Union Participation. The Union President will designate five National Safety and Health Representatives who will each be on 50% official time. They will work with the Department’s national-level safety and health officials in developing and implementing the Program. The National Safety and Health Representatives will represent the interests of the Union and the employees in the development and implementation of all aspects of the Department’s and Administrations’ occupational safety and health program. The National Safety and Health Representatives will be the points of contact for any safety and health initiatives at the Department, Administration, and/or System levels that impact employee safety and health. The parties will develop joint training programs and materials in safety and health for bargaining unit employees. The representatives will provide training and assistance to local unions in the performance of their responsibilities under the Program. The National Safety and Health Representatives may visit facilities within the bargaining unit to work with local unions on safety and health matters. Notice of such visits will be given to the Director of each facility. The Department recognizes that Union participation in its Occupational Safety and Health Program is essential for the success of that Program. The Union may designate representatives at the facility level, intermediate levels, and the National level who will represent the interests of the Union and the employees in the development and implementation of this Program. The parties agree that work on the Safety and Health Program is a part of the ongoing Partnership between the Department and the Union. Time spent serving as a Union representative during safety and health inspections, as a member of a Safety and Health Committee or its subcommittees, developing plans for abatement of materials, investigating accidents, and safety-related committee assignments will be considered duty time. The National Safety and Health Representatives will be given copies of all Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (XXXXX) letters and other national-level communications to the field on safety and health matters as well as all safety manuals and publications. The XXXXX written correspondence and reports will include the Department’s goals and objectives annually for reducing and eliminating occupational accidents, injuries, and illnesses. The report should include the plans and procedures for evaluating VBA, NCA, and VHA occupational safety and health programs and their effectiveness at all operational levels. The Department will pay tuition, travel, and per diem expenses for each National Safety and Health Representative to attend at least one conference each year. The NVAC President may designate additional representatives to work on individual projects of mutual interest to the parties. The NVAC President may designate representatives at the National or appropriate intermediate levels within the Department to develop and implement the Safety and Health Program at that level. The Union’s National, Intermediate, and local union Safety and Health Representatives will be authorized the use of long distance communications and conference call capabilities. Each local union at a bargaining unit facility may designate a local Safety and Health Representative who will serve as the local union’s point of contact for safety and health matters at the facility. Functions of local Safety and Health Representatives include, but are not limited to the following: Conduct joint inspections; Issue joint reports regarding inspection findings to the appropriate Department official; Participate, as appropriate, in inspections conducted by governmental authorities outside the Department’s control including Joint Commission; Receive and investigate employee reports of unsafe or unhealthy conditions (employees should submit such reports to both the local union’s and Department’s representatives); Develop and monitor abatement plans needed to correct local conditions as appropriate (all personnel subject to the hazard shall be advised of the action and of the interim protective measure in effect and shall be kept informed of the subsequent progress on the abatement plan. To document receipt, the completed Abatement Plans will be jointly signed by the local union’s Safety Representative and a representative from the Department); Refer matters to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), OSHA and/or National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as appropriate; Receive copies of any written notice referred by a facility official in response to an employee report of an unsafe or unhealthy condition, in compliance with 29 CFR 1960 time limits; Monitor preventive maintenance plans for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system components; Receive all reports of security incidents involving threats to employees, their offices, and property (such reports may be sanitized as appropriate); Receive all accident reports (such reports may be sanitized as appropriate). Each facility with 25 or more employees will have an Occupational Safety and Health and Fire Prevention Committee (Committee) in accordance with 29 CFR 1960 and all its subparts. The local union will be afforded representatives on such Committees, the number of which is subject to local negotiation. The facility’s Committee may establish subcommittees to address particular issues or subjects, and the local union will be represented on each subcommittee. The local union will be given the opportunity to have a representative on any other facility‑level committee that relates to the safety and health issues of bargaining units. These will include, but not be limited to, Blood Borne Pathogens and Infection Control Committees. The local union will be given the opportunity to participate in all scheduled workplace inspections which are intended to detect hazards to employee safety and health, whether conducted by Department Safety and Health personnel, non-Department employees acting on behalf of the Department, OSHA and EPA personnel, or other regulatory agencies and bodies.
