phmsa alaska employee handbook
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Employee Handbook A Guideline for Employee Needs
US Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA)
Western Region
Alaska District Office
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his employee handbook establishes guidance on policies, procedures, benefits, and working conditions that are followed by all PHMSA employees as a condition of their employment with
the US Department of Transportation. In addition, this employee handbook is not a contract of employment nor is it intended to create contractual obligations for PHMSA of any kind.
The policies and procedures outlined in this handbook will be applied at the discretion of PHMSA. PHMSA reserves the right to deviate from the policies, procedures, benefits, and working conditions described in this handbook. Furthermore, PHMSA reserves the right to withdraw or change the policies, procedures, benefits, and working conditions described in this handbook at any time, for any reason, and without prior notice.
PHMSA will make every effort to notify employees when an official change in policy or procedure has been made but employees are responsible for their own up-to-date knowledge about PHMSA’s policies, procedures, benefits, and working conditions. All up-to-date information can be found on PHMSA’s Sharepoint, located on the web at: http://tcapp.phmsa.dot.gov/Pages/Default.aspx
PHMSA strives to provide an employee-friendly environment in which goal-oriented individuals thrive as they achieve ever more demanding challenges. PHMSA’s commitment to providing quality service is unwavering and these policies, procedures and working conditions provide a work environment in which both customer interests and employee-interests are served.
PHMSA values the talents and abilities of our employees and seeks to foster an open, cooperative, and dynamic environment in which employees and the like can thrive. PHMSA employees are encouraged to take problems to the next level of management if they are unable to resolve a situation with their direct supervisor.
PHMSA is an equal opportunity employer. Religion, age, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, race, or color does not affect hiring, promotion, development opportunities, pay, or benefits. PHMSA provides for fair treatment of employees based on merit and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local labor laws.
Please review the policies, procedures, working conditions, and benefits described in this handbook. This handbook will act a guide for you throughout your employment with PHMSA.
Regards, The United States Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
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ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK......................................................................................................................................... 6
BUILDING INFORMATION ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Evacuation Procedures .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Controlled Evacuation .............................................................................................................................................. 8
When a Fire Happens… ........................................................................................................................................... 8
FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCY AFFILIATIONS .......................................................................................... 10
EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE WORKPLACE ................................................. 14
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM) ..................................................................................... 14
U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA) ............................................................................... 15
Innovation ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Customer Intimacy .................................................................................................................................................. 15
Operational Excellence ........................................................................................................................................... 15
CODE OF ETHICS ................................................................................................................................................... 16
The Standards of Ethical Conduct ........................................................................................................................ 16
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC) ......................................................... 17
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act ............................................................................................................................ 17
Equal Pay Act ........................................................................................................................................................... 18
Rehabilitation Act .................................................................................................................................................... 18
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ............................................................................................................... 19
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)............................................................................................. 19
VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE.................................................................................................................... 20
DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE .................................................................................................................................. 21
Agency Drug Testing Programs ............................................................................................................................ 21
Drug Testing Procedures ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Agency Action Concerning Illegal Drug Use ...................................................................................................... 21
PRIVACY AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION .......................................................................................... 22
Privacy Act ................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Access and Amendment..................................................................................................................................... 22
Disclosure Prohibition ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Remedies ............................................................................................................................................................... 22
Freedom of Information Act ................................................................................................................................. 22
THE HATCH ACT ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
Penalties for Violating the Hatch Act................................................................................................................... 26
Table of Contents
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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers .......................................................................................................... 26
FURLOUGHS .............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Furloughs in Emergencies ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Emergency Government Shutdown ..................................................................................................................... 28
EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES .................................................................................................... 29
Computer “P” Drive .................................................................................................................................................... 29
Internet and Intranet Sites .......................................................................................................................................... 29
PHMSA Internet Home Page ................................................................................................................................ 29
PHMSA Sharepoint ................................................................................................................................................. 29
Media Requests ............................................................................................................................................................. 30
Security Awareness Training ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Travel .............................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Travel Requirements, Planning & General Policies ........................................................................................... 33
Travel Authorizations ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Reimbursement of Travel Expenses ..................................................................................................................... 35
Frequently Asked Questions .................................................................................................................................. 35
LEAVE, BENEFITS, AND OTHER WORK POLICIES ..................................................................................... 39
Salary ............................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Deductions from Pay .............................................................................................................................................. 39
Overtime and Comp Time ..................................................................................................................................... 39
2012 Alaska GS Salary Table ................................................................................................................................. 40
COLA and Locality Pay Rates (%) ....................................................................................................................... 41
Leave Policies ................................................................................................................................................................ 42
Regular Day Off (RDO) ......................................................................................................................................... 42
Compensatory Time Off ........................................................................................................................................ 42
Annual Leave ............................................................................................................................................................ 43
Accrual Rates ....................................................................................................................................................... 43
Use It or Lose It! ................................................................................................................................................. 44
Lump Sum Payments for Annual Leave ......................................................................................................... 44
Sick Leave ................................................................................................................................................................. 44
Accrual Rates ....................................................................................................................................................... 44
Requesting Sick Leave ........................................................................................................................................ 44
Granting Sick Leave ............................................................................................................................................ 44
Advance Sick Leave ............................................................................................................................................ 44
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Unused Sick Leave .............................................................................................................................................. 45
Leave Without Pay ................................................................................................................................................... 45
Court Leave .............................................................................................................................................................. 45
Jury Duty .............................................................................................................................................................. 45
Witnesses .............................................................................................................................................................. 45
Official Duty ........................................................................................................................................................ 45
Fees/Expenses .................................................................................................................................................... 46
Family and Medical Leave ...................................................................................................................................... 46
Workers’ Compensation Benefits ......................................................................................................................... 46
Who Is Covered? ................................................................................................................................................. 46
Agency Obligations ............................................................................................................................................. 46
Employee Obligations ........................................................................................................................................ 47
Holidays ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Weather Dismissal Policy ....................................................................................................................................... 48
Insurance........................................................................................................................................................................ 49
Enrollment Questions and Answers ..................................................................................................................... 49
General Q&A....................................................................................................................................................... 49
Family Q&A ......................................................................................................................................................... 55
Dental Q&A ......................................................................................................................................................... 57
Prescription Q&A ............................................................................................................................................... 57
Dress Code .................................................................................................................................................................... 60
Staff Meetings ............................................................................................................................................................... 61
Performance Appraisal Systems ................................................................................................................................. 62
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT DUTIES ............................................................................................................ 63
Primary Objectives .................................................................................................................................................. 63
Phone Etiquette ....................................................................................................................................................... 64
Supplies ...................................................................................................................................................................... 64
Time and Attendance (T&A) ................................................................................................................................. 64
Users T&A Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................... 65
CASTLE Recertification .................................................................................................................................... 65
Finalizing Documents .................................................................................................................................................. 66
CPF File Management ............................................................................................................................................ 68
Unit Files ................................................................................................................................................................... 68
INSPECTOR DUTIES ................................................................................................................................................... 71
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Training and Qualifications (T&Q) ...................................................................................................................... 71
Example T&Q Schedule ......................................................................................................................................... 72
Telework .................................................................................................................................................................... 73
Standard Uniform Policy ........................................................................................................................................ 74
Wearing the Uniform .......................................................................................................................................... 74
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ................................................................................................................. 75
Pipeline Safety PPE ............................................................................................................................................ 75
Additional PPE for Alaska Duty ...................................................................................................................... 75
Safety Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) ............................................................................................. 76
How to View an Activity in SMART ............................................................................................................... 76
How to Create an Activity in SMART ............................................................................................................. 76
How to Generate a Pre-Inspection Report in SMART ................................................................................ 77
Post Inspection Activity in SMART ................................................................................................................ 77
SMART Activity Type Definitions ................................................................................................................... 78
Preparation for Inspections.................................................................................................................................... 79
Assisting Others with Their Inspections ............................................................................................................. 79
Enforcement ............................................................................................................................................................. 80
Legal Guidance ......................................................................................................................................................... 81
Inspection Guidance .................................................................................................................................................... 82
Priorities During Inspections ................................................................................................................................. 82
Preparing Inspection Correspondence ................................................................................................................. 82
Pre-Inspection ..................................................................................................................................................... 83
Inspection ............................................................................................................................................................. 84
Post-Inspection .................................................................................................................................................... 85
Post Inspection Memorandum (PIM) .................................................................................................................. 86
PIM Sample .......................................................................................................................................................... 87
Weekly On-Call Personnel Telephonic Notification Guidelines .......................................................................... 88
IMPORTANT NUMBERS ............................................................................................................................................ 92
Information Technology (IT) Services ..................................................................................................................... 93
Anchorage Office Staff Roster ................................................................................................................................... 94
Western Region Staff Roster ...................................................................................................................................... 95
PHMSA Directory Staff Roster ................................................................................................................................. 96
TERMINOLOGY............................................................................................................................................................ 97
RESOURCES .................................................................................................................................................................... 98
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ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK
his handbook is designed as a general reference guide to help you with questions that are most frequently asked. Obviously, every policy, procedure and benefit cannot be explained in detail in
this handbook. What we have provided are general summaries of PHMSA’s employee benefits, work rules, and key policies. Other valuable sources of information are referred to within the handbook to assist you and to provide the information that you will need. NOTE: This employee handbook is not an employee contract and does not express or implied contractual obligations or assurances on the part of the company. This handbook does not promise, and is not to be interpreted as promising continued employment. In addition, this handbook and its contents are subject to change and may be revoked or modified at the supervisor’s discretion, without prior notice. The company retains the sole discretion to modify or delete any provisions contained in this handbook at any time. This handbook is for PHMSA employees located in Alaska. Certain information may vary depending upon location. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please direct them to your supervisor. Any questions regarding the company’s policies, procedures, and benefits and their amendments should be discussed with your supervisor. You may seek clarification on specific issues contained in this handbook from the Human Resources Department and your supervisor.
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BUILDING INFORMATION
ur office location has onsite security, but please be cautious of leaving your personal items out. This is a very large building and as more occupants move in it increases the potential for theft.
The front doors of the suite remain unlocked from 7 A.M to 4 P.M. during business hours. Our mailing address is: 188 W. Northern Lights Blvd. Suite 520 Anchorage, AK 99503 Should there ever be a problem that requires repair, please send an email to Mark Tittle and the PTP front desk. They will determine who to send to the suite for the repairs. The main contact information for this building is as follows: PTP Front Desk E-Mail: [email protected] Tel: (907) 561-4010 Mark Tittle E-Mail: [email protected] Security [email protected] Evacuation Procedures Due to the nature of our building being a high rise building there is a required emergency operations plan. It is important to know your part of the plan and be ready to act on it when the need arises. All non-residential high rises have tenant volunteers trained in the building’s evacuation procedures. In the event of an evacuation, the designated meeting location is in the Key Bank parking lot. Smoke from a fire, or a change in lighting due to power outages can make evacuation routes look different. Make sure you are familiar with the path of travel to the floor’s two exits. Also familiarize yourself with the buildings pull stations and know how to activate them, as well as the sound of the alarm so that once you hear it you can respond immediately. Also note that there is a fire extinguisher located by the front office area. Choosing Floor Wardens The primary role of floor wardens is to facilitate the evacuation of occupants from the floor during a fire alarm. Floor wardens are on the front lines of emergency response when a fire occurs. Their quick actions, clear thinking and calm leadership are vital to ensuring the safety of building occupants during a fire emergency. Floor wardens should be chosen with these considerations in mind. It is recommended that each floor have at least two wardens and that they undergo training at least once a year. Floor wardens should exhibit a concern for others, be able to handle pressure well, and have an assertive “take control” sort or attitude. The PHMSA office’s floor warden is the on-
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site supervisor and/or the administrative assistant. Please consult with them for verification of who the floor warden(s) is. Controlled Evacuation The fire alarm will only ring on a few floors in the direct vicinity of the fire. Those persons on the floor where the alarm is sounding are to enter the exit stairwell and meet in the designated meeting area. Do no reenter the building unless the alarm has stopped sounding and you have been given clearance to do so by security and your floor warden. The reasons for a controlled evacuation are:
Initial evacuation is limited to those people in the direct vicinity of the fire, as they are most at risk and need to be able to quickly evacuate the area of danger. In the vast majority of situations, only these floors need be evacuated.
Due to the number of building occupants, if evacuation is not controlled, backups are likely in the stairwells and the opportunities for injury or panic increase. Additionally, large numbers of people in the stairwells impede the progress of firefighters who are attempting to get up to investigate and fight the fire.
The majority of high rise buildings have pressurized stairwell shafts to keep smoke out of the stairwells. Closed stairwell doors are important for maintaining this high pressure. If stairwell doors are opened all at once, pressure is lost and smoke may enter the stairwells.
Occupants of high rise buildings should always be instructed to evacuate downward, never up to the roof. Although roof rescues may look dramatic in the movies, in reality it is a very dangerous place to be during a serious fire.
When a Fire Happens…
Treat every alarm as though it is a real emergency, even if the initial source is unknown. If the alarm sounds, floor wardens should immediately begin the evacuation of the floor. Remember to call 911 from a safe location. Be prepared to provide them with the nature of the problem, location, address, nearest cross street, and any specifics known. Do not hang up until told to do so by the emergency operator. After calling the fire department, if you determine that there is no fire, but rather a malfunction of your equipment or false alarm, call 911 and relay this information. Never wait to investigate the situation before notifying the fire department. Any delay will allow a fire to grow and further endanger the building occupants and property. Elevators should never be used by building occupants during a fire emergency. The reason is three fold: 1. Elevators often fail during a fire, trapping occupants; 2. Elevator shafts may fill with smoke; and 3. The elevator needs to be available for the use of arriving firefighters. Occupants must exit by way of stairwells only. Isolate the Area Close off the area if possible. Closed doors help confine the smoke and limit the spread of fire, heat, and toxic gases.
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Alert Others If pull alarms are present, use one to notify other floor occupants of the need to evacuate to a safer location. Call for Help Notify the fire department by calling 911 from a safe location, then immediately contact the building manager and security. Evacuate the Area Stay low if smoke is present and go quickly to the nearest stairwell. Never attempt to use the elevator during a fire emergency. Follow your predetermined plan, and listen for directions from building personnel or the fire department. If You Can’t Leave Create and Area of Refuge There are two main options for an area of refuge:
In the stairwell if there is only one individual seeking refuge and if they have two ambulatory assistants to remain with them; or
On the floor in an enclosed room with a window and a telephone. Discuss your option with your floor warden before an emergency situation arises.
If you choose the stairwell:
Wait near the exit stairwell until everyone has evacuated the floor and traffic in the stairwell has cleared. Enter the stairwell with you two assistants and wait on the landing. Make sure that the door is securely closed and the floor warden knows you are there.
Wait for further instructions. The fire department will send firefighters to assist you if evacuation is necessary. If you are waiting in the stairwell and traffic builds from the evacuation of upper floors, re-enter your floor to allow others to pass.
