3.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter describes:
A. Required safety and occupational health training,
B. The process for determining what job activities require safety and health training, and
C. Assigned responsibilities.
3.2 What is the scope of this chapter?
A. This chapter applies to:
(1) Service employees;
(2) Volunteers who have an executed Volunteer Services Agreement (OF 301A) with the Service (also see 240 FW 9);
(3) Youth/collegiate program participants (see 240 FW 9) who have written agreements with the Service specifying whether their parent organization or the Service covers them for injury compensation and tort claims. If the Service covers them, they fall within the scope of this chapter; and
(4) Anyone conducting official duties for the Service.
B. This chapter does not apply to contractors. Contractors must comply with the safety and health clauses in their contract agreements and with Federal, State, tribal, and local requirements.
3.3 What are the authorities for this chapter?
A. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA),Federal Agency Safety Programs and Responsibilities (Public Law 91-596).
B. Executive Order 12196, Occupational Safety and Health Programs for Federal Employees.
C. Basic Program Elements for Federal Employee Occupational Safety and Health Programs and Related Matters (29 CFR 1960 Subpart H, Training).
D. Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (29 CFR 1904).
E. 485 DM 13, Safety and Health Training.
F. The Department of the Interior (Department) Occupational Health and Safety Training Guide.
3.4 Who is responsible for safety and health training? Table 3-1 shows who in the Service is responsible for safety and occupational health training.
Table 3-1: Responsibilities for safety and occupational health training
This official… | Is responsible for… |
A. The Director | (1) Ensuring that the Service maintains an effective and comprehensive safety and occupational health program, and (2) Approving or declining to approve our safety and occupational health training policy. |
B. The Assistant Director - Business Management and Operations | (1) Monitoring the effectiveness and recommending improvements to required safety and occupational health training, and (2) Providing sufficient support and resources to the Chief, Division of Safety and Health, to ensure that the Chief can accomplish program goals. |
C. Directorate Members | (1) Ensuring that there are sufficient resources and support in place to implement this policy within their areas of responsibility, (2) Overseeing and providing resources for their safety and occupational health programs, and (3) Ensuring trained and qualified employees evaluate implementation of our policy requirements at the duty station level. |
D. The Chief, Division of Safety and Health | (1) Revising and updating this chapter, as necessary, and (2) Interpreting the requirements in this chapter and resolving Servicewide issues and questions about it. |
E. Regional Safety Managers | (1) Advising managers, supervisors, Collateral Duty Safety Officers (CDSO), and employees on the implementation of the safety and occupational health training program in their Regions; (2) Interpreting program requirements and resolving Regionwide issues and questions; (3) Preparing or recommending additional safety and occupational health training for employees, as appropriate; and (4) Evaluating how well duty stations are meeting Servicewide safety and occupational health program requirements. |
F. Project Leaders/ Supervisors | (1) Implementing an effective safety and occupational health training program for the duty station and employees for which they are responsible; (2) Ensuring their employees: (a) Receive and comply with required safety and health training, and (b) Have adequate support/resources to attend required safety and health training; (3) Ensuring employees have appropriate equipment and sufficient resources to perform their assigned duties safely; (4) Ensuring employees new to the Service and newly assigned to a duty station receive a unit-specific safety and health program orientation within 1 week of reporting for duty; and (5) Entering information showing when employees, volunteers, and youth/collegiate program participants complete safety and health training, including refresher training, into the Department’s Learning Management System (i.e., DOI Learn). If the system will not allow them to enter the training, the Project Leader/supervisor must maintain and track safety and health training by documentable and producible means. |
G. Employees | (1) Attending and successfully completing required safety and health training, (2) Complying with the safe work practices outlined in the training, and (3) Maintaining and providing copies to Project Leaders/supervisors of training certificates received from completed safety and health courses. |
3.5 What are the general safety and health training requirements?
A. Employees must be given formal and informal training sufficient enough to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to work safely. As the severity of the hazard increases, so does the requirement for formal training. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Department, and the Service require specific safety and health training for many job activities.
B. Each facility that is 5 minutes or more from a hospital, clinic, or ambulance service must have at least one individual currently certified in first aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), including bloodborne pathogens training on universal precautions (242 FW 12). When practical, more than one individual should be trained and kept certified. Many Service policies require first aid and CPR for specific employees and specific activities. In areas where immediate access to a hospital, clinic, or ambulance service is not available, we recommend wilderness first aid training.
C. Sections 3.6 and 3.7 describe required safety training depending on the type of employee (e.g., managers, CDSOs, new employees). In addition to these sections, there are specific safety training requirements depending on the types of jobs employees perform (e.g., electrofishing, chain saw operations, etc.). Supervisors and employees must familiarize themselves with the requirements for training specific to the potential hazards of the jobs at hand. To do this, they must review:
(1) Parts 240-244 of the Service Manual;
(2) 485 DM;
(3) The Department’s Occupational Health and Training Guide located on the Web (click on “safety and health training,” “resources,” and then “training handbook”); and
(4) The OSHA publication, Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training Guidelines - OSHA 2254.
D. If you have additional questions about safety and health training, contact your Regional or Headquarters Safety Office.
