Article I. Purpose/Scope
On April 30, 2006, the ergonomic focused Partnership Agreement between Yellowstone National Park and
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Billings Area Office expired. Ergonomic related
lost time injuries in the park were reduced to the lowest level in five years and the injury
incident rate declined by 40%, according to the Department of Interior Safety Management Information
System (SMIS). As a result of that success both the Yellowstone National Park and OSHA believe a new
partnership should be implemented with the focus on reducing slip, trip, and fall hazards and
associated injuries throughout the Park. In the past year slips, trips, and falls in the workplace
has been the number 1 cause of employee injuries resulting in higher financial obligations and
increased lost time reportable cases.
In 2004, Yellowstone National Park entered into the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) at the
Merit level. As the Park’s continuing efforts to improve its safety and health programs, culture,
and management leadership this partnership is a positive step toward maintaining their VPP status
and achieving the Star level.
The OSHA, Billings Area Office and the Yellowstone National Park agree to work in partnership to
improve the safety and health throughout the Park by raising the employees awareness of hazards and
associated injuries related to slips, trips, and falls.
As a result, the Yellowstone National Park (the Park), and the OSHA Billings Area Office enter into
this agreement pursuant to the authority of Section 19 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of
1970, and Executive Order 12196 that allows OSHA to provide assistance to other Federal Agencies.
Article II. Goals/Strategies:
Goals:
- The overall goal of this partnership is to reduce the number of injuries to Park employees
related to slips, trips, and falls by 20% during the life of this partnership in the following
specific areas of the Park:
- Parking lots – related to winter conditions
- Back country trails and work sites
- Park wide employee-involved construction sites
- Access and egress on mobile equipment (i.e. loaders, dump trucks, etc.)
Strategies:
- OSHA and the Park will jointly conduct an initial assessment in the specified areas to identify
potential hazards involving slip, trip, and fall hazards.
- Identified hazards will be documented, video taped, and/or photographed for future awareness and
outreach sessions to employees.
- OSHA and the Park will conduct quarterly non-enforcement evaluations of work operations
throughout the Park
Article III. Measures:
- Track and trend injuries using the OSHA 300 and OSHA 301 forms
- Track the number of OWCP claims related to slip, trip, and fall injuries
- Track the number of awareness sessions conducted
- Track the number of employees in attendance at the awareness sessions
- Track the TCIR and DART rates annually
The data for the calendar year 2005 (number of OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses, TCIR and DART
rates) will be used as the baseline for this partnership agreement.
Article IV. Annual Evaluation:
An annual evaluation of the Park’s safety and health programs and their progress toward the goals of
this partnership will be conducted by both parties using the standardized OSHA Strategic Partnership
Program (OSPP) Annual Partnership Evaluation Report as listed in Appendix C of the OSHA Strategic
Partnership Program for Worker Safety and Health Directive, CSP{03-02-002}. The annual evaluation
will be conducted within 30 days of the signing date for each year of the partnership.
Article V. Benefits:
OSHA Non-Enforcement Benefits:
The Park will be recognized for its participation in the OSPP through:
- The OSHA Cooperative Programs web page (www.osha.gov)
- OSHA will provide assistance in reviewing the safety and health policies, procedures, and programs
of the Park
- OSHA will provide awareness training for Park employees and managers in slip, trip and fall
hazards specific to the Park’s working environment
- OSHA will provide assistance through phone, facsimile, email, brochures, newsletters, bulletins,
and any other type of printed information available at the time of request
- OSHA will provide assistance necessary to accomplish the goals of this partnership
- OSHA personnel will be made available for workshops, training sessions, speaking events, document
reviews, and other Park requests as resources permit.
OSHA Enforcement Benefits:
- Federal agencies are exempt from OSHA monetary fines in the event that citations are issued.
- As a member of the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program the Park is exempt from OSHA Programmed
Inspections.