Appears in 3 contracts
Samples: Master Agreement, Master Agreement, Master Agreement
Union Participation. The Union President will designate five National Safety and Health Representatives who will each be on 50% official time. They will work with the Department’s national-level safety and health officials in developing and implementing the Program. The National Safety and Health Representatives will represent the interests of the Union and the employees in the development and implementation of all aspects of the Department’s and Administrations’ occupational safety and health program. The National Safety and Health Representatives will be the points of contact for any safety and health initiatives at the Department, Administration, and/or System levels that impact employee safety and health. The parties will develop joint training programs and materials in safety and health for bargaining unit employees. The representatives will provide training and assistance to local unions in the performance of their responsibilities under the Program. The National Safety and Health Representatives may visit facilities within the bargaining unit to work with local unions on safety and health matters. Notice of such visits will be given to the Director of each facility. The Department recognizes that Union participation in its Occupational Safety and Health Program is essential important for the success of that Program. The Union may designate representatives at the facility Facility level, intermediate Intermediate levels, and the National level who will represent the interests of the Union and the employees in the development and implementation of this Program. The parties Parties agree that work on the Safety and Health Program is a part of the ongoing Partnership between the Department and the Union. Time spent serving as a Union union representative during safety and health inspections, as a member of a Safety and Health Committee or its subcommittees, developing plans for abatement of materials, investigating accidents, accidents and safety-safety related committee assignments will be considered duty official time. The Union will designate two National Safety, Health and Environment Representatives. Official time for these representatives will be consistent with Article 6 - Official Time. The National Safety, Health and Environment Representatives will work with the Department’s National Level Safety, Health and Environment officials in developing and implementing the program. In the event that an Administration of the Department (for example, VHA and NCA) or a national program administered by an Assistant Secretary (for example, the VA’s Office of Information and Technology) creates or administers an additional national level safety program, the Department will meet their bargaining obligations consistent with Article 13 - National Consultation and Mid-term Bargaining. This may include the opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of any safety committee or program, which impacts working conditions of employees. The National Safety, Health and Environment Representatives will be the points of contact for any Safety, Health and Environment initiatives at the National and Intermediate levels that impact bargaining unit employee safety, health and environment. The Parties will develop joint training programs and materials in safety, Health and environment for bargaining unit employees. The Representatives will provide training and assistance to Locals in the performance of their responsibilities under the Program. The National Safety, Health and Environment Representatives may visit facilities within the bargaining unit to work with Locals on safety, Health and environment matters. Notice of such visits will be given to the Director of each facility in advance. The National Safety, Health and Environment Representatives will be provided technology in accordance with Article 56 - Use of Official Facilities. Bargaining unit employees who spend time on the National Safety and Health Committees initiated by the Department in a nonrepresentational capacity will be on duty time. Bargaining unit employees serving in a Union representational capacity will be on official time consistent with Article 6 - Official Time. Travel for Union representatives will be consistent with Article 19 - Official Travel. The National Safety, Health and Environment Representatives will be given copies of all Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (XXXXX) letters and other national-National level communications to the field on safety and health matters as well as all safety manuals and publications. The XXXXX written correspondence National Safety, Health and reports Environment Representatives will include be the Department’s goals point of contact for any Safety, Health and objectives annually for reducing Environment initiatives at the National and eliminating occupational accidents, injuries, Intermediate levels that impact employee safety and illnesseshealth. The report should include the plans Parties will develop and procedures for evaluating VBA, NCA, and VHA occupational safety and health maintain joint training programs and their effectiveness at all operational levelsmaterials if not already in place, in safety, health and environment for bargaining unit employees. The Consistent with Article 19 – Official Travel, the Department will pay tuition, travel, and per diem expenses for each National Safety Safety, Health and Health Environment Representative to attend at least one conference each year. The NVAC President may designate additional representatives to work on individual projects of mutual interest to the parties. The NVAC President may designate representatives at the National or appropriate intermediate levels within the Department to develop and implement the Safety and Health Program at that level. The Union’s National, Intermediate, and local union Safety and Health Representatives will be authorized the use of long distance communications and conference call capabilities. Each local union at a bargaining unit facility may designate a local Safety and Health Representative who will serve as the local union’s point of contact for safety and health matters at the facility. Functions of local Safety and Health Representatives include, but are not limited to the following: Conduct joint inspections; Issue joint reports regarding inspection findings to the appropriate Department official; Participate, as appropriate, in inspections conducted by governmental authorities outside the Department’s control including Joint Commission; Receive and investigate employee reports of unsafe or unhealthy conditions (employees should submit such reports to both the local union’s and Department’s representatives); Develop and monitor abatement plans needed to correct local conditions as appropriate (all personnel subject to the hazard shall be advised of the action and of the interim protective measure in effect and shall be kept informed of the subsequent progress on the abatement plan. To document receipt, the completed Abatement Plans will be jointly signed by the local union’s Safety Representative and a representative from the Department); Refer matters to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), OSHA and/or National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as appropriate; Receive copies of any written notice referred by a facility official in response to an employee report of an unsafe or unhealthy condition, in compliance with 29 CFR 1960 time limits; Monitor preventive maintenance plans for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system components; Receive all reports of security incidents involving threats to employees, their offices, and property (such reports may be sanitized as appropriate); Receive all accident reports (such reports may be sanitized as appropriate). Each facility with 25 or more employees will have an Occupational Safety and Health and Fire Prevention Committee (Committee) in accordance with 29 CFR 1960 and all its subparts. The local union will be afforded representatives on such Committees, the number of which is subject to local negotiation. The facility’s Committee may establish subcommittees to address particular issues or subjects, and the local union will be represented on each subcommittee. The local union will be given the opportunity to have a representative on any other facility‑level committee that relates to the safety and health issues of bargaining units. These will include, but not be limited to, Blood Borne Pathogens and Infection Control Committees. The local union will be given the opportunity to participate in all scheduled workplace inspections which are intended to detect hazards to employee safety and health, whether conducted by Department Safety and Health personnel, non-Department employees acting on behalf of the Department, OSHA and EPA personnel, or other regulatory agencies and bodies.
Appears in 1 contract
Samples: Master Agreement