Assistants should not attempt to carry you down the stairs unless conditions in the stairwell become threatening. If conditions do not deteriorate, the assistants can then carry you to a safer area. If you do not have persons to wait with you, or if there are too many individuals to wait on the landing, an area of refuge should be sought on the floor.
If you choose a room on the floor as your area of refuge:
Keep the door to the room closed. A closed door is a barrier to smoke.
Use towels or clothing to block openings around doors or vents where smoke might enter. Place a signal in the window. The signal can be anything that will call attention to your location.
If smoke or fire enters the room, call 911 to report your location. Stay low to the floor to breathe the best air and put a wet cloth over your mouth or nose.
It is advisable not to open or break windows. Often smoke from the outside of the building can enter through open windows, and breaking windows will put you at great risk to smoke entering from the outside, and will hamper rescue efforts below.
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FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCY AFFILIATIONS
his section will provide insight on the various agencies that PHMSA is affiliated with and their connection to the pipeline industry.
The Hazardous Materials Safety Administration The other half of PHMSA is our hazardous materials administration, which is located in Ontario, California. All hazardous materials questions and information should be directed to their office. They can be reached at (909) 937-3279 by phone and their mailing address is: 3401 Centerlake Drive Suite 550B Ontario, CA 91761 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pipeline Security Division TSA is a large impact within PHMSA for coordination and cooperation at a field level. TSA coordinates with PHMSA on observations or recommends measures derived from the result of critical and vulnerable assessments, including on pipelines, to evaluate whether they conflict with or adversely affect current or planned safety requirements. TSA may develop, support, staff, implement, or enforce transportation security regulations, orders, directives, plans, programs, or other measures, or to conduct security reviews during a period of elevated security threat and TSA may request assistance from PHMSA. The main goals of TSA in connection with PHMSA are:
Coordinating training for field inspectors;
Coordinating inspections and enforcement actions by their respective inspector to
Minimize disruption to entities being inspected,
Maximize the use of inspector resources, and
Ensure that both parties provide consistent information to the industry on security and safety matters with security implications;
Emerging threats based on intelligence indicators. Our local TSA contact is Tommy Stearns and he can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Joint Pipeline Office (JPO) The JPO works proactively with Alaska’s oil and gas industry to safely operate, protect the environment, and continue transporting oil and gas in compliance with legal requirements. Office of Pipeline Monitoring (OPM) The BLM partners with other federal and state agencies at the Joint Pipeline Office to work proactively with Alaska’s oil and gas industry to safely operate the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Alaska State Pipeline Coordinator’s Office (SPCO) The State of Alaska’s policy is that development, use, and control of a pipeline’s transportation system make the maximum contribution to the development of the human resources of this state,
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increase the standard of living for all its residents, advance existing and potential sectors of its economy, strengthen free competition in its private enterprise system and carefully protect its incomparable natural environment. Alaska Petroleum Systems Integrity Office (PSIO) The mission of the PISO is to maximize the safe and stable flow of oil and gas resources to market by ensuring appropriate oversight and maintenance of oil and gas equipment, facilities, and infrastructure. Office of the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects (OFC) The OFC was established by Congress in 2004 to expedite and coordinate federal permitting and construction of a pipeline and enhance transparency and predictability of the federal regulatory system to deliver natural gas from the Arctic to American markets. The OFC coordinates with over 20 federal agencies, the Canadian federal government, the State of Alaska (which leases all the known natural gas reserves and owns portions of the right of way), tribal governments and other stakeholders. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Spill Prevention and Response (SPAR) The SPAR prevents, responds and ensures the cleanup of unauthorized discharges of oil and hazardous substances. SPAR is responsible for protecting Alaska’s land, waters, and air from oil and hazardous substance spills. Alaskans have made a concerted effort to prevent and clean up spills. Significant progress has been made in the safe handling, storage and transportation of oil and chemicals and the cleanup of historic contamination. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Environmental Cleanup-Emergency Response Unit EPA seeks to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills that occur in and around inland waters of the United States. EPA is the lead federal response agency for oil spills occurring in inland waters, and the U.S. Coast Guard is the lead response agency for spills in coastal waters and deepwater ports. Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) The RCA regulates public utilities by certifying qualified providers of public utility and pipeline service and ensuring that they provide safe and adequate services and facilities at just and reasonable rates, terms, and conditions. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Natural Gas It is the Commission’s responsibility to do the following: Regulation of pipeline, storage, and liquefied natural gas facility construction. Regulation of natural gas transportation in interstate commerce. Issuance of certificates of public convenience and necessity to prospective companies providing
energy services or constructing and operating interstate pipelines and storage facilities. Regulation of facility abandonment. Establishment of rates for services.
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Regulation of the transportation of natural gas as authorized by the NGPA (Natural Gas Policy Act) and the OCSLA (Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act).
Oversight of the construction and operation of pipeline facilities at U.S. points of entry for the import or export of natural gas.
Oil Pipelines The Commission’s responsibility includes: Regulation of rates and practices of oil pipeline companies engaged in interstate transportation; Establishment of equal service conditions to provide shippers with equal access to pipeline
transportation; and Establishment of reasonable rates for transporting petroleum and petroleum products by
pipeline. Department of the Interior Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska The Deputy Secretary-level Working Group was established to coordinate the efforts of Federal agencies responsible for overseeing the safe and responsible development of onshore and offshore energy in Alaska. The goal of the group is to improve the efficiency of the Federal government, ensuring that resource development projects in Alaska comply with health, safety, and environmental protection standards while reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission The Commission’s goals are protect the public interest in exploration and development of Alaska’s valuable oil and gas resources through the application of conservation practices designed to ensure greater ultimate recovery and the protection of health, safety, fresh ground waters and the rights of all owners to recover their share of the resource. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) BSEE works to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement. The Oil Spill Response division is responsible for developing standards and guidelines for offshore operators’ Oil Spill Response Plans (OSRP) through internal and external reviews of industry OSRPs to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and coordination of oil spill drill activities. It also plays a critical role in the review and creation of policy, guidance, direction and oversight of activities related to the agency’s oil spill response. The division oversees the Unannounced Oil Spill Drill program and works closely with sister agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency to continually enhance response technologies and capabilities. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) The BOEM manages the exploration and development of the nation's offshore resources. It seeks to appropriately balance economic development, energy independence, and environmental protection through oil and gas leases, renewable energy development and environmental reviews and studies.
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Army Corps of Engineers The Alaska District is a full service district with three major programs: military construction, civil works development, and environmental cleanup/restoration activities. United States Coast Guard (USCG) The USCG serves and safeguards the public, protects the environment and its resources, and defends the Nation’s interests in the Alaskan maritime region. Arctic Council A high level intergovernmental forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC) The USARCs principal duties are to develop and recommend an integrated national Arctic research policy and to assist in establishing a national Arctic research program plan to implement the policy. USARC Commissioners facilitate cooperation among the federal government, state and local governments, and other nations with respect to basic and applied Arctic research. North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) The NSSI is an intergovernmental effort to increase collaboration at the local, state, and federal levels to address the research, inventory, and monitoring needs as they relate to development activities on the North Slope of Alaska.
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EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE WORKPLACE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM)
stablished by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) helps the president carry out responsibilities for management of the federal workforce.
It provides leadership and is the organization that makes the rules, regulations and policies affecting the overall personnel administration system under which federal employees are managed. It is the primary administrator of civil service laws and regulations. More specifically, OPM’s responsibilities include:
Core personnel policies;
Oversight functions;
Central examining and employment operations;
Selection;
Hiring;
Pay;
Performance;
Personnel program evaluation;
Executive resources and development;
Personnel investigations; and
Training OPM also administers the civilian retirement, insurance and health benefits programs for federal employees and exercises management leadership in labor relations, affirmative action, and merit system integrity. As the central personnel agency, OPM develops policies governing civilian employment in executive branch agencies and in certain agencies of the legislative and judicial branches, and helps agencies carry out these policies. It also delegates certain personnel powers to agency heads.
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U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA)
he GSA uses expertise to provide innovative solutions for the government in support of their missions, and by so doing, foster an effective, sustainable, and transparent government for the
American people. There are three strategic goals that GSA uses to set direction and link its planning.
Innovation
The GSA models and promotes the future workplace, incorporates space use, technology, practices, and a GSA-goes-first culture. They are a green proving ground that demonstrates the full value and viability of new green technology and practices. GSA generates new ideas through innovative and collaborative technologies. GSA tests innovative solutions in its own operations and offers those solutions to other agencies through its government-wide contracting and policymaking authorities.
Customer Intimacy
GSA aggressively integrates with customers. They communicate better with customers through evolving social technologies; employ enterprise-wide, creative, and data-based solutions to meet their increasingly difficult resource constraints, and lead with their expertise to drive the market for high-performance green products, services, and solutions that support the government agencies’ missions and their sustainability goals. GSA develops strategic partnerships with industries and with other federal agencies to develop new and innovative tools for more effective government.
Operational Excellence
GSA delivers support to the government agencies ever more efficiently. They particularly draw upon their commitment to a zero environmental footprint in order to pull forward services and solutions that eliminate waste. GSA uses data, evidence, and analysis to support decisions that wring out inefficiencies in operations. For further information on official government programs, products and services offered through GRA, visit their website at www.gsa.gov.
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CODE OF ETHICS
he “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch” issued by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) establish uniform standards of conduct for all employees and
officers of the Executive Branch.
The Standards of Ethical Conduct
The following general principles contains in the standards apply to all officers and employees of the Executive Branch, and many form the basis for specific provisions set forth in the regulation:
Public service is a public trust, requiring employees to place loyalty to the Constitution, the law and ethical principles above private gain;
Employees shall not hold financial interests that conflict with the conscientious performance of duty;
Employees shall not engage in financial transactions using nonpublic government information, or allow the improper use of such to further any private interest;
An employee shall not solicit or accept any gift or other item of monetary value from an person or entity seeking official action from, doing business with, or conducting activities regulated by an employee’s agency, or whose interests may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee’s duties;
Employees shall put forth honest effort in the performance of their duties;
Employees shall not knowingly make unauthorized commitments or promises of any kind purporting to bind the government;
Employees shall not use public office for private gain;
Employees shall act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual;
Employees shall protect and conserve federal property, and shall not use it for other than authorized activities;
Employees shall not engage in outside employment or activities, including seeking or negotiating for employment, that conflict with official government duties and responsibilities;
Employees shall disclose waste, fraud, abuse and corruption to appropriate authorities;
Employees shall satisfy in good faith their obligations as citizens, including all just financial obligations, especially those such as federal, state and local taxes that are imposed by law;
Employees shall adhere to all laws and regulations that provide equal opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or handicap; and
Employees shall endeavor to avoid any actions creating even the appearance that they are violating the law or these Standards of Ethical Conduct.
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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC)
he EEOC was established by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the civil rights statute prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.
EEOC enforces the principal federal statutes prohibiting employment discrimination, and through its Office of Federal Operations (OFO) provides oversight for the federal government's EEO complain adjudication and affirmative employment functions. It also is responsible for the federal government's EEO appellate function. EEOC headquarters can be contacted at: 131 M St. N.E., Washington, DC 20507 (202) 663-4900 www.eeoc.gov The objective of the EEO Program is to promote equal opportunity in employment and to identify and eliminate discriminatory policies and practices. Legal Authorities
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by:
The Equal Pay Act of 1963;
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967;
The EEO Act of 1972;
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and,
The Civil Rights Act of 1991.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1614
Executive Order 11246: Equal Employment Opportunity
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, wages, benefits, work assignments, performance evaluations, training, transfer, leave, discipline, layoffs, discharge, and any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination, but also practices that appear to be neutral, but that limit employment opportunities and are not based on business need. Race/Color Discrimination Title VII makes it unlawful to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of his or her race or color in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Race discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of ancestry or physical or cultural characteristics associated with a certain race, such as skin color, hair texture or styles, or certain facial features. Racial Harassment Harassment on the basis of race and/or color also violates Title VII. Ethnic slurs, racial jokes, offensive or derogatory comments, or other verbal or physical conduct based on an individual's
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race/color constitutes unlawful harassment if the conduct creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment, or interferes with the individual's work performance. National Origin Discrimination Under Title VII it is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or applicant because of the individual's national origin. No on cant be denied equal employment opportunity because of birthplace, ancestry, culture, or linguistic characteristics common to a specific ethnic group. Religious Discrimination The Civil Rights Act prohibits agencies from discriminating against individuals in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment because of their religion. The Act also requires agencies to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of an employee or prospective employee, unless to do so would create an undue hardship upon the agency. Sex-Based Discrimination Under the Civil Rights Act, it is illegal to classify a job as "male" or "female" or to maintain separate lines of progression or seniority lists based on sex where this would adversely affect any employee unless sex is a bona fide occupational qualification for that job. Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is a violation of Sec. 703 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:
Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment;
Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or
Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
Equal Pay Act
The 1963 Equal Pay Act prohibits sex discrimination in any form of salaries or wages paid to men or women who are employed in the same establishment and perform jobs requiring equal skill, effort, and responsibility under similar working conditions, except where the payment is made under a seniority system, a merit system, a system that measures earning by quantity or quality of production, or a differential based on any factor other than sex. It is unlawful for employers to reduce the wages of either sex to equalize pay between men and women.
Rehabilitation Act
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires agencies to develop and carry out plans for the hiring, placement, promotion and retention of persons with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Act protects persons who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, who has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. Physical or mental impairment means: certain defined physiological disorders or conditions, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss or a mental or psychological disorder, such as mental
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retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotion or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities. Major life activities are functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working. Reasonable accommodation must be made to those with physical or mental limitations.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Under the ADA, the determination of whether an individual has a disability is made on a case-by-case basis. Examples of some disabilities that fall under ADA are:
Epilepsy
Cancer
Hearing or vision impairment
Mental retardation
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
Pursuant to 1974 and 1978 amendments to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, discrimination in federal employment because of age is prohibited and agencies are required to assure that all personnel actions are free from age discrimination (discrimination against persons age 40 or older).
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VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
n response to Federal agency requests for assistance in dealing with issues relating to workplace violence, PHMSA formed an Interagency Working Group on Violence in the Workplace.
Membership includes Federal Government law enforcement officers, security specialists, criminal investigators, attorneys, human resources specialists, Employee Assistance Program counselors, forensic psychologists, and union officials.
Resources Responding to Domestic Violence: Where Federal Employees Can Find Help is a new document addressing the issue of domestic violence and its impact on the workplace. This guide provides concise, up-to-date information on domestic violence, with concrete advice for the employee who are victims, for friends and co-workers, and for their supervisors. It also guides the supervisor through an array of resources and management tools that can be brought to bear in a workplace violence situation. It complements earlier OPM publications, including Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners, and Handling Traumatic Events: A Managers Guide. This document can be purchased by Federal agencies through the OPM Rider system and is also available for purchase by the public at U.S. Government Printing Office Book Stores.