3.6 What safety-related training do executive and top management officials, Project Leaders/supervisors, CDSOs, and Safety and Health Committee members need? Table 3-2 describes training that is required for these officials within 6 months of appointment.
Table 3-2: Required safety and occupational health training for executives & top management, Project Leaders/supervisors, CDSOs, and Safety and Health Committee members
These employees… | Must complete, within 6 months of being appointed to the position, training that includes (at a minimum) the following: |
A. Executive and Top Management Officials (e.g., Regional Directors, Assistant Regional Directors, Assistant Directors) | (1) Departmental and Service safety and occupational health programs and policies (485 DM and Parts 240-244 of the Service Manual); (2) Section 19 of OSHA, Executive Order 12196, and 29 CFR 1960; and (3) Applicable Region- or Headquarters-specific safety and occupational health policies, rules, and regulations. |
B. Project Leaders/ Supervisors | (1) Departmental and Service safety and occupational health programs and policies (485 DM and Parts 240-244 of the Service Manual); (2) Section 19 of OSHA, Executive Order 12196, and 29 CFR 1960; (3) Applicable Region-, Headquarters-, or station-specific safety and occupational health policies, rules, and regulations; (4) Supervisory responsibility for providing and maintaining safe and healthful working conditions; (5) The Service CDSO program, including Project Leader/supervisor and CDSO responsibilities under the program (see 240 FW 2); (6) Identification and use of occupational safety and health standards; (7) Recognition of hazardous conditions and environments; (8) Procedures for reporting, evaluating, and abating hazards; (9) Procedures for reporting and investigating allegations of reprisal; (10) Procedures for reporting accidents and incidents; (11) Development of skills in managing the Service's safety and occupational health program within the work unit; and (12) Training and motivating subordinates to help ensure safe and healthful work practices. |
C. Safety and Health Committee Members (see 240 FW 1 for more information on these committees) | (1) Departmental and Service safety and occupational health programs and policies (485 DM and Parts 240-244 of the Service Manual); (2) Section 19 of OSHA, Executive Order 12196, and 29 CFR 1960; (3) Applicable Region-, Headquarters-, or station-specific safety and occupational health policies, rules, and regulations; (4) The Service CDSO program, including Project Leader and CDSO responsibilities under the program (see 240 FW 2); (5) Identification and use of occupational safety and health standards; (6) Recognition of hazardous conditions and environments; (7) Procedures for reporting, evaluating, and abating hazards; and (8) Procedures for reporting and investigating allegations of reprisal. |
These employees… | Must take… |
D. Collateral Duty Safety Officers (CDSO) (see 240 FW 2) | (1) The training required in 240 FW 2, Collateral Duty Safety Officer, section 2.8; and (2) Any additional training needed to meet OSHA, Service, or Regional/Headquarters training standards for their safety and occupational health program responsibilities. Some programs—confined spaces, respirator program coordinator, competent person to oversee excavations, etc.—may require additional specific training or certification. |
3.7 What training do employees need when they are new to the job or to a duty station? Table 3-3 describes required safety training for employees, volunteers, and youth/collegiate program participants who are new to the job or a duty station.
Table 3-3: Required safety and occupational health training for employees and youth/collegiate program participants
These individuals… | Must complete training that includes (at a minimum) … |
A. Employees new to the Service, and employees new to a duty station (but not new to the Service) | During the employee’s first week on the job or at the duty station, orientation must include safety and health training consisting of, at a minimum: (1) A discussion of the employee's right to a safe and healthful workplace, how to report safety hazards, and how to report an accident; (2) A review of the Station Safety Plan, including any written programs, information, and requirements specific to the employee's work location; (3) A review of applicable policies (485 DM, Parts 240-244 of the Service Manual, and Region-, Headquarters-, or station-specific safety and health policies); (4) Identification and demonstration of safe work procedures related to the employee's job; (5) Issuance and review of the proper use of personal protective equipment (e.g., hard hat, gloves, safety glasses) needed for the employee's job; (6) A review of emergency procedures; and (7) A review of hazards in the workplace, including significant chemical, mechanical, biological, and environmental hazards. |
B. All Employees | All employees should have completed training that consists of the items in section A of this table at least once in their career. If this has not happened, supervisors need to make sure this information is covered and that the training is documented. |
C. Volunteers and Youth/ Collegiate Program Participants | (1) The same safety training requirements as in section A of this table, and (2) Additional, specific safety training requirements that may be required for activities they perform (see 240 FW 9). |
3.8 What documentation is required for safety and health training records? OSHA, the Department, and the Service require proof of attending required safety and health training. There are different requirements to prove training that depend on the entity and the type of training (e.g., OSHA requires a certificate for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training). At a minimum, any proof of training must contain the following:
A. Name(s) of attendee(s);
B. Topic of training with agenda, outline, or course content;
C. Date(s) of training;
D. Location of training;
E. Time-length of training;
F. Printed name, signature, and job title of person in charge of the duty station (if training performed at duty station); and
G. Name(s) of person(s) performing the training, including printed name, signature, job title, credentials, and qualifications for teaching the topic(s).