ARTICLE 17 HEALTH AND SAFETY SECTION 1 - GENERAL The Agency will provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for its employees and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and standards, to the extent of its authority. We recognize our respective obligations to assist in the prevention, correction, and elimination of hazardous and unhealthy working conditions and practices. The Agency will have a safety program which includes proactive accident prevention, fire prevention, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first-aid training, safety and health awareness publications, training aids, recognition, awards, and general publicity for the program. Employees are expected to follow health and safety guidelines and practices, including the wearing and use of protective equipment and clothing. The Agency will provide access to and/or arrange for medical services. When such medical services are provided, their quality will be reviewed on a periodic or as-needed basis. SECTION 2 - DEFINITIONS A. Imminent Danger Right - The right of an employee to decline to perform his or her assigned task because of a reasonable belief that, under the circumstances, the task poses an imminent risk of death or serious bodily harm coupled with a reasonable belief that there is insufficient time to seek effective redress through normal hazard reporting and abatement procedures. B. Inspection - a comprehensive survey of all or part of a workplace in order to detect health and safety hazards. Inspections are normally performed during the regular work hours of the Agency, except as special circumstances may require. Inspections do not include routine, day-to-day visits by Agency occupational safety and health personnel, or routine workplace surveillance of occupational health conditions. C. Hazardous Material - any chemical or substance which by its nature presents a fire, explosive, reactive, or biological hazard. D. Hazardous Duty - a duty performed under circumstances in which an accident could result in serious injury or death, such as a duty performed on a high structure where protective facilities are not used, or on an open structure where adverse conditions such as darkness, lightning, steady rain, or high wind velocity exist. SECTION 3 - CORRECTING CONDITIONS AND REPORTING A. We agree to encourage employees to report any unsafe acts or conditions immediately to the supervisor. The supervisor will submit such reports to safety officials. The Agency will advise the Union as to the final disposition of reports. The Agency shall take timely action, within its control, to alleviate unsafe or unhealthful working conditions. B. The detection of unsafe and unhealthful working conditions at the earliest possible time and the prompt correction of related hazards at the lowest possible working level are essential. Employees who are assigned duties or work in conditions that they reasonably believe could endanger their health or well-being shall notify the supervisor of the situation and file a report of unsafe or unhealthful working conditions. C. An employee has the right to decline to perform an assigned task because of a reasonable belief that, under the circumstances, the task poses an imminent risk of death or serious bodily harm coupled with a reasonable belief that there is insufficient time to correct the problem through established procedures. Employees will immediately contact the supervisor. Supervisors will make reasonable efforts to assign work outside the affected work areas and contact safety or occupational health activities to promptly investigate the conditions to determine whether work may proceed. D. The Agency shall ensure that no employee is subject to restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal for filing a report of unsafe or unhealthful working conditions, or other participation in occupational health and safety activities. An employee who believes he or she has been subject to acts of reprisal has the right to seek redress through grievance or Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) procedures. E. The Agency and employees will make every reasonable effort to maintain a safe, healthful, and sanitary work environment. This includes training in the proper evacuation of buildings, use of safety equipment, and use of protective equipment and clothing in the work area. F. The Agency will also notify the Union when it becomes aware of health and safety meetings scheduled or changes in working conditions initiated by other activities. SECTION 4 - COMMITTEES A. A health and safety committee shall be established at the local level. The committee will advise and assist the Agency in implementing its health and safety programs. This will be a joint committee having equal Management and Union representation. Bargaining unit committee members shall be appointed by the Union. B. Committee members will function as full members of the committee in dealing with health and safety matters which affect unit employees. Bargaining unit members will be provided training to discharge their role on the committee and will be on official time while performing authorized committee functions, if otherwise in a duty status. C. Other (non-DFAS) activities may be invited to committee and other meetings to discuss and help resolve Agency health and safety concerns. D. The Agency will provide funds to execute committee responsibilities consistent with Agency budget constraints. SECTION 5 - INSPECTIONS A. Health and safety inspections and reviews include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. day-to-day reviews, 2. annual inspections, and 3. unannounced inspections and surveys. When a Union representative participates, official time will be used. This does not preclude the Agency from taking actions, in the absence of a Union representative, to correct situations when they are identified. During the course of an inspection, employees are encouraged to bring to the attention of the inspector(s) any unsafe or unhealthful working condition which the employee has reason to believe exists in the workplace. Additionally, the Union shall be given the opportunity to make written input. B. Health and safety hazards discovered in these inspections will be documented, investigated, and corrected in a timely manner. The Union will be furnished a copy of the report. C. Responsible authorities will also be encouraged to periodically inspect eating and vending facilities. SECTION 6 - PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING A. The Agency will furnish, without charge to its employees, personal protective equipment and clothing to perform their duties that have been determined to be hazardous in accordance with criteria established by law. Such items shall meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. B. The Agency will provide storage space for protective equipment and clothing furnished to employees. Employees will use the protective equipment, clothing, and other devices as well as follow procedures as directed by the Agency. Employees will take reasonable care of and maintain such equipment and clothing. C. Safety eyeglasses and shoes may be worn home by employees. Employees are responsible for safeguarding such items. D. The Agency will furnish first-aid kits and ensure that an adequate number of employees are qualified to administer first-aid. E. When an employee is provided ergonomic furniture and is relocated, that furniture, or equivalent, will be provided at the time the employee is relocated. SECTION 7 - HAZARDOUS ASSIGNMENTS A. Employees should be protected from exposure to hazardous material through the use of personal protective equipment, devices, clothing, and training. Employees who are accidentally exposed to carcinogenic or similar hazardous material will be offered an opportunity to take a physical examination at no cost to the employee. Employees can document in their health records any exposure to hazardous material. B. Employees will document any exposure resulting in on-the-job injuries, illnesses, or occupational diseases by following Office of Workers' Compensation Programs procedures (see Article on Disability Compensation). C. Employees required to perform hazardous assignments will be compensated in accordance with applicable law and regulations. This Article may be supplemented.