The available resources available to you can be found at the following places:
Violence in the Workplace Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Current Intelligence Bulletin No. 57 (Publication Number 96-100), June 1996. To obtain a copy, call 1-800-35 NIOSH or visit: www.cdc.gov/niosh/violcont.html
Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA 3148), 1996. Copies can be obtained from GPO by calling 202-512-1800 or visit: www.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Additional.html. The cost is $3.25 and the order # is 029-016-00172-7.
Violence and Theft in the Workplace; The Cycle of Violence; Psychoactive Substances and Violence; Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in Parking Facilities; PAVNET Online User's Guide; Threat Assessment: An Approach To Prevent Targeted Violence These publications, issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, can be obtained by calling the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at 1-800-851-3420. A publications catalog which lists all of the materials in the National Criminal Justice Reference Service can also be obtained by calling the above number, or visit: www.ncjrs.org
Partnership Against Violence Network (PAVNET)
A database of programs dealing with violence, although not specifically workplace violence, developed by the PAVNET coalition made up of the Departments of Justice, Agriculture, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor. Visit www.pavnet.org for more information.
Federal Protective Service
The Federal Protective Service has developed the following guidance: What You Should Know About Coping with Threats and Violence in the Federal Workplace and can be found at: http://www.gsa.gov/pbs/fps/
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DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE
he possession, use, or distribution of drugs by federal employees – whether on- or off-duty – is considered an extremely serious offense. All federal agencies are required to have a
comprehensive drug prevention program that is humane, responsible and effective. These agency drug prevention programs must include drug education and training, employee counseling and assistance; voluntary drug testing and, in addition and where appropriate, mandatory drug testing and disciplinary action.
Agency Drug Testing Programs
Agencies conduct drug testing in such situations as:
Random testing for employees in sensitive or security positions or those involving law enforcement; national security; protection of life, property, or public health and safety; or presidential appointees requiring Senate confirmation, generally as determined by the agency head;
Voluntary testing that allows employees to volunteer to participate in the drug testing program;
Reasonable-suspicion testing, where employees may be tested when there is reasonable suspicion of either on-duty or off-duty drug use;
Other testing as seen fit by agencies that conduct drug testing see fit. Agency heads may exempt certain positions from drug testing on the basis of such conditions as hardship, remote location, or unavailability of on-site testing personnel or site for tests.
Drug Testing Procedures
Agencies are required to give 60 days’ general notice to all employees before the initiation of testing under drug-free workplace programs and 30 days’ special notice to employees who occupy TDPs. Employees who refuse to be tested may be disciplined.
Agency Action Concerning Illegal Drug Use
Determination that an employee has used illegal drugs may be on the basis of direct observation, criminal conviction, verified positive results of drug testing, or the employee’s own admission. Initiation of discipline for an employee who has thus used drugs is required, and after a second determination the agency must initiate removal.
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PRIVACY AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
he Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act grant certain rights with respect to agency records.
Privacy Act
The Privacy Act of 1974 applies to agency records that are retrieved by name or by some other unique personal identifier (such as an employee number) and that are maintained within a system of records.
Access and Amendment A person who is the subject of a record in a system of records may request access to that record. The agency must furnish copies of the record to that person, unless the record is covered by agency regulations implementing the Privacy Act’s exemptions.
Disclosure Prohibition The Privacy Act protects personal privacy by limiting the disclosure of the records it covers. Generally, the Privacy Act prohibits disclosure of a record in a system of records without the prior written consent of the subject of the record. The act provides criminal penalties for the knowing and willful disclosures of records to those not entitled to receive them.
Remedies A person whose access or amendment request is denied may appeal the denial administratively. The denial letter will inform the requester to whom an appeal is to be submitted. If the appeal is denied, the person may sue the agency in a U.S. District Court. A person may also sue the agency for its noncompliance with other provisions of the Privacy Act.
Freedom of Information Act
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) grants you the right to access many government records. Under FOIA, any person has a right to obtain copies of certain records possessed by the executive office, agencies, corporations, administrations, commissions, boards, and services. However, some records are protected from disclosure, such as sensitive personal, commercial, and governmental information. The requested records are released unless the record falls into one of the nine exemptions set forth under the Act (i.e., personal privacy, confidential business information, law enforcement documents, etc).
What is the Privacy Act? Under the Privacy Act, if an agency files information about you by your name, or any other means that identifies you (such as social security number), you have certain rights:
To see the information;
To keep other people from seeing it; and
To correct it if it is wrong.
FOIA Procedures: A FOIA request must be made in writing in accordance with Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations. A copy of Title 49 CFR Parts 1-99 can be obtained from the Government Printing Office nearest you. Direct all OPS FOIA requests to:
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Freedom of Information Act Research and Special Programs Administration DPS-22 U.S. Department of Transportation Room 7128 400 Seventh Street, SW Washington, DC 20590 Once a FOIA request is received, you will receive in the mail within 2-3 business days an acknowledgment letter. This letter will contain a FOIA case number that has been assigned to your request. Your FOIA request will be processed by OPS within 20 business days unless the information is voluminous in size or if the information is being obtained from regional offices and requires more time. If this occurs you will be contacted by OPS and informed that an extension of time is needed to fill your request. OPS is allowed to charge fees to the requestor in order to recover the direct costs of search, duplication, and review of requested records. If the total cost of the requested information is less than $10, the fees are waived. Within your FOIA request you must obligate that you will pay the processing fee associated with your request. OPS charges $.10 per page for duplication, an hourly rate for manual search time (this rate is based on the hourly specified pay range of the employee performing the function), $35.00 an hour for computer time (downloading information from databases), $1.00 per diskette, $5.00 per video, and $4.00 to certify documents. In some cases, fee waivers or reductions of fees are granted in the public interest, but must be requested and justified by supporting documentation. You will be billed when the requested records are sent to you and you have 30 days to remit payment. If the cost exceeds $250, prepayment may be required. Any documents that are denied in whole or part will be indexed including the exemption(s) claimed for the denial. Under FOIA, you have the right to an administrative appeal for a denial of records and no records response from the Agency. The appeal information will be included in your response from the Agency. Any question concerning these procedures may be directed to the OPS Freedom of Information Act Coordinator at (202)366-4577. A Citizen's Guide to the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act, 230K A Citizen's guide to using the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to request Government records is the government's guide to rights under these two Acts. It provides extensive detail on both Acts, discusses the privacy implications of government records, and provides a section explaining which Act provides the appropriate remedy in different situations. Information on FOIA includes the scope of the Act, exceptions to its disclosure requirements, what can be requested, how to request a document, fees, and agency requirements. The guide explains bases for agency denial of requests. Also included are sample documents, and a bibliography of congressional publications on FOIA.
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THE HATCH ACT
he Hatch Act restricts the political activity of executive branch employees of the federalgovernment, District of Columbia government and some state and local employees who work
in connection with federally funded programs. In 1993, Congress passed legislation that significantly amended the Hatch Act as it applies to federal and D.C. employees. Under the amendments most federal and D.C. employees are now permitted to take an active part in political management and political campaigns. A small group of federal employees are subject to greater restrictions and continue to be prohibited from engaging in partisan political management and partisan political campaigns.
OSC has developed a number of booklets, posters and fact sheets that explain the application of the Hatch Act. Copies of the booklets and posters can be ordered from the Government Printing Office. The fact sheet may be downloaded or emailed directly from the OSC website. Additionally, OSC has created a PowerPoint presentation - "Political Activity and the Federal Employee" - which covers the rules and regulations of the Hatch Act.
Permitted/Prohibited Activities for Employees Who May Participate in Partisan Political Activity Federal and D.C. employees may:
Be candidates for public office in nonpartisan elections
Register and vote as they choose
Assist in voter registration drives
Express opinions about candidates and issues
Contribute money to political organizations
Attend political fundraising functions
Attend and be active at political rallies and meetings
Join and be an active member of a political party or club
Sign nominating petitions
Campaign for or against referendum questions, constitutional amendments, municipal ordinances
Campaign for or against candidates in partisan elections
Make campaign speeches for candidates in partisan elections
Distribute campaign literature in partisan elections
Hold office in political clubs or parties
Federal and D.C. employees may not:
Use official authority or influence to interfere with an election
Solicit or discourage political activity of anyone with business before their agency
Solicit or receive political contributions (may be done in certain limited situations by federal labor or other employee organizations)
Be candidates for public office in partisan elections
Engage in political activity while:
On duty
In a government office
Wearing an official uniform
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Using a government vehicle
Wear partisan political buttons on duty
Agencies/Employees Prohibited From Engaging in Partisan Political ActivityEmployees of the following agencies (or agency components), or in the following categories, are subject to more extensive restrictions on their political activities than employees in other Departments and agencies:
Administrative Law Judges
Central Imagery Office
Central Intelligence Agency
Contract Appeals Boards
Criminal Division (Department of Justice)
Defense Intelligence Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Elections Commission
Merit Systems Protection Board
National Security Agency
National Security Council
Office of Criminal Investigation (Internal Revenue Service)
Office of Investigative Programs (Customs Service)
Office of Law Enforcement (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms)
Office of Special Counsel
Secret Service
Senior Executive Service Permitted/Prohibited Activities for Employees Who May Not Participate in Partisan Political Activity Federal employees may:
Register and vote as they choose
Assist in voter registration drives
Express opinions about candidates and issues
Participate in campaigns where none of the candidates represent a political party
Contribute money to political organizations or attend political fund raising functions
Attend political rallies and meetings
Join political clubs or parties
Sign nominating petitions
Campaign for or against referendum questions, constitutional amendments, municipal ordinances
Federal employees may not:
Be candidates for public office in partisan elections
Campaign for or against a candidate or slate of candidates in partisan elections
Make campaign speeches
Collect contributions or sell tickets to political fund raising functions
Distribute campaign material in partisan elections
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Organize or manage political rallies or meetings
Hold office in political clubs or parties
Circulate nominating petitions
Work to register voters for one party only
Wear political buttons at work
Penalties for Violating the Hatch Act
An employee who violates the Hatch Act shall be removed from their position, and funds appropriated for the position from which removed thereafter may not be used to pay the employee or individual. However, if the Merit Systems Protection Board finds by unanimous vote that the violation does not warrant removal, a penalty of not less than 30 days' suspension without pay shall be imposed by direction of the Board.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Employees Who May Engage in Partisan Political Activity Listed below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions received by OSC about political activity by federal employees.
Can I make a contribution to the campaign of a partisan candidate, or to a political party or organization? Yes. A federal employee may contribute to the campaign of a partisan candidate, or to a political party or organization.
If I have a bumper sticker on my personal car, am I allowed to park the car in a government lot or garage, or in a private lot/garage if the government subsidizes my parking fees? Yes. An employee is allowed to park his or her privately owned vehicle with bumper sticker in a government lot or garage. An employee may also park the car with a bumper sticker in a private lot or garage for which the employee receives a subsidy from his or her agency.
Can I help organize a political fundraiser? An employee is allowed to organize a fundraiser, including supplying names for the invitation list, as long as he or she does not personally solicit, accept, or receive contributions.
Can my name appear on invitations to a political fundraiser as a sponsor or point of contact? No. An employee's name may not be shown on an invitation to such a fundraiser as a sponsor or point of contact.
Can I speak at a political fundraiser? An employee is allowed to give a speech or keynote address at a political fundraiser, as long as he or she is not on duty, and does not solicit political contributions.
If I'm going to speak at a political fundraiser, what information about me can be printed on the invitations? An employee's name can be shown as a guest speaker. However, the reference should not in any way suggest that the employee solicits or encourages contributions. Invitations to the fundraiser may not include the employee's official title; although an employee who is ordinarily addressed with a general term of address such as "The Honorable" may use, or permit the use of, that term of address on the invitation.
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Can I attend a state or national party convention? If so, in what capacity? Yes. A federal employee may serve as a delegate, alternate, or proxy to a state or national party convention.
If I run as a candidate for public office in a nonpartisan election, does the Hatch Act allow me to ask for and accept political contributions? An employee who is a candidate for public office in a nonpartisan election is not barred by the Hatch Act from soliciting, accepting, or receiving political contributions for his or her own campaign.
May I distribute brochures for a political party to people arriving at a polling place on Election Day? Yes. An employee may stand outside a polling place on Election Day and hand out brochures on behalf of a partisan political candidate or political party.
Answers to other questions about allowable political activity by federal employees can also be found in Hatch Act regulations in title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Questions not answered above, or in the regulations, can be submitted to OSC for an advisory opinion.
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FURLOUGHS furlough is “the placing of an employee in a temporary, non-duty, non-pay status because oflack of work or funds, or other non-disciplinary reasons. Traditionally, furloughs have been
resorted to in the federal government for many of the same reasons as, and often in conjunction with, reductions in force.
Furloughs in Emergencies
Disagreements on budgets and spending between the executive and legislative branches have threatened – and rarely even brought about – the temporary “closing down” of the government, with the necessity of furloughing employees when the authority to pay them temporarily ceases to exist. In fact, this happened to nearly 2,000 Transportation employees, who were furloughed for two days in March 2010 after funding got tied up in a Senate stalemate. The Senate ultimately passed the funding as well as provisions to ensure the workers were paid.
Because of these political developments, the existing government regulations concerning furloughs have not always reflected the actual situation. An emergency “closing down” of the government does not allow, for example, the 30 days’ notice employees are supposed to receive for an adverse action furlough, nor does it allow the 60 days’ notice they are supposed to get for a reduction-in-force furlough, which is to run longer than 30 calendar days. The regulations do allow for unforeseeable circumstances, such as breakdowns or sudden emergencies, when the advance notice and other normal furlough requirements may be waived. However, there remains a gap between what the current regulations concerning furloughs specify and what they really may be.
Emergency Government Shutdown
When an emergency government shutdown and consequent employee furlough result from failure to agree on appropriations between the executive and legislative branches, management, beginning with the president, must direct the appropriate procedures on which employees are expected to go on working. The maximum length of a furlough does not extend more than one year.
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EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES
Computer “P” Drive nspectors are provided with a computer and access to a local server for a variety of information,including email services and software programs. It is important that you familiarize yourself with
the various folders and information on the “P” drive and refer to the orientation packet. Some of the useful “P” drive resources include:
Office Policies;
Compliance Guidelines and Documents;
FOIA logs and sample entries over past years;
Safety-related condition reports (SRCRs) from operators;
Accident log and operator accident reports;
Interrogational agreements (IRAs);
Training requirements and training records for local personnel;
Various technical articles and presentations;
Access to all CPF cases;
Electronic files of all units regulated by PHMSA.
Internet and Intranet Sites
PHMSA Internet Home Page
This home page is the public’s website found at the following link: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline. This website provides a wealth of information not only to you but to the general public as well. From this site, you can learn more about our Public Outreach programs, Special Permits issues by the agency, Enforcement actions, Research and Development activities, Online Data Entry used primarily by Operators and many other useful pieces of information.
PHMSA Sharepoint
This is PHMSA’s new intranet home page found at the following link: http://tcapp.phmsa.dot.gov/PHP/default.aspx. The first page is a Table of Contents and it provides many useful links to all of the Departments and Regional Offices within PHMSA along with link to other websites. The Western Region website can be found under the PHP-500 Western link at the bottom of the Table of Contents page. Please visit our local page and at some point you will be asked for your photograph and biography to be included at this location.