- Non Formal Investigations will be handled via the phone and fax as outlined in the FIRM (Field
Inspection Reference Manual).
All formal complaints, serious accidents, catastrophes, and fatalities will be
inspected by OSHA according to standard agency procedures.
Article VI. OSHA Verification:
The Park, in agreement with the OSHA Billings Area Office, has selected the Onsite Non-Enforcement
Verification method for this partnership.
During periodic onsite non-enforcement reviews of Yellowstone National Park OSHA will:
- Review the OSHA 300 Injury and Illness data
- Observe various work operations for employee safety and health
- Assist the Park in hazard recognition particular to Park operations concerning slip,
trip, and fall hazards
- Provide guidance and outreach to Park employees and managers in slip, trip, and fall hazards
particular to Yellowstone Park operations
- Review the Park's safety and health programs and management systems
During such visits, if OSHA personnel identify serious hazards that site management
refuses to correct, OSHA will make a referral for an enforcement inspection.
During periodic onsite non-enforcement reviews Yellowstone National Park will make available for
review:
- OSHA 300 data
- Slip, trip, and fall injury reports (OSHA 301 or equivalent)
- OWCP data
- Types of engineering controls implemented
- Near Miss reports
- Number of hazards identified and abated
Article VII. OSP Management and Operation:
The Yellowstone National Park management will ensure that all aspects and goals of this partnership
will be accomplished within the two year time frame. A steering committee, to ensure the progress of
this partnership, will be formed comprised of management, employees, and the Parks’ safety and
health manager.
OSHA Billings Area Office will:
- Conduct quarterly in-Park slip, trip, and fall assessments or Awareness training based on the
calendar year:
- 3rd quarter 2006 - Assessment of Construction sites and Backcountry work areas
- 4th quarter 2006 - Assessment of Park wide parking lots
- 1st quarter 2007 - Awareness class on Parking Lot hazards
- Awareness class on Construction Site hazards
- 2nd quarter 2007 - Awareness class on Back country hazards
- 3rd quarter 2007 - Continue Assessments in the identified hazard areas throughout the Park
- 4th quarter 2007 - Evaluate progress of partnership and modify as necessary for the remainder of agreement.
- Provide training to Park employees on their rights and responsibilities under the OSHAct.
- Provide abatement assistance for unique slip, trip, and fall hazards in the Park.
- Provide priority safety and health assistance via telephone, fax, electronic mail or by way of
brochures, booklets and other types of available correspondence.
Yellowstone National Park will:
- Implement a 2-year strategic action plan to meet the goals and assess the progress through a semi
annual self-evaluation.
- Coordinate and schedule, with OSHA and Park personnel, all quarterly outreach and awareness
sessions.
- Commit to having the Park personnel attend any safety and health awareness training provided by OSHA.
- Abate all hazards identified by the joint OSHA/Parks’ assessments.
- Encourage employee participation in the OSHA/Park assessments.
- Ensure that employees are not subject to restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or
reprisal for filing a report of an unsafe or unhealthful working condition, or other participation
in the Safety and Health Program.
The OSHA Billings Area Office representative will oversee the progress of this partnership through
emails, phone calls, faxes, and occasional meetings with the Park.
Article VIII. Employee and Employer Rights and Responsibilities:
This partnership does not preclude employees and/or employers from exercising any right provided
under 29 CFR 1960 nor does it remove any responsibility to comply with rules and regulations adopted
pursuant to the Act.
Article IX. Term of OSP:
This agreement will terminate on August 7, 2008, which is two years from the date of signing. If
either OSHA or Yellowstone National Park wishes to withdraw their participation prior to the
established termination date, the agreement will terminate upon receiving a written notice of the
intent to withdraw from either signatory.
Article X. Signatures:
Suzanne Lewis
Superintendent
Yellowstone National Park |
Date |
Ross A. Yeager
Area Director
OSHA, Billings Area Office |
Date |
|
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