ocean. Safety of the crew and workers, the vessel, and equipment onboard is dependent on the stability of the watercraft, operating conditions, and the experience and training of the operator and crew. This Primer, Working From Boats, (click-on) describes with photos and diagrams the forces acting on a vessel, engine types and handling characteristics, safety equipment, trailering, and working conditions. Everyone working with watercraft including passengers need to review the material contained in the Primer.

    o Cold Water and Boating - It Can Take Your Breath Away. Cold water quickly causes hypothermia greatly adding to the danger of boating activities. Understanding how the body reacts to cold water can save your life. Click-on Hypothermia Survival Guide to learn how long you can survive in cold water and tips on avoiding and treating hypothermia. Jumping in cold water under very controlled supervised conditions with a partner will give you quite a surprise.

Members: WSWG Members (pdf format) is a list of the Bureau designated leads for watercraft safety program coordination and for training and certification information, and how to contact.

Meetings & Reporting: The Working Group meets at least once every year with additional meetings scheduled as determined by its members. Minutes of the meetings since January 2004 are posted in chronological listing. DOI WSWG Minutes.

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FACOSH -- Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health

The Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health, click-on FACOSH, was established by Executive Order 11612 on July 26, 1971, to advise the Secretary of Labor on matters relating to the occupational safety and health of federal employees. The Council currently operates under Executive Order 12196, section 1-5.

Mission: The mission is twofold: to provide assistance to the Secretary of Labor and OSHA, and leadership to federal agencies, in an effort to reduce the number of worker injuries and illnesses in the Federal Government; and to advise the Secretary of Labor on appropriate policies and initiatives to enhance occupational safety and health in the federal sector, and actively endorse these policies and initiatives.

Meetings: FACOSH meets regularly to discuss federal safety and health issues that affect the federal sector. Each meeting is announced in the Federal Register at least 15 days before the meeting date. The meetings are usually held in the Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. Click-on March 8, 2004 for the announcement and agenda of the last meeting.

Members: The 16 members, composed of eight union and eight Federal government management representatives, participate in developing and recommending to the Secretary of Labor new safety and health programs and initiatives for the federal sector. FACOSH is chaired by the Assistant Secretary of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, John Henshaw. The vice chairperson is Kathleen Wheeler, Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer, Department of Interior. Click-on FACOSH Member Listing.

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