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Media Requests
ll media and congressional communications are coordinated by designated PHMSA staff in theOffice of Government, International and Public Affairs (PHG). PHMSA pipeline events and
issues often receive media and/or congressional attention. It is common for media outlets to report on pipeline incidents, especially those which impact the public, the environment or energy supplies. Sometimes PHMSA is cast in the shadow of a controversial or high profile issue. For a variety of reasons, media and congressional representatives will occasionally want to communicate with PHMSA staff. Sometimes they are just looking for facts: Sometimes they are looking for inside or internal information. We have a good story to tell and when bad things have occurred, we want to inform the public and congress what actions we are taking to address the situation. We ALWAYS fully cooperate with congressional representatives.
Our colleagues in PHG focus on providing the best available information to media and congressional representatives. They maintain a broad awareness of PHMSA programs and initiatives as well as policy. They are aware of Departmental and Agency policy issues that most of us do not know about. They are experienced in communicating our safety message, while also responding to sometimes vague inquiries.
Our PHG personnel are PHMSA’s experts in media and congressional communications and they sometimes will need to call upon us for technical or program specific assistance. PHG may set up a media interview with pipeline staff, but they will set ground rules with the reporter to protect both the agency and the interviewee from misquotes and mischaracterization of information.
It is PHMSA and Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) policy that staff does not directly communicate with either media or congressional representatives without the acknowledgement and involvement of PHG. This means if someone calls, sends you an email message or otherwise contacts you, you should professionally and politely refer them to PHG staff. In the same way that many of us are trained to investigate and gather information from operators, media representatives are trained to prod and provoke answers to their questions. Some of the OPS staff have undergone media training so that if PHMSA or OPS asks them to communicate with the media they are trained to do so.
It is sometimes a more difficult situation when you are approached by media representatives at a field location, public meeting or accident site. If you are approached at an accident site, be polite and advise them that your focus is on gathering facts and investigating the event. Do not speculate on the cause of the accident, who was at fault or any other preliminary information. At most major events, where media may gather, the local emergency responders or incident command will have established a public information officer. If possible, direct the media to the public information officer and provide them with PHG contact information.
Please immediately report any media or congressional contact to PHG and your supervisor. Our primary PHG contacts are Julia Piscitelli, Patricia Klinger, and Damon Hill. They can be reached at (202) 366-4831.
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Security Awareness Training
art of the IT services involves security training that provides guidance on what to protectconfidential files and information. The training is offered online
(https://one.dot.gov/ost/s80/cyber-training/pages/main.aspx) to allow employees to take the training at their convenience prior to July 25 each year. The ISSM or Information Assurance Team must collect the monthly completion number from the FAA ISSCP website. If the website is not accessible, Hailu Hailu (a PHMSA employee) can assist. Security Awareness Training (SAT) must be completed annually by all employees. PHMSA standard is 95% compliance or higher. Role-Based Training must be completed by employees with significant responsibility. PHMSA standard is 100% compliance.
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Travel
rocedures for U.S. Federal Government travel are different from those for industry travel. Government employees are responsible for making their own travel plans using GovTrip, a
commercial web site used exclusively for authorized Federal travelers (http://www.govtrip.com/govtrip/site/index.jsp). GovTrip is used to:
Create and Submit Travel Vouchers Associated with Required Travel – GovTrip allows employees to make reservations for air travel, car rentals, and hotel accommodations.
Airline reservations should be made using government contract providers unless assignment requirements conflict with schedules offered.
Car rentals should be for Economy cars only, unless traveling with other employees at which time a larger vehicle may be allowed.
Hotel reservations should be for rooms at or below government per diem cost allowance. (Employees will not necessarily be reimbursed for hotel costs above per diem rate limits, which can be found at http://www.policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd05d.html)
Travel Reimbursement – “Vouchers” must be created from existing “Travel Authorizations” in order to obtain prompt reimbursement for travel related expenses. Employees are required to submit receipts of all approved expenses within five calendar days after returning from official travel. All lodging receipts, airline receipts, and all other receipts over $50 should be retained for submission with the completed travel voucher. Reimbursements are made after travel vouchers are completed, submitted, and approved. Reimbursements are generally provided electronically to designated checking or savings accounts. Employees are also responsible for the timely payment of all credit card bills received associated with assigned travel cards.
New employees must complete an application for a “government travel charge card” for use with all necessary and appropriate expenses while on official government travel. This includes common carrier transportation tickets, lodging, meals, vehicle rental, gasoline, and other expenses incidental to official government travel. New employees should receive the government credit card within 10 days from the time the application is submitted. The travel card should be used only for authorized official travel expenses at any MasterCard of VISA merchant, and is coded for specific purchases and may be rejected if an item does not meet the coded criteria (see http://fss.gsa.gov/webtraining/trainingdocs/traveltraining/index.cfm). Employees with a government credit card should retain the credit card number and the customer service number in a safe place in the event of loss or theft. A recommended way to make a purchase on the road is to take out an ATM cash advance using the travel card and paying cash for items associated with approved travel.
All travel plans should be approved prior to the actual travel dates. Travel without approval may not be reimbursed. All trips require approval before tickets can be purchased through GovTrip. “Travel Authorization for Temporary Duty” forms will be made available to you for general travel covering training courses, inspection trips, seminars, etc., during the fiscal year. These forms contain the authorization number necessary to purchase tickets on GovTrip. If travel is required before the annual budget approval, a separate authorization form is required for each trip before the trip is taken, signed by the Director. Preliminary itineraries must be submitted as early as possible to be placed on the office calendar, and final itineraries must be submitted the week before the trip.
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Travel Requirements, Planning & General Policies Our Agency’s mission requires that we visit facilities in order to conduct pipeline inspections; meet with other Federal, state, and local agencies to coordinate pipeline safety oversight; and meet with the public to address community concerns. Extensive travel is an essential part of completing this mission. The following guidelines are provided to ensure that government travelers conduct their travel in a safe, efficient, and legal manner.
Travel Planning: A list of planned standard inspections for each calendar year must be submitted to the IOCS coordinator the first two weeks of January. The list is risk ranked and divided by the PIPP Program operating in DC with additional input from the regional director. The inspections assignments will be determined during the first staff meeting of each calendar year.
Preplanning: All trip arrangements, including hotel, airfare and rental car accommodations, should be done prior to departure. All attempts should be made to obtain hotels at or below the government per diem rate. Exceedance of hotel per diem rates must be justified by the traveler and be approved by the RD on the travel voucher.
Rental cars shall be of compact size or smaller, unless site/inspection conditions or large travel groups warrant a larger vehicle. No rental vehicles originating out of the Denver area will be approved if a GSA vehicle is available (see GSA Vehicle Policy).
Per diem rates can be found at the following web site: www.policyworks.gov.
Reservations: We are required to use GovTrip to make reservations. Under no circumstances are reservations to be made through a private party.
Travel credit cards are issued by RSPA/OPS Headquarters soon after starting employment. They are to be used for all travel-related expenses, e.g. airfare, rental car, hotels, etc. The government-issued card may be used for meals as well. It may not be used for personal non-travel related expenses.
Travel vouchers are submitted by the traveler for reimbursement of travel expenses. When submitting a travel voucher, you must submit an IOCS Activity Report documenting at minimum traveler name, away-from-office days (AFODs), type of inspection and unit inspected. Claims for reimbursement for travel pertaining to relocation are also submitted on the same form as regular travel vouchers.
Itineraries: In order to ensure everyone knows where you are on duty, place a hard copy of your itinerary including air carrier used, flight number, hotel phone number, and contact phone number during duty hours, on the Administrative Assistants desk.
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Other Guidance
All multi-day inspection trips associated with airline costs should typically be at least 4 or 5 days long in order to be cost effective. If necessary, combine short inspections with other inspection activities in the area to get a full week of inspection time.
Each inspector should get to the inspection site by 1 p.m. on the first day of travel of a multi-day inspection that you must fly to. The latter half of the first day should be productive inspection time.
On multi-day inspections that you can drive to, try to limit yourself to 5 hours driving on the first and last days. Otherwise consider flying as the primary mode of transportation.
On-site time (not associated with a travel day) should not be less than 8 to 9 hours. Any field time spent beyond this is considered to be your own choice and will not be reimbursed unless pre-approved by the RD.
Make all attempts to get home on the last day of a multi-day inspection by your normal quitting time.
If you are going to drive to an operator site each day for a multi-day inspection, there should be at least 6 to 7 hours of productive face-to-face inspection time with the operator each day. This means that no one should be driving more than 1.5 to 2 hours each way to meet with the operator. Any more than 3 to 4 hours of daily driving is very dangerous, unproductive, and not cost beneficial to the government. The government will pay the cost of your hotel.
Also, inspectors shall apply the 12-hour rule regarding late returns to your home following travel. For example, if you get back to Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage at 11:00 p.m. and your home at 11:30 p.m., you do not need to be back to the office until 11:30 a.m. the next day.
All travel should be initiated after 7 a.m. Monday and return flights started no later than 7 p.m. Friday. Again, the 12-hour rule applies to reporting back into the office the next day.
Do not work weekends. Weekend travel for training is not considered comp time or overtime.
Carry a charged cell phone. Laptop computers must be taken, and email accessed daily.
Travel Authorizations
Must I have authorization to travel? Yes, generally you must have written or electronic authorization prior to incurring any travel expense. If it is not practicable or possible to obtain such authorization prior to travel, your agency may approve a specific authorization for reimbursement of travel expenses after travel is completed. What travel arrangements require specific authorization or prior approval? You must have a specific authorization or prior approval for:
Use of premium-class service on common carrier transportation;
Use of a foreign air carrier;
Use of reduced fares for group or charter arrangements;
Use of cash to pay for common carrier transportation;
Use of extra-fare train service;
Travel by ship;
Use of a rental car;
Use of a Government aircraft;
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Payment of a reduced per diem rate;
Payment of actual expense;
Travel expenses related to emergency travel;
Transportation expenses related to threatened law enforcement/investigative employees and members of their families;
Travel expenses related to travel to a foreign area;
Acceptance of payment from a non-Federal source for travel expenses, see chapter 304 of this subtitle; and
Travel expenses related to attendance at a conference
Reimbursement of Travel Expenses
Reimbursement is by direct deposit, usually within 2 weeks. It is possible to check ivoucher on the net, https://ivoucher.jccbi.gov, on payment of your travel vouchers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What travel expenses may my agency pay? Your agency may pay only those expenses essential to the transaction of official business, which include:
Transportation expenses;
Per diem expenses;
Miscellaneous expenses; and
Travel expenses of an employee with special needs as For what travel expenses am I responsible? You are responsible for expenses over the reimbursement limits. Your agency will not pay for excess costs resulting from circuitous routes, delays, or luxury accommodations or services unnecessary or unjustified in the performance of official business.
What information must I provide in my claim? You must provide the following:
An itemized list of expenses and other information (specified in the listing of required standard data elements contained in Appendix C of this chapter, and any additional information your agency may specifically require), except:
You may aggregate expenses for local telephone calls, local metropolitan transportation fares, and parking meter fees, except any individual expenses costing over $75 must be listed separately;
When you are authorized lodgings-plus per diem, you must state the M&IE allowance on a daily basis;
When you are authorized a reduced per diem, you must state the reduced rate your agency authorizes on a daily basis; and
When your agency limits M&IE reimbursement to the prescribed maximum M&IE for the locality concerned, you must state the reduced rate on a daily basis.
Your agency may or may not require itemization of M&IE when reimbursement is limited to either the maximum M&IE locality rate or a reduced M&IE rate is authorized.
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The type of leave and the number of hours of leave for each day;
The date of arrival and departure from the Training or Temporary Duty (TDY) station and any non-duty points visited when you by an indirect route other than a stopover to change planes or embark/disembark passengers;
A signed statement, ``I hereby assign to the United States any rights I may have against other parties in connection with any reimbursable carrier transportation charges described herein,'' when you use cash to pay for common carrier transportation.
Am I required to file a claim in a specific format and must the claim be signed? Yes, in a format prescribed by your agency. If the prescribed claim is hardcopy, the claim must be signed in ink; if your agency has electronic processing, use your electronic signature. Any alterations or erasures to your claim must be initialed. You must provide:
Evidence of your necessary authorizations including any necessary special authorizations;
Receipts for:
Any lodging expense, except when you are authorized a fixed reduced per diem allowance; and
Any other expense costing over $75. If it is impracticable to furnish receipts in any instance as required by this subtitle, the failure to do so must be fully explained on the voucher. Mere inconvenience in the matter of taking receipts will not be considered.
Is there any instance where I am exempt from the receipt requirement? Yes, your agency may exempt expenditure from the receipt requirement because the expenditure is confidential.
How do I submit a claim? You must submit your claim in accordance with administrative procedures prescribed by your agency.
When must I submit my claim? Unless your agency administratively requires you to submit your claim within a shorter timeframe, you must submit your claim as follows:
Within 5 working days after you complete your trip or period of; or
Every 30 days if you are on continuous status.
May my agency disallow payment of a claimed item? Yes, if you do not:
Provide proper itemization of an expense;
Provide receipt or other documentation required to support your claim; and
Claim an expense which is not authorized.
What will my agency do when it disallows an expense? Your agency will disallow your claim for that expense, issue you a notice of disallowance, and pay your claim for those items which are not disallowed.
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May I challenge my agency's disallowance of my claim? Yes, you may request reconsideration of your claim if you have additional facts or documentation to support your request for reconsideration. What must I do to challenge a disallowed claim? You must:
File a new claim.
Provide full itemization for all disallowed items reclaimed.
Provide receipts for all disallowed items reclaimed that require receipts, except that you do not have to provide a receipt if your agency already has the receipt.
Provide a copy of the notice of disallowance.
State the proper authority for your claim if you are challenging your agency's application of the law or statute.
Follow your agency's procedures for challenging disallowed claims.
If after reconsideration by your agency your claim is still denied, you may submit your claim for adjudication to the GSA Board of Contract Appeals in accordance with 48 CFR part 6104.
What happens if I attempt to defraud the Government
You forfeit reimbursement pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2514; and
You may be subject under 18 U.S.C. 287 and 1001 to one, or both, of the following:
A fine of not more than $10,000, or
Imprisonment for not more than 5 years. Sec. 301-52.13 Should I keep itemized records of my expenses while on? Yes. You will find it helpful to keep a record of your expenses by date of the expense to aid you in preparing your claim or for tax purposes.
What must I do with any advance outstanding at the time I submit my claim? You must account for the advance in accordance with your agency's procedures. What must I do with any unused tickets, coupons, or other evidence of refund? You must submit any unused tickets, coupons, or other evidence of refund to your agency in accordance with your agency's procedures. If credit is due because a trip is cancelled:
The traveler should either print out the GovTrip page canceling the trip or ask GovTrip for a copy of the credit or other documentation so there is paperwork to submit to Citibank.
Call Citibank Customer Service at 1-800-790-7206 (located on the back of your travel credit card) and advise them the charge is in dispute. Citibank will send you a Government Cardholder Dispute Form to complete and send in.
The dispute will keep the charge out of your amount due for 30 days. You should receive a letter from Citibank referencing the disputed transaction and verifying that they will allow a minimum of 30-days to investigate your claim.
Inform your supervisor that you have a charge in dispute.
Pay the undisputed portion of your Citibank bill by the due date. The disputed charge will hold the delinquency off the record so that your account remains current.
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Within how many calendar days after I submit a proper claim must my agency reimburse my allowable expenses? Your agency must reimburse you within 30 calendar days after you submit a proper claim to your agency's designated approving office. Your agency must ensure that it uses a satisfactory recordkeeping system to track submission of claims. For example, claims submitted by mail, in accordance with your agency's policy, could be annotated with the time and date of receipt by your agency. Your agency could consider claims electronically submitted to the designated approving office as submitted on the date indicated on an e-mail log, or on the next business day if submitted after normal working hours. However, claims for the following relocation allowances are exempt from this provision:
Transportation and storage of household goods and professional books, papers and equipment;
Transportation of mobile home;
Transportation of a privately owned vehicle;
Temporary quarters subsistence expense, when not paid as lump sum;
Residence transaction expenses;
Relocation income tax allowance;
Use of a relocation services company;
Home marketing incentive payments; and
Allowance for property management services.
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LEAVE, BENEFITS, AND OTHER WORK POLICIES
Salary
ithin this section you find pay tables and general information of the types of things that are deducted from your pay. Please consult OPM for any additional information you may need.
Deductions from Pay
Retirement, Medicare and Social Security There is a withholding of 7 percent of the basic salary of employees under the Civil Service Retirement System. Federal Employees Group Life Insurance This deduction is covered in detail in the Life Insurance guide provided by OPM. The minimum basic insurance coverage is $10,000; there is no maximum. Federal Income Taxes Federal income taxes are withheld in accordance with current withholding requirements by the Internal Revenue Service.
Overtime and Comp Time
Official overtime and comp time must be pre-approved by the Regional Director or the acting office coordinator.
There will be no comp time except for the first 16 hours of an accident investigation.
Overtime pay will be provided for weekend and holiday work on critical construction, remediation efforts, or long accident investigations, e.g. Alyeska shutdowns.
All travel should be initiated after 7 a.m. Monday and the return flight started no later than 7 p.m. Friday. The twelve-hour rule applies to reporting back into the office the next day. Do not work on weekend.
Weekend travel for training is not considered comp time or overtime. Your schedule should accommodate your RDO. If you miss your RDO it must be made up during the same pay period or, in an emergency, the next pay period.
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2012 Alaska GS Salary Table
Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
1 $22,199 $22,940 $23,679 $24,413 $25,151 $25,585 $26,315 $27,050 $27,079 $27,767
2 24,959 25,553 26,378 27,079 27,383 28,189 28,994 29,800 30,605 31,411
3 27,232 28,140 29,048 29,956 30,863 31,771 32,679 33,586 34,494 35,402
4 30,571 31,590 32,609 33,628 34,646 35,665 36,684 37,703 38,721 39,740
5 34,204 35,343 36,483 37,623 38,762 39,902 41,042 42,181 43,321 44,461
6 38,126 39,397 40,668 41,938 43,209 44,479 45,750 47,021 48,291 49,562
7 42,368 43,781 45,194 46,607 48,019 49,432 50,845 52,258 53,670 55,083
8 46,922 48,486 50,049 51,613 53,177 54,740 56,304 57,867 59,431 60,995
9 51,825 53,552 55,279 57,006 58,733 60,460 62,187 63,914 65,641 67,368
10 57,072 58,975 60,877 62,780 64,683 66,586 68,488 70,391 72,294 74,197
11 62,703 64,793 66,882 68,972 71,062 73,152 75,242 77,331 79,421 81,511
12 75,156 77,661 80,166 82,671 85,176 87,681 90,186 92,691 95,196 97,701
13 89,370 92,349 95,328 98,307 101,286 104,265 107,243 110,222 113,201 116,180
14 105,609 109,129 112,649 116,169 119,689 123,209 126,729 130,249 133,769 137,289
15 124,226 128,367 132,508 136,649 140,790 144,931 149,072 153,213 155,500 155,500
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COLA and Locality Pay Rates (%)
Non-foreign COLA Areas
2010 2011 2012
COLA Rates
Payable Locality
Rates
Full Locality
Rates
COLA Rates
Payable Locality
Rates
Full Locality
Rates
COLA Rates
Payable Locality
Rates
Full Locality
Rates
Anchorage, Alaska
19.03 4.72 14.16 10.56 16.46 24.69 5.57 24.69 24.69
Fairbanks, Alaska 19.03 4.72 14.16 10.56 16.46 24.69 5.57 24.69 24.69
Juneau, Alaska 19.03 4.72 14.16 10.56 16.46 24.69 5.57 24.69 24.69
Other Alaska 20.94 4.72 14.16 12.28 16.46 24.69 7.18 24.69 24.69
City and County of Honolulu,
Hawaii 20.94 4.72 14.16 16.07 11.01 16.51 12.25 16.51 16.51
County of Hawaii, Hawaii
14.26 4.72 14.16 9.76 11.01 16.51 6.24 16.51 16.51
County of Kauai, Hawaii
20.94 4.72 14.16 16.07 11.01 16.51 12.25 16.51 16.51
County of Maui, Hawaii
20.94 4.72 14.16 16.07 11.01 16.51 12.25 16.51 16.51
Puerto Rico 10.44 4.72 14.16 7.18 9.44 14.16 4.20 14.16 14.16
U.S. Virgin Islands
20.94 4.72 14.16 17.23 9.44 14.16 13.84 14.16 14.16
Guam & Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
20.94 4.72 14.16 17.23 9.44 14.16 13.84 14.16 14.16
Other Possessions
0 4.72 14.16 0 9.44 14.16 0 14.16 14.16
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Leave Policies
Request for Leave or Excused Absence must be submitted in advance in the CASTLEtimekeeping database and approved by the RD or his acting office coordinator.
Please coordinate your requests with each other as much as you can before submitting them to the Regional Director. Some parameters in approving leave are:
Ensure there are at least two engineers on duty at any one time between May 15th and September 15th.
Ensure that no more than 15 days of leave, resulting in a minimum disruption to the number of full weeks of inspection time, are lost per person during this same 4-month period.
Regular Day Off (RDO)
All RDOs are to be taken on the pre-approved scheduled day of the pay period. All possible efforts must be made to schedule them appropriately. That is why they are called a “regular” day off. If scheduling difficulties outside of your control preclude you from using your RDO on the scheduled day, e.g. TSI training, you may get permission from the Regional Director or the acting office coordinator to switch it to another day in the same pay period. Federal personnel regulations require an RDO to be used during the same pay period and they cannot be carried over for later use. If for some reason an RDO cannot be used during the same pay period, e.g. accident investigation, special assignments, etc., the Regional Director will pre-approve comp time in lieu of the RDO. However, the RDO is lost. If RDO’s are constantly being rescheduled, the supervisor may remove an employee from the alternate work schedule.
Compensatory Time Off
Compensatory time off is:
Time off with pay in lieu of overtime pay for irregular or occasional overtime work, or
When permitted under agency flexible work schedule programs, time off with pay in lieu of overtime pay for regularly scheduled or irregular or occasional overtime work.
Employee Coverage Compensatory time off may be approved in lieu of overtime pay for irregular or occasional overtime work for both FLSA exempt and nonexempt employees who are covered by the definition of “employee.” Compensatory time off can also be approved for a “prevailing rate employee,” but there is no authority to require that any prevailing rate (wage) employee be compensated for irregular or occasional overtime work by granting compensatory time off.
Mandatory Agencies may require that an FLSA exempt employee receive compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay for irregular or occasional overtime work, but only for an FLSA exempt employee whose rate of basic pay is above the rate for GS-10, step 10. No mandatory compensatory time off is permitted for wage employees or in lieu of FLSA overtime pay.
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Regularly Scheduled Overtime Compensatory time off may be approved (not required) in lieu of regularly scheduled overtime work only for employees, including wage employees, who are ordered to work overtime hours under flexible work schedules. Amount 1 hour of compensatory time off is granted for each hour of overtime work.
Annual Leave
An employee may use annual leave for vacations, rest and relaxation, and personal business or emergencies. An employee has a right to take annual leave, subject to the right of the supervisor to schedule the time at which annual leave may be taken. An employee will receive a lump-sum payment for accumulated and accrued annual leave when he or she separates from Federal service or enters on active duty in the armed forces and elects to receive a lump-sum payment.
Accrual Rates
Employee Type Less than 3 years of service*
3 years but less than 15 years of service*
15 or more years of service*
Full-time employees ½ day (4 hours) for each pay period
3/4 day (6 hours) for each pay period, except 1¼ day (10 hours) in last pay period
1 day (8 hours) for each pay period
Part-time employees** 1 hour of annual leave for each 20 hours in a pay status
1 hour of annual leave for each 13 hours in a pay status
1 hour of annual leave for each 10 hours in a pay status
Uncommon tours of duty**
(4 hours) times (average # of hours per biweekly pay period) divided by 80 = biweekly accrual rate.***
(6 hours) times (average # of hours per biweekly pay period) divided by 80 = biweekly accrual rate.***
(8 hours) times (average # of hours per biweekly pay period) divided by 80 = biweekly accrual rate. ***
* See Creditable Service for Leave Accrual ** Leave is prorated for part-time employees and employees on uncommon tours of duty. *** In computing leave accrual for uncommon tours of duty, the accrual rate for the last full pay period in a calendar year must be adjusted to ensure the correct amount of leave is accrued.
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Use It or Lose It!
The leave year ends at the start of the first complete pay period of the new calendar year. Since there is a 240-hour (30-day) ceiling on the amount of annual leave that can be carried forward, it is imperative to use any accumulated leave in excess of 240 hours before the start of the new leave year – or lose it.
Lump Sum Payments for Annual Leave
An employee will receive a lump-sum payment for any unused annual leave when he or she separates from Federal service or enters on active duty in the armed forces and elects to receive a lump-sum payment. Generally, a lump-sum payment will equal the pay the employee would have received had he or she remained employed until expiration of the period covered by the annual leave.
Sick Leave
An employee may use sick leave for:
personal medical needs
care of a family member
care of a family member with a serious health condition
adoption related purposes
Accrual Rates
Full-time Employees 1/2 day (4 hours) for each biweekly pay period.
Part-time Employees 1 hour for each 20 hours in a pay status.
There are no limits on the amount of sick leave that can be accumulated. Unused sick leave accumulated by employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System will be used in the calculation of their annuities.
Requesting Sick Leave
An employee must request sick leave within such time limits as the agency may require. An agency may require employees to request advance approval for sick leave for their own or a family member’s medical, dental, or optical examination or treatment.
Granting Sick Leave
An agency may grant sick leave only when supported by evidence administratively acceptable by the agency. For absences in excess of 3 days, or for a lesser period when determined necessary by the agency, an agency may require a medical certificate or other administratively acceptable evidence.
Advance Sick Leave
At the discretion of the agency, a maximum of 30 days of sick leave may be advanced to an employee with a medical emergency or for purposes related to the adoption of a child. A maximum of 5 days of sick leave may be advanced for family care or bereavement purposes.
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Unused Sick Leave
The service of some employees is increased by their unused sick leave if the employee retires on an immediate annuity or dies in service leaving a widow or widower entitled to a survivor’s annuity. The days of unused sick leave are used only to determine the number of years and months of service for annuity computation purposes; they cannot be used to compute the employee’s high-3 average salary, or to meet the minimum length of service required for retirement eligibility. Sick leave is computed on the basis of a 2,087-hour work year.
Leave Without Pay
Leave without pay (LWOP) is a temporary non-pay status and absence from duty that, in most cases, is granted at the employee’s request. In most instances, granting LWOP is a matter of supervisory discretion and may be limited by agency internal policy. Employees, however, have an entitlement to LWOP in the following situations:
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) (Public Law 103-3, February 5, 1993), provides covered employees with an entitlement to a total of up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave (LWOP) during any 12-month period for certain family and medical needs.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 provides employees with an entitlement to LWOP when employment with an employer is interrupted by a period of service in the uniformed service
Executive Order 5396, July 17, 1930, provides that disabled veterans are entitled to LWOP for necessary medical treatment.
Employees may not be in a pay status while receiving workers’ compensation payments from the Department of Labor.
Employees should be aware that LWOP affects their entitlement to or eligibility for certain Federal benefits.
Court Leave
An employee is entitled to paid time off without charge to leave for service as a juror or witness. n employee is responsible for informing his or her supervisor if he or she is excused from jury or witness service for 1 day or more or for a substantial part of a day. To avoid undue hardship, an agency may adjust the schedule of an employee who works nights or weekends and is called to jury duty. (If there is no jury/witness service, there is no court leave. The employee would be charged annual leave, sick leave, or leave without pay, as appropriate.)
Jury Duty An employee who is summoned to serve as a juror in a judicial proceeding is entitled to court leave.
Witnesses An employee who is summoned as a witness in a judicial proceeding in which the Federal, State, or local government is a party is entitled to court leave.
Official Duty An employee who is summoned as a witness in an official capacity on behalf of the Federal Government is on official duty, not court leave.
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Fees/Expenses
Employees must reimburse to their agency fees paid for service as a juror or witness. However, monies paid to jurors or witnesses which are in the nature of “expenses” (e.g., transportation) do not have to be reimbursed to the agency.
Family and Medical Leave
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), most Federal employees are entitled to a total of up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the following purposes: The birth of a son or daughter of the employee and the care of such son or daughter; The placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care; The care of spouse, son, daughter, or parent of the employee who has a serious health condition;
or A serious health condition of the employee that makes the employee unable to perform the
essential functions of his or her positions. Under certain conditions, an employee may use the 12 weeks of FMLA leave intermittently. An employee may elect to substitute annual leave and/or sick leave, consistent with current laws and OPM’s regulations for using annual and sick leave, for any unpaid leave under the FMLA. (The amount of sick leave that may be used to care for a family member is limited. FMLA leave is in addition to other paid time off available to an employee.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits
The Federal Employee’s Compensation Act (FECA) provides workers’ compensation benefits to Federal employees who sustain job-related injuries or illnesses. The law also guarantees employees certain job rights upon recovery. Upon their return to work, employees will be treated as though they had never left for purposes of rights and benefits based upon length of service. The law assigns a dual responsibility to the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) and to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). OPM administers the restoration rights provision of the law. OWCP administers all other aspects of the law.
Who Is Covered?
Virtually all Federal employees (including employees in the legislative and judicial branches), except those serving under time-limited appointment, have restoration rights upon full or partial recovery from a job-related injury or illness.
Agency Obligations
An employee who sustains a job-related injury must be allowed to seek treatment from the physician of his or her choice without agency interference. The agency can require the employee to undergo a medical examination by its own doctors for the purpose of determining employability. An agency-required examination has no effect on the payment of compensation benefits by OWCP. An employee who is unable to perform the full duties of his or her position may be placed on leave without pay (LWOP) or separated at any time. This is a non-disciplinary action and has no effect on the employee’s restoration rights upon recovery. However, an agency must tell an employee who is being separated or placed on LWOP, how benefits will be affected and what the employee’s restoration rights are. The obligation to reemploy rests with the former agency; other agencies have no obligation to reemploy a recovered worker.
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Employee Obligations
The employee has an obligation to cooperate with the agency, to keep the agency informed of his or her
medical status, and to seek restoration as soon as the medical condition permits.
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Holidays
Federal law establishes the following public holidays for Federal employees. Please note that most federal employees work on a Monday through Friday schedule. For these employees, when a holiday falls on a non-workday – Saturday or Sunday – the holiday usually is observed on Monday (if the holiday falls on a Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on a Saturday).
New Year’s Day (January 1) Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January) Washington’s Birthday (Third Monday in February) Memorial Day (Last Monday in May) Independence Day (July 4) Labor Day (First Monday in September) Columbus Day (Second Monday in October) Veterans Day (November 11) Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November) Christmas Day (December 25)
Weather Dismissal Policy
During weather emergencies, the agency may close or offer the telework option for federal employees. It is up to the supervisor to determine if the weather is severe enough to consider these options, but typically our agency follows the Anchorage Federal Buildings closure days. On days that the weather is severe, please call (907) 566-0023 to verify if the Federal Building is closed or not. If you feel unsafe driving in to work, please contact your supervisor and get approval to telework for that day.
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Insurance
he Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program is open to almost all federal employees on a voluntary basis. Exceptions are workers who are serving their first year of federal
employment under a temporary appointment, employed on an intermittent basis, or otherwise excluded by law or regulation. Key features of FEHB are: Within 60 days from the date you are hired (or become eligible, if formerly working for the government but ineligible), you may enroll in a health benefits plan with group-related premiums and benefits; Coverage is provided without a medical examination or restrictions because of age, current health, or pre-existing conditions; There are no waiting periods for benefits to kick in after the effective date of enrollment; There is catastrophic protection against unusually large medical bills; and You have an annual opportunity, during open seasons, to enroll in a health benefits plan if you are not already enrolled or, if you are enrolled, to change another plan option. By enrolling in an FEHB plan, employees have an opportunity to acquire protection against the cost of health care service for themselves and their families, including individuals suffering from prolonged illnesses or involved in serious accidents.
Enrollment Questions and Answers
General Q&A
I am a new Federal employee. What is the effective date of my health insurance? You have 60 days after you begin work to elect FEHB coverage and to decide if you want to waive participation in premium conversion. Your enrollment begins on the first day of the pay period that begins after your human resources office receives your enrollment request and that follows a pay period during any part of which you were in a pay status. If you do not want to participate in premium conversion, you must give your waiver form to your human resources office at the same time you turn in your FEHB enrollment request. Generally, what events allow me to enroll and then to change my enrollment? During the annual FEHB open season, you may enroll, cancel an enrollment, change plans or options, and waive or begin participation in premium conversion. Outside of open season, you can make changes due to certain events, called qualifying life events (QLEs). The most common QLEs for changing enrollment type or plan are: marriage, acquiring a child, moving away from the area served by your Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), or changing to work overseas. If you waived participation in premium conversion, you can change from self-and-family enrollment to a self-only enrollment or cancel your enrollment at any time. You can make other changes during open season or due to certain events. Your human resources office can give you more information about these events. I am a Federal employee. How do I actually enroll in the FEHB Program? To enroll in the FEHB Program, you must follow the instructions of your agency human resources office. There you can get information about FEHB and whether you are eligible to enroll. If you are eligible, they will also advise you about when your FEHB coverage will become effective. You will fill in a Standard Form 2809, Health Benefits Registration Form, or perhaps will use Employee Express.
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When I change plans, when will the change be effective? Open season changes are effective the first day of the first full pay period that begins in January. Generally, mid-year changes are effective on the first day of the pay period which begins after your enrollment is received by your human resources office. Can a temporary employee enroll? Yes, after completing one year of current continuous government service. Your human resources office can tell you whether you are eligible. I want to enroll in a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) but I don't live or work in the Plan's area as required by that particular plan's brochure. Why can't I enroll in it? Health maintenance organizations (HMO) often restrict enrollment to an area where its doctors and hospitals are accessible. Although some HMOs do not have restrictions on where you live or work, please recognize that if you later find it is inconvenient to get to a plan provider, you will not be allowed to change plans until an event occurs that allows you to change, such as the next open season. I just had a baby. My coworker just adopted a little child. Do either of us need to complete another Standard Form 2809, Health Benefits Registration Form, to have our children covered? How you acquire a child (e.g., birth or adoption) does not matter. If you have self-only enrollment, you each need to complete an enrollment form to change to a self-and-family enrollment. If you already have a self-and-family enrollment, you do not need to complete a new form; in this case, contact your plan to let them know about the new family member. My child is in college; how long can my child stay covered under my enrollment? Your child can be covered under your self-and-family enrollment until he or she marries or turns age 22. It does not matter whether he or she attends college. Can my children get coverage when they lose coverage as family members? Yes. Children who lose coverage under your self-and-family enrollment may enroll for Temporary Continuation of Coverage for a period of time after they lose coverage as your family member. Contact your human resources office within 60 days of the child's 22nd birthday. Your children may also choose to convert to a private policy. I am not a Federal employee and am divorcing my spouse, who is a Federal employee. Can I get coverage when I lose coverage as a family member? Although you cannot remain covered as a family member under your spouse's self-and-family enrollment (even if a court order requires it), you may be eligible for Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage under either the spouse equity provisions or the Temporary Continuation of Coverage provisions of the law. You would be enrolled in your own right and would pay both the Government and employee shares of the premium yourself. See RI 70-5 Guide for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) and Former Spouse Enrollees for more information.
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If I decide to choose "spouse equity" coverage when we divorce, how do I qualify? To qualify for spouse equity coverage, submit an application to your former spouse's human resources office (or, if applicable, the former spouse's retirement system) within 60 days after your divorce; you must be covered as a family member under your spouse's Federal Employees Health Benefits Program enrollment at least one day during the 18 months prior to divorce; and you must have future entitlement to receive a portion of your spouse's retirement annuity or survivor annuity. Also, if you remarry prior to age 55 you will lose this coverage. If you do not qualify under the spouse equity provisions, you may be eligible for coverage under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage provisions. You may also convert to a private policy. See RI 70-5 Guide for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) and Former Spouse Enrollees for more information. I believe I am eligible; how do I enroll for spouse equity coverage? Contact the agency human resources office (or retirement system, if applicable) for information on how to enroll. You will need to document your eligibility. See RI 70-5 Guide for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) and Former Spouse Enrollees for more information. When my youngest child turns age 22 next month, I won't have any family members who are eligible for coverage. Do I have to wait until open season to change from self-and-family to a self-only enrollment? No. If you participate in premium conversion, the loss of an eligible family member is a qualifying life event. Changing your FEHB enrollment from self and family to self only is consistent with the QLE. If you waived participation in premium conversion, you may change from a self-and-family enrollment to a self-only enrollment at any time. Who can be included on my Federal Employees Health Benefits Program enrollment? Can I cover my mother? Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage is available for the employee's spouse and unmarried dependent children under age 22, including legally adopted children and children born out of wedlock. Stepchildren and foster children (including grandchildren, if they qualify as foster children) are included if they live with the employee in a regular parent-child relationship. Also, an unmarried dependent child age 22 or over who is incapable of self support because of a mental or physical incapacity which existed before age 22 may qualify for coverage under certain conditions. You cannot cover other relatives, such as your mother, even if they are otherwise considered your dependents. An employee's agency makes enrollment eligibility decisions in accordance with the law and regulations. Ask your human resources office for help in deciding whether your circumstances meet the requirements. Can I cover my common-law spouse under my self-and-family enrollment? If the State in which you reside recognizes common-law marriages, yes. My Federally-employed spouse and I have one child. My spouse and I are separating. Will I be covered during the separation? As long as your spouse has a self-and-family enrollment and you are still married to your spouse, you will be covered under the enrollment. Your eligibility for coverage under your spouse's self-and-family enrollment will cease after a divorce or annulment.
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Both my spouse and I are Federal Employees. I have self and family coverage, and participate in premium conversion. Our youngest child will turn age 22 next month. Can my spouse and I each change to self-only coverage? Yes. Under premium conversion, a change in health benefits coverage is allowed with a qualifying life event as long as the change is on account of and consistent with the QLE. Changing from self-and-family to two self-only enrollments is consistent with your youngest child losing eligibility for FEHB coverage. Another plan has some extra services that I can't get in my own plan. When is the next time I can change plans? You can change plans at open season and whenever certain qualifying life events (QLE) -- such as marriage -- occur. Becoming aware of another plan that has better benefits, even if you didn't expect to want the extra benefits when you had a chance to change plans before, does not qualify as a "QLE" that allows you to change plans. I'm interested in changing to either a health maintenance organization (HMO) or a plan with a Point-of-Service (POS) product. How can I find out where their providers are located? The plans print their provider directories and have them available during open season. Many plans also provide this information on their websites. If your agency will have an open season health fair this fall, the plans probably will be there to hand out their brochures and provider directories. You can also call the plan at the number listed in any of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Guides. I don't understand what a "Plan offering a Point of Service product (POS)" really is. Can you give me a more thorough explanation? A Plan offering a Point of Service product (POS) has features of both a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and a managed Fee-for-Service (FFS) plan. A few years ago, we began permitting plans to offer POS products as part of their benefits packages. Think of it has a hybrid of the two types of plans. In an HMO, the POS product lets you choose to use providers that are not part of the network of providers affiliated with the plan. There is a cost associated with choosing non-plan providers, usually in the form of substantial deductibles and coinsurances that are higher than the copayment you would normally pay for using a plan provider. You will also need to file a claim for reimbursement, like in a FFS plan. The plan wants you to use its network of providers, but it recognizes the desire of some enrollees to see a provider of their choosing on some occasions. In the case of a POS product of a managed Fee-for-Service (FFS) plan, the opposite is true. The plan's normal benefits include deductibles and coinsurance. But in some locations, the plan has set up a network of providers similar to that you would find in an HMO. The plan encourages you to use these providers, usually by waiving the deductibles and applying a copayment that is smaller than the normal coinsurance. Normally, there would not be any paperwork when you use a network provider. Check the Federal Employees Health Benefits Guide to see where the FFS plan offers a POS product, and what you must do to elect to participate in the plan's POS product. If I join a plan because my doctor is a participating doctor or specialist and then my doctor drops out of my plan's network in the middle of the year, can I switch plans or do I need to wait until open season? You would need to wait for open season. It is not uncommon for providers to leave plans mid-year. Other plan providers will be available to provide care.
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I have a pre-existing heart condition. When I change plans, should I worry about a waiting period before I can get coverage? There are no exclusions or waiting periods for pre-existing conditions in any plan in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. This will also be the case after you retire. When I leave the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, I understand I will get a certification that I had group coverage that I can use to get new coverage with my private industry employer. Will my agency or my plan certify my insurance coverage? We require FEHB carriers to issue certifications of prior coverage to enrollees. They issue certifications automatically whenever coverage terminates, whether it is termination of regular coverage, TCC coverage, or spouse equity coverage. If the plan does not certify your coverage, you should write to them and ask them to send you certification of coverage. My child is going to college this year. Will my health maintenance organization (HMO) cover him? Yes, if you have family coverage, as long as your child is under age 22 and unmarried. Since you are in an HMO, your child will be covered for services received from Plan providers and for emergency care away from home. Some HMOs offer benefits that are tailored specifically to your situation and others have reciprocal agreements with plans in other areas. Check with your plan. My plan denied my claim and I think they should have covered the services; what can I do? First, check your plan's brochure to see if the service is covered, limited or excluded. The next step is to review the disputed claims section of your brochure. Briefly, the disputed claims section will direct you to write to the plan to explain why (in terms of the applicable brochure coverage provisions) you feel the services should be covered, and to ask the plan to reconsider your claim. If the plan again denies the claim, read the plan's decision letter carefully and then check your plan's brochure again. If you still disagree with the plan's decision, the disputed claims section of your brochure will show you how to write to the Office of Personnel Management to ask us to review the claim. We can't review a denied claim unless your plan has reconsidered it first (or at least been given an opportunity to reconsider it). Your disputed claim will be reviewed in one of four Insurance Contracts Divisions. Generally, we will acknowledge your request within 5 days. After we complete the review, we will send you a final response within 60 days. If we need more time before we can decide, or if you need to do more -- such as send us more information -- before we can decide, we will contact you within 14 work days of the time we get your request and tell you what you still need to do, if anything. We are sorry but we cannot give you a decision over the phone until the review has been completed and a written copy of the final decision has been issued. I'm enrolled in a fee-for-service plan. How can I get the most value for my benefit dollar? Most FEHB fee-for-service plans offer Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) arrangements. When selecting your health care practitioner, your use of PPO providers whenever possible will help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, PPO providers will generally file your claims for you. Read your plan's FEHB brochure carefully to find out about other incentives. Contact your plan to obtain the names of PPO providers in your area. You should also visit your plan's website (identified on the front of the plan's brochure and available by link from this website). Many plans provide up-to-date lists of PPO providers on their website.
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I want to take advantage of the better benefits available by using a PPO doctor but my plan doesn't have any in my area. Why can't non-PPO's be paid as PPO's when there aren't any PPO's in my area? We ensure that the plans provide the benefits described in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program brochures. The health plans often make Preferred Provider Agreements and other arrangements with providers which are contractual arrangements between the carriers and the providers. Because of the discounts that a plan realizes through its contracts with PPO providers, the plan is able to reimburse a higher percentage of the negotiated PPO allowance when PPO providers are utilized. It would not be cost effective for the plan to reimburse at the higher level when the provider is not giving a discount. Furthermore, much of the benefit you receive from using PPO providers comes from the PPO provider's agreement not to bill you for more than the negotiated PPO allowance. Non-PPO providers are under no such obligation. In some areas of the country, it is much more difficult for a plan to arrange PPO contracts for all types of services. In areas where there are no PPO providers, you can still receive your plan's regular benefits, as opposed to the incentivized PPO benefit.
My friend got bad information from a Plan's customer service representative and got care based on that bad information. My friend thinks the Office of Personnel Management should order the plan to pay or allow a mid-year plan change. I don't think it should do either. Who is right? You are correct. Problems arising from oral discussions are very difficult to settle later because they are impossible to prove or disprove. In contractual situations such as under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, oral statements can never be regarded as official and, so, the brochures state that oral statements made by any representative of a carrier cannot modify the benefits described in the brochure. If a serious decision -- such as whether to enroll or not enroll in a plan -- hinges on such a coverage issue, do not rely on a verbal response. This is particularly true if the response disagrees with the plan's brochure benefits description.
