Editing § 14.8 NA2022

=== § 14.8 Local Committee Responsibilities ===
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-alpha">
  <li>The Committee shall review the progress in accident prevention and health at the installation; determine program areas which should have increased emphasis; and it may investigate major accidents which result in disabling injuries. Items properly relating to employee safety and health shall be considered appropriate discussion items. Upon a timely request, information or records necessary for the local Safety and Health Committee to investigate real or potential safety and health issues will be made available to the Committee. In addition, the Committee shall promote the cause of Safety and Health in the installation by:
    <ol style="list-style-type:decimal">
      <li>Reviewing Safety and Health suggestions, safety training records and reports of unsafe conditions or practices.</li>
      <li>Reviewing local Safety and Health rules.</li>
      <li>Identifying unsafe work practices and assisting in enforcing work-related safety rules.</li>
      <li>Reviewing updated list of hazardous materials used in the installation.</li>
    </ol>
  </li>
  <li>The Committee shall, at its discretion, render reports to the installation head and may at its discretion make recommendations to the installation head for action on matters concerning safety and health. The installation head shall within a reasonable period of time advise the Committee that the recommended action has been taken or advise the Headquarters Safety and Health Committee and the Presidents of the participating local unions as to why it has not. Any member of the Committee may also submit a written report to the Headquarters Safety and Health Committee in the event the Committee's recommendations are not implemented.</li>
  <li>Upon proper written request to the Chairman of the Committee, on-the-spot inspection of particular troublesome areas may be made by individual Committee members or a Subcommittee or the Committee as a whole. Such request shall not be unreasonably denied. When so approved, the Committee members shall be on official time while making such inspection.</li>
  <li>A Union representative from the local Safety and Health Committee may, <b>at the Union’s option</b>, participate in the annual inspection, conducted by the Manager, <b>Safety and/or their designee</b>, in <b>mail processing facilities in the district</b> and NDC<b>s</b>, provided that the Union represents employees at the <b>facility</b> or NDC being inspected. In no case shall there be more than one (1) Union representative on such inspections.</li>
  <li>A Union representative from the local Safety and Health Committee may, <b>at the Union’s option</b> participate in other inspections of <b>mail processing facilities in the District</b>, NDC, or other installation with 100 or more man years of employment in the regular work force, and of an individual station or branch where the station or branch has 100 or more man years of employment in the regular work force, provided that the Union represents employees at the <b>facility in question</b> and provided that the Union representative is domiciled at the <b>facility</b> to be inspected.</br></br>
If the Union representative to the local Safety and Health Committee is not domiciled at the main facility or station or branch to be inspected and if the Union represents employees at that main facility or station or branch, at the Union's option, a representative from the Committee may participate in the inspection (at no additional cost for the Employer) or the Union may designate a representative domiciled at the main facility, or station or branch to be inspected to participate in the inspection. In no case shall there be more than one (1) Union representative on such inspections.
  <li>One Union representative from the local Safety and Health Committee, selected on a rotational basis by the participating Unions, may participate in the annual inspection of each installation with less than 100 man years of employment in the regular work force, where such Committee exists in the installation being inspected. In those installations that do not have a Safety and Health Committee, the inspector shall afford the opportunity for a bargaining unit employee from that installation to accompany him during these inspections.
  <li>An appointed member of a local committee will receive an orientation by the Employer which will include:
    <ol style="list-style-type:decimal">
      <li>Responsibilities of the Committee and its members.</li>
      <li>Basic elements of the Safety and Health Program.</li>
      <li>Identification of hazards and unsafe practices.</li>
      <li>Explanation of reports and statistics reviewed and analyzed by the Committee.</li>
    </ol>
  </li>
  <li>Since it has been some time since some members of Safety Committees received orientation, all current members will receive an orientation not later than December 15, 2024.</li>
  <li>Where an investigation board is appointed by an Vice President, Area Operations or a District Manager to Investigate a fatal or serious industrial non-criminal accident and/or injury, the Union at the installation will be advised promptly. When requested by the Union, a representative from the local Safety and Health Committee will be permitted to accompany the board in its investigation.</li>
  <li>In installations where employees represented by the Union accept, handle and/or transport hazardous materials, the Employer will establish a program of promoting safety awareness through communications and/or training, as appropriate. Elements of such a program would include, but not be limited to:
    <ol style="list-style-type:decimal">
      <li>Informational postings, pamphlets or articles in postal and Area publications.</li>
      <li>Distribution of Publication 52 to employees whose duties require acceptance of and handling hazardous items.</li>
      <li>On-the-job training of employees whose duties require the handling and/or transportation of hazardous items. This training will include, but is not limited to, hazard identification; proper handling of hazardous materials; personal protective equipment availability and its use; cleanup and disposal requirements for hazardous materials.</li>
      <li>All mailbags containing any hazardous materials, as defined in Publication 52, will be appropriately identified so that the employee handling the mail is aware that the mailbag contains one or more hazardous material packages.</li>
      <li>Personal protective equipment will be made available to employees who are exposed to spills and breakage of hazardous materials.</li>
    </ol>
  </li>
</ol>