Why can't the doctors stay with the plan a year instead of dropping out at any time? I can't keep up with who is participating and who is not. The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program runs on a calendar year basis -- from January through December. But the carriers' provider contracts are spread throughout the year, as are the carriers' policies with other employers.
My plan requires that I get preauthorization for surgery. My physician told me that I need this surgery but my plan will not authorize it. What can I do? First, have your doctor contact the plan to discuss the situation. You and your doctor can provide your plan with information to support your contention that the surgery should be authorized, such as medical records that indicate the need for the surgery, and ask your plan to reconsider its decision. If the plan reconsiders its decision but continues to uphold its denial, and after considering the plan's rationale you still disagree, consult the disputed claims section of your plan's brochure for specific information on how to write to the Office of Personnel Management to ask us to review the claim.
I am going to retire soon. What are the requirements to continue health benefits into retirement? In order for you to continue your health benefits enrollment into retirement, you must: (1) Have retired on an immediate annuity (that is, an annuity which begins to accrue no later than one month
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after the date of your final separation); and (2) Have been continuously enrolled (or covered as a family member) in any Federal Employees Health Benefits Program plan (not necessarily the same plan) for the five years of service immediately preceding retirement, or if less than five years, for all service since your first opportunity to enroll.
How would I get a waiver of the 5-year coverage requirement to continue health benefits into retirement with buyout legislation? You may not need to write to the Office of Personnel Management. If you think you might qualify for a waiver of the 5-year coverage requirement, contact your human resources office for information. If you meet the requirements, your agency will attach a memorandum to your retirement application stating that you meet the requirements for waiver by the Office of Personnel Management.
Family Q&A
I just had a baby. My coworker just adopted a little child. Do either of us need to complete another Standard Form 2809, Health Benefits Registration Form, to have our children covered? How you acquire a child (e.g., birth or adoption) does not matter. If you have self-only enrollment, you each need to complete an enrollment form to change to a self-and-family enrollment. If you already have a self-and-family enrollment, you do not need to complete a new form; in this case, contact your plan to let them know about the new family member.
My child is in college; how long can my child stay covered under my enrollment? Your child can be covered under your self-and-family enrollment until he or she marries or turns age 22. It does not matter whether he or she attends college.
Can my children get coverage when they lose coverage as family members? Yes. Children who lose coverage under your self-and-family enrollment may enroll for Temporary Continuation of Coverage for a period of time after they lose coverage as your family member. Contact your human resources office within 60 days of the child's 22nd birthday. Your children may also choose to convert to a private policy.
I am not a Federal employee and am divorcing my spouse, who is a Federal employee. Can I get coverage when I lose coverage as a family member? Although you cannot remain covered as a family member under your spouse's self-and-family enrollment (even if a court order requires it), you may be eligible for Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage under either the spouse equity provisions or the Temporary Continuation of Coverage provisions of the law. You would be enrolled in your own right and would pay both the Government and employee shares of the premium yourself. See RI 70-5 Guide for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) and Former Spouse Enrollees for more information.
If I decide to choose "spouse equity" coverage when we divorce, how do I qualify? To qualify for spouse equity coverage, submit an application to your former spouse's human resources office (or, if applicable, the former spouse's retirement system) within 60 days after your divorce; you must be covered as a family member under your spouse's Federal Employees Health Benefits Program enrollment at least one day during the 18 months prior to divorce; and you must
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have future entitlement to receive a portion of your spouse's retirement annuity or survivor annuity. Also, if you remarry prior to age 55 you will lose this coverage. If you do not qualify under the spouse equity provisions, you may be eligible for coverage under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage provisions. You may also convert to a private policy. See RI 70-5 Guide for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) and Former Spouse Enrollees for more information.
I believe I am eligible; how do I enroll for spouse equity coverage? Contact the agency human resources office (or retirement system, if applicable) for information on how to enroll. You will need to document your eligibility. See RI 70-5 Guide for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) and Former Spouse Enrollees for more information.
When my youngest child turns age 22 next month, I won't have any family members who are eligible for coverage. Do I have to wait until open season to change from self-and-family to a self-only enrollment? You can change from a self-and-family enrollment to a self-only enrollment at any time.
Who can be included on my Federal Employees Health Benefits Program enrollment? Can I cover my mother? Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage is available for the employee's spouse and unmarried dependent children under age 22, including legally adopted children and children born out of wedlock. Stepchildren and foster children (including grandchildren, if they qualify as foster children) are included if they live with the employee in a regular parent-child relationship. Also, an unmarried dependent child age 22 or over who is incapable of self support because of a mental or physical incapacity which existed before age 22 may qualify for coverage under certain conditions. You cannot cover other relatives, such as your mother, even if they are otherwise considered your dependents.
An employee's agency makes enrollment eligibility decisions in accordance with the law and regulations. Ask your human resources office for help in deciding whether your circumstances meet the requirements.
Can I cover my common-law spouse under my self-and-family enrollment? If the State in which you reside recognizes common-law marriages, yes.
My Federally-employed spouse and I have one child. My spouse and I are separating. Will I be covered during the separation? As long as your spouse has a self-and-family enrollment and you are still married to your spouse, you will be covered under the enrollment. Your eligibility for coverage under your spouse's self-and-family enrollment will cease after a divorce or annulment. You may, however, be eligible for FEHB coverage under either the spouse equity provisions or the Temporary Continuation of Coverage provisions of the law. You would be enrolled in your own right and would pay both the Government and employee shares of the premium yourself. See RI 70-5, Guide for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) and Former Spouse Enrollees (448K PDF File), for more information.
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Dental Q&A
Why do a few health plans have dental benefits and most do not? Several years ago we stopped allowing plans to add new dental and vision packages or to increase packages they already had in place. We allow one exception -- when an HMO offers the benefits under their community package of benefits (at no additional cost to members). We do this because we firmly believe that Federal employees are best served by benefit packages that are strong in the traditional areas of hospital, surgical, and medical benefits and that provide protection against significant and largely unforeseeable health care expenditures. Everyone wants to keep premium increases as low as possible so, generally, to increase benefits plans make trade-offs. We would not want to sacrifice medical benefits to get dental or vision benefits.
It is important that you do not choose a health plan based on dental benefits alone. You may find yourself without other benefits when you need them, which could result in large unexpected medical expenses. Remember to look at the entire benefits package when making your health plan decision.
If my health plan does not have a dental plan, is there any other way I may get one? Some health plans offer dental and vision benefits separate from the officially offered benefits stated in their FEHB brochures. Such separate benefits are described on the "Non-FEHB Benefits" page in FEHB brochures.
The plans solely determine what is covered and what is excluded and you must pay any premium associated with these benefits directly to the health or dental plan. There is no government contribution toward the premium on non-FEHB benefits. Also, the GEHA health plan and possibly other plans offer a separate dental plan that does not require you to be a member of their health plan. And, occasionally, an agency's employee organization offers dental and vision benefits to the agency's employees. Check with your human resources office.
How can I tell which FEHB plans offer either a regular or a separate dental benefit? Check their FEHB brochures' index. Regular dental and vision benefits that are part of a health plan's FEHB benefit offering will be in the brochure's benefit sections and on the summary page. Separate dental benefits will only be on the brochure's Non-FEHB Benefits page.Go to our plan choice pages.
Prescription Q&A
What is a brand name drug? A brand name drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is supplied by one company (the pharmaceutical manufacturer). The drug is protected by a patent and is marketed under the manufacturer's brand name.
What is a generic drug? When a drug patent expires other companies may produce a generic version of the brand name drug. A generic medication, also approved by the FDA, is basically a copy of the brand name drug and is marketed under its chemical name. A generic drug may have a different color or shape than its brand name counterpart, but it must have the same active ingredients, strength, and dosage form (i.e., pill, liquid, or injection), and provide the same effectiveness and safety as its brand name counterpart.
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What are examples of each? Valium is a brand name drug whose generic counterpart is Diazepam. On the other hand, Amoxicillin is a generic drug of the brand drug Trimox.
Do all brand name drugs have generic equivalents? No. Approximately half of all drugs on the market have generic versions.
Are generics as safe as brand name drugs? Yes. The FDA requires that all drugs be safe and effective and that their benefits outweigh their risks. Since generics use the same active ingredients and are shown to work the same way in the body, they have the same risks and benefits as their brand name counterparts.
Are generic drugs likely to cause more side effects than brand name drugs? There is no evidence of this. The FDA monitors reports of adverse drug reactions and has found no difference in the rates between generic and brand name drugs.
Is there a price difference between generic and brand name drugs? Yes. Generic drugs are less expensive than brand name products, and so the amount you pay as part of your prescription drug cost-sharing is less than what you pay for brand names.
What is a formulary? A formulary is a list of both generic and brand name drugs that are preferred by your health plan. Often, many drugs on the market produce the same results equally well. Health plans will choose formulary drugs that are just as safe and effective as the alternatives but cost less. A team of pharmacists and physicians meet to review the formulary and make changes as necessary.
How does the formulary work? The formulary for your health plan provides a list of medications that a team of health care specialists have approved. Your doctor will write a prescription based on your medical needs, but the formulary provides him with recommendations from the pharmacist and physician team. An effective formulary system provides a medication safety feature. When drugs and administration methods are systematically included (or deleted) in a controlled drug formulary, there are a number of benefits. For instance, each new drug added undergoes a peer review process that uncovers any safety concerns with the drug. Also, when drugs are systematically added to the formulary, there is adequate time to educate the staff before the drug is used. An organized formulary also ensures that the number and variety of drugs is kept to an effective minimum. There are approximately 13,000 prescription drugs on the market today and several drugs can often be used to treat the same condition. A formulary, based on safety and cost considerations, helps to limit the drugs recommended by your plan's health care professionals.
Is there a price difference between formulary and non-formulary drugs? You will usually pay more for a non-formulary drug when a formulary version is available.
How do I find out what drugs are on my health plan's formulary? Contact your health plan directly for this information.
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Filling the prescription Each state has a law that allows pharmacists to substitute less expensive generic drugs for many brand names. However, if your doctor specifies that a brand name must be dispensed, then the pharmacist may not substitute the generic. Sometimes an acceptable generic is available that your doctor may not be aware of. In this case, your pharmacist may be able to consult with your doctor to suggest an effective medication that costs less.
What questions should I ask my doctor or pharmacist about any medicine prescribed or recommended for me? (Courtesy of the National Council on Patient Information and Education) Every day, millions of Americans rely on medications to feel better and get well, but it is not always easy to take them correctly. Not taking medications properly can prevent you from getting well as fast as you can. Also, taking medicine with certain foods, alcohol, dietary/herbal supplements, or other medicines might cause a dangerous reaction, or it might stop your medicine from working as well as it should. Here are some questions that can help you get the information you need to use your medicines properly. If the answers seem complicated or confusing, ask again! What is the name of the medicine and what is it supposed to do? Is this the brand name or the generic name? How and when do I take it -- and for how long? What foods, drinks, other medicines, dietary supplements, or activities should I avoid while taking this medicine? When should I expect the medicine to begin to work, and how will I know if it is working? Are there any tests required with this medicine (for example, to check liver or kidney function)? Are there any side effects, what are they, and what do I do if they occur? Will this medicine work safely with the other prescription and nonprescription medicines I am taking? Can I get a refill? When? How should I store this medicine? Is there any written information available about the medicine? Is it available in large print or a language other than English?
Why are drug costs on the rise? Cost increases are due to several factors. Pharmaceutical companies are producing a record number of medications and many carry a high price tag. It cost an average of $500 million to discover and develop one new medicine, and it takes an average of 12 to 15 years to bring a new medicine from the laboratory to the pharmacy shelf.
Drugs are used more and more to avert illness and hospital admissions. Asthma, heart disease, and ulcers are among conditions successfully being treated with drugs. The over-age 65 population is growing larger and living longer and this leads to an increase in the utilization of prescription drugs.
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Dress Code
ress is appropriate casual work attire. Jackets and/or ties are not normally required for regularwork days. It is expected that each inspector dress appropriately while visiting an operator or
traveling to other regions and headquarters. Jeans and sweats are not appropriate office attire. While on field inspections, the inspector should conform to the operator’s acceptable safety attire. Please consult the personal protective equipment part of the handbook for further information on the inspector standard uniform policy.
Here in our Alaska office we have a more laid back policy due to the inclement weather that we face on a regular basis. Please consult the supervisor for their expected dress code policy.
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Staff Meetings
taff meetings generally consist of discussions on status of inspections, new or modifiedregulatory requirements, and staff technical presentations on subjects of mutual importance.
New PHMSA national and local office policies are also discussed. All employees are required to attend staff meetings every month (first Monday of the month). Inspection trips must be scheduled after these meetings to accommodate attendance at the staff meetings. Senior staff members attend monthly staff meetings. The “Calendar” on Microsoft Outlook is an effective means of managing personal calendar scheduling. Remember: Mandatory attendance is expected for all Staff Meetings. Please discuss potential absences with either your supervisor or the RD prior to the staff meeting. In general, employees should consider staff meetings as an opportunity to learn about the various types of projects and inspections underway within the region. Often, a region employee is assigned to make a presentation on a technical or regulatory compliance issue of interest to the group. These presentations will be a good learning opportunity for everyone in the region and particularly the new employees. Employees are encouraged to ask any and all questions necessary to ensure complete understanding of what is being done and the rationales behind the activities.
Prior to staff meetings, all inspectors are expected to have reviewed their upcoming inspection schedule, review the operator’s history for issues that will be more thoroughly reviewed during the inspection, and be prepared to discuss those findings at the staff meeting. This practice is intended to help the inspector identify operator specific issues prior to the actual inspection and provide a forum in the staff meeting to allow others to comment on the subject of the findings.
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Performance Appraisal Systems
ederal employees are subject to periodic appraisals of their job performance. These performanceappraisal procedures can have an impact on a wide variety of personnel and employment
decisions affecting federal workers. Under the performance management rules, agencies must establish performance appraisal systems that:
Provide for periodic appraisals of job performance;
Encourage employee participation in establishing performance standards; and
Use appraisal results as a basis for personnel actions affecting employees.
The performance appraisal system will:
Establish performance standards that will permit accurate evaluations of job performance on the basis of objective criteria related to the job;
Communicate to each employee the performance standards and critical elements of the employee's position with respect to initial appraisal periods, and thereafter at the beginning of each following appraisal period;
Evaluate each employee on such standards during the appraisal period;
Recognize and reward employees whose performance so warrants;
Assist employees in improving unacceptable performance; and
Reassign, demote, or remove employees who continue to have less than acceptable performance, but only after such workers are given an opportunity to demonstrate performance at a level above unacceptable. The appraisal system is based on objective, job-related criteria and performance standards must be developed for each element of the job on which an employee is to be evaluated.
Managers and supervisors will rate subordinates on the elements of the job. Employees who perform at an unacceptable level in one or more of the critical elements will be given the opportunity to improve, with supervisory help. If adequate improvement does not occur, the agency may take action to remove or reduce the grade of the employee. When an employee fails to meet an acceptable level of performance on a critical element, the first steps the agency will take are corrective in nature. This could include counseling, remedial training, and more direct supervision. When employees fail to improve their performance with respect to one or more critical elements, and after having been given a reasonable time to demonstrate acceptable performance, the agency may take action to remove or reduce the grade of such workers. At the point where the agency decides to take adverse action, employees have the right to appeal based on the nature of their appointment and the type of position occupied.
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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT DUTIES
he Administrative Assistant assists with the day-to-day operations of PHMSA’s functions andduties. The Administrative Assistant carries out responsibilities in some or all of the following
functional areas: departmental development, employee relations, training and development assistance, supplying of benefits, compensation, and organization development information, executive administration, and employment information.
The Administrative Assistant must have qualifications in these areas: Extensive working knowledge of assigned department practices and procedures; Possess excellent business communication skills (verbal and written); Working knowledge and experience in the use of Microsoft Office 2010; Working knowledge and experience in scanning and creating Adobe Acrobat files; Possess extensive experience in program planning activities, including troubleshooting of last-
minute details; Knowledgeable of management and scheduling techniques; Possess excellent analytical and mathematical skills to perform statistical calculations and prepare
reports; Successful working experience in writing, proofreading, and editing government and other types
of documents for clarity of expression, orderly composition, and proficient use of the English language.
The Administrative Assistant contributes to the accomplishment of PHMSA practices and objectives that will provide an employee-oriented, high performance culture that emphasizes empowerment, quality, productivity and standards, goal attainment, and the ongoing development of a superior workforce.
The Administrative Assistant helps with the implementation of services, policies, and programs through PHMSA staff; reports to the PHMSA deputy director, and assists managers within the division achieve success in enforcement.
Primary Objectives
Receive and answer routine program inquiries or refer to appropriate staff personnel; Maintain office files, in subject and chronological order; Assist in purging and consolidation of office files, as well as document scanning requirements; Update office and program manuals on policies, directors, studies, etc.; Prepare and format a variety of correspondence including congressional letters, memoranda,
surveys, talking points, reports, speeches, budget documents, and other types of communication by applying knowledge of program goals;
Coordinate and assemble mass mailings; Prepare graphics for presentations; Maintain office activity calendar; Develop action plans and time lines for special projects and initiatives; Coordinate projects with appropriate personnel to obtain information needed to establish
project deadlines; Prepare project correspondence, agendas, and summaries; Process communications from, to and with appropriate staff, partners, and committee members;
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Prepare and coordinate travel requirements; Assist in preparing program budget and expense reports; Work with lead engineer to ensure that enforcement cases, files, and response actions are
complete; Address safety in the workplace; Assist in the development of a superior workforce; Assist in the development of an employee-oriented company culture that emphasizes quality,
continuous improvement, and high performance; Personal ongoing development.
Phone Etiquette
The telephone is often the first point of contact a customer or client will have with a company so it is very important that you make a good impression when you’re answering the phone, especially within PHMSA when you are working with multiple inspectors, lawyers and oil companies throughout Alaska and the Western Region. The Administrative Assistant is the primary contact for the office, so it is important to remember to smile when you answer the phone. A caller can hear a smile in your voice when you answer the phone, so smile! Always remember to identify yourself and the agency you work for so that the caller is aware of whom they are speaking with.
Example: Good Morning, PHMSA, my name is (insert name), how may I help you? or PHMSA, this is (insert name), may I help you?
Supplies
Before purchasing supplies, a purchase card checklist request must be filled out and sent to the Program Assistant in Denver. All purchases must be approved through the RD unless it is an IT or phone order in which the purchase card checklist request must be approved by HQ, therefore they may take several weeks to receive approval. Please let the Program Assistant know ASAP when you need something to ensure that all supplies are ordered in a timely manner.
When approval of the purchase card checklist request has been received you may proceed with the ordering process. All purchase card checklist requests must have a copy of the invoice attached to it and upon receiving the order you must verify that the numbers quoted on the approved request matches. If they do not, write in the correct numbers and scan the documents to the P: drive. The Program Assistant in Denver must receive a copy of all purchases.
Time and Attendance (T&A)
It is the Administrative Assistants duty to ensure that all employees time is entered into CASTLE for the Western Region. At the start of each new pay period, you must e-mail a blank T&A form to all employees to fill out and return to you on Wednesday of the second week of the pay period. After receipt of all timesheets a memorandum must be completed that combines all employee’s time and is filed separately from the employee’s timesheet. Completed T&A reports should be retained until a GAO audit is performed, or for six years, whichever is sooner. All supporting documents such as overtime authorizations, applications for leave, military leave, and court leave will be retained in the field office or at the home component for three years or until an audit, whichever occurs first, or in accordance with agency policy.
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Generally, a timekeeper/employee is required to:
Record/review daily hours referencing appropriate pay codes and cost account numbers.
Record/review absences from work within the scheduled tour of duty for that day.
Record/review hours worked other than regularly scheduled shifts.
As necessary, prepare messages on the T&A report to inform the Payroll Operations Division (POD) of special requirements for payment to an employee.
Submit subsequent changes to a T&A (after it has been transmitted) on an amended T&A report.
Users T&A Responsibilities
The T&A report is designed to provide the necessary information to accurately compute an employee’s earnings and leave. Timekeepers and supervisors must be aware of the work time or absence of employees for whom they are responsible to ensure the reliability of T&A data. Traditional T&A systems have involved a timekeeper responsible for assisting supervisors in recording and verifying employees’ work time and absences. New T&A systems can reduce or eliminate timekeepers’ duties. Recording accurate T&A information remains the primary control objective. Changes to leave, hours worked, or corrections to regular or premium pay after submission of the T&A records will be accomplished by either submitting a hard copy amended T&A in a subsequent pay period, or through CASTLEs automated adjustment file.
CASTLE Recertification
Upon gaining approval to access the CASTLE timekeeping database, timekeepers will be required to recertify their account on a regular basis. Users are required to re-certify in the following time frames: Federal employee – 1 year term Contractor – 6 month term
Re-certification is a 3-step online process requiring input from the user, his/her supervisor, and his/her CASTLE manager(s).
Supervisors Supervisors or other equivalent officials designated by the agency are required to approve and certify employees’ time through the end of the pay period. Corrections and alterations to a T&A record must be approved by a supervisor or appropriate official.
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Finalizing Documents
he following pages cover instructions on our incoming and outgoing mail related toenforcement cases. All documents that relate to a compliance progress file (CPF) have a specific
routine that must be followed with each document.
Draft letters will be routed through the supervisor and/or director for review and approval. Once the director has indicated on the draft letter that the letter is ready to be finalized, it is the Administrative Assistants responsibility to format the letter for signature and mailing.
The first page of the letter needs to be printed on letterhead; pages thereafter are printed on plain copy paper.
Font: Times New Roman 12
Top Margin: 1” top margin except on the first page. The typed info on the first page must start at 2.3” to align with the PHMSA letterhead.
Bottom Margin: Anywhere from .7” to 1”, depending on how you have to fit the latter to the paperwork.
Left Margin: 1.15”
Right Margin: Anywhere from .75” to 1.25”, depending on how you need to fit the letter to the paper. At this time we do not use full-block alignment in the Western Region. The preferred body style is align left.
Inside Address: Full Name of Individual Title of Individual Company Name Company Address Company City, State, Zip
Example: Mr. John Doe Senior Vice President of Operations ABC Company 123 Nowhere Lane Nowhere, NW 00000-0000
Salutation: This should always be written as: Dear Mr. Doe Dear Ms. Doe Dear Mrs. Doe
I should never be written as Dear Mr. John Doe:
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If the letter is addressed to a government official or clergy, please use the appropriate titles and salutations.
CPF Numbers: In enforcement letters, CPF numbers should be listed as CPF 5-201X-XXXX; do not include “No.” in the CPF number as was listed in previous years.
Example: We received a response to CPF 5-2012-0000M.
Signature Block: On left margin:
Dennis Hinnah Deputy Director, Western Region Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Enclosure:
cc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry PHP-500 A. Inspector
Abbreviations: When using abbreviations in the body of the letter type out the full word(s) the first time mentioned in the letter, and list the abbreviations right behind it. Then use abbreviations in the rest of the body of the letter. You do not put the abbreviation of the company beside the company name in the address block of the letter.
Example: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) inspected your pipeline on March 10, 201X.
After the letter has been signed by the Western Region Deputy Director the following steps must be taken:
1. Make one copy of the letter; stamp Sent to Compliance Registry on the copy of the letter andcomplete the information in the stamp area.
2. Scan the copy of the letter.3. Make a copy of the copy you just stamped and file it in the day file.4. Prepare the original letter for mailing. This entails the following:
a. Prepare envelope with address.b. If sending via US mail, complete PS Form 3800 and PS Form 3811 and attach to
envelope; if sending via UPS create shipping label with Campus Ship and place inUPS envelope.
c. If sending via US mail, place correct postage on the envelope.d. Place letter for pickup at front desk.e. Attach portion of PS Form 3800 to back of stamped copy.
5. Email the .pdf copy of the letter to the PHMSA Pipeline Compliance Registry group and besure to cc: the legal department, supervisor and inspector.
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6. Make a CPF file in coordination with the CPF File Guidelines (see next page).7. Add CPF information to the coordinating Western Region Tracking Spreadsheet, open or
closed.
CPF File Management
All open CPF cases should be in red hanging folders. All closed CPF cases should be in orange hanging folders. All Warning Letters, Letter of Concern, and Corrective Action Orders are considered closed as soon as the letter is sent.
All .doc and .pdf files should be put on the P: drive under the following sample directory: P:\PHP-500 Main\FINALIZED DOCUMENTS\CPF Files-Active\2012\5-2012-XXXX BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.
All documents related to CPF cases should follow the following naming convention for Compliance Registry files:
Section 1 – CPF Number Section 2 – Description Section 3- Date of the Document
Examples: 520120000W_warning letter_01012012 520120000C_letter of concern_01012012 520120000H_corrective action order_01012012 520120000M_notice of amendment_01012012 520120000X_operator response_01012012
Please consult a member of the Compliance Registry for any further information that you may need in naming CPF files.
Unit Files
The unit files are divided by liquid and gas operating units for each operator. It is suggested that new employees review an example of these files. Within a specific unit file, there are usually maps of the pipeline, old inspection reports and miscellaneous correspondence. Other paper files include enforcement and compliance correspondence for the operating units. The Administrative Assistant will schedule a walkthrough of the file system with all new inspectors early in their employment.
The following pages consist of the CPF tracking required by the Administrative Assistant and individual inspectors.
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Engineer writes violation letter
and violation report
Engineer submits letter & report
to admin to finalize
Admin selects a CPF # for the
letter & submits letter & report
to Director for signature
Director signs letter & report
and returns to the admin
Admin attaches response
options to letter and sends letter
to operator (Certified-Return
Receipt Requested)
Admin makes and distributes
copies of letter and report to
regions and HQ (Compliance
registry, each region, day file,
and CPF file)
CPF Tracking
Operator responds to the letter
within 30 days. Admin gives
response to appropriate
engineer for review
Did operator accept
the violation or otherwise
satisfy the NOPV?
Go to
…1
Did operator
request a hearing?
Yes
Yes
No
No
Engineer contacts the Director and selects 4-5
days when both the engineer & the Director will
be in the regional office
Engineer contacts DCC-1 and asks to have an
attorney assigned to this case. The engineer
contacts that attorney and decides on 3-4 dates
that attorney can join the engineer & the Director
in the regional office
The engineer contacts the operator and selects one
of the dates when everyone can attend a hearing at
the regional offices
The engineer notifies all parties
of the date and time of the
hearing
The hearing is held
The engineer takes notes as to
any decisions that are made
during the hearing
Go to
….1
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1Engineer discusses CPF
(Hearing) with Director and a
decision is made as to what the
recommendation should say.
(Reduce CPs, withdraw an item,
etc.)
Engineer writes
recommendation and submits to
admin to finalize
Admin prints recommendation
on green paper and submits to
Director for signature
Director signs recommendation
and returns to admin for
distribution
Engineer writes letter to operator
stating what they must do to
satisfy the Final Order
Is recommendation
to Issue Final Order? Is recommendation
…..to Close Case?
Wait for DDC-1 to issue the
Final Order
DDC-1 Issues Final
Order
Operator complies with the
Final Order
Engineer reviews operator
submitted materials for
compliance with the Final Order
Operator responds
Did operator fulfill all of the
issues in the Final Order? No
Engineer writes a
recommendation to Close Case
Go to
. 1
Ask director for advice!
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
End
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INSPECTOR DUTIES
his section of the handbook provides a brief orientation and training plan for a new inspector. It will also better enable the inspector the ability to perform pipeline inspections at the end of the
training period and aid as a guide after. As a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), PHMSA, Western Region employee, the inspector is a valuable asset to the region. The inspector’s primary job duty is to ensure pipeline operators are adhering to safety regulations in order to protect people and the environment from the risk of pipeline accidents. There are many resources available to assist the inspector meet the challenges of the job. This Inspector Training Guide provides direction to the resources and tools available to help new inspectors perform their job in a safe and efficient manner. The available resources consist of formal classroom instruction, online courses, on-the-job training by other inspectors, access to experienced co-workers, and self education. The most important key to learning your job is being a self-starter. As such, the inspector must be committed to continued and ongoing assignment preparation. There is no substitute for digging into the available resources as you become aware of them, exploring the various resource elements and their uses, asking questions of your fellow workers as issues arise, and using what has been learned to dig deeper into the resources and ask more questions. The inspector must have a strong desire to understand the needs of the assignment by using personal initiative and by asking questions and seeking out the appropriate answers.
Training and Qualifications (T&Q)
All T&Q courses take place in Oklahoma City, OK. Information about the T&Q courses can be found on Sharepoint at PHP-70 Training and Qualifications. There are several courses that must be attended during an inspector’s first year of employment. These courses are generally one week in duration, are scheduled throughout the calendar year, and cover a variety of pertinent technical and regulatory subjects that you will need to be familiar with as an inspector. A designee of the RD will register you for these courses as they become available, and you will be waitlisted on other courses as necessary. Prior to taking any actions regarding required courses, new inspectors should consult with and receive direction from the training designee (such as for canceling or rescheduling classes). New employees will need to obtain a password and access the TQ web site, https://elms.dot.gov/index.html, regularly to determine status on these courses. For those courses with prerequisites, you will be furnished with prerequisite CBT/WBT (computer or web based training) that must be completed in the weeks preceding the class. It is recommended that CBTs be completed for all T&Q courses during the first few months of your training period, well in advance of the actual classroom training. Please note that not all T&Q courses have prerequisite CBT. The Sharepoint T&Q webpage provides PDF documents for all of the mandatory and elective courses for the various pipeline safety inspectors. The required courses for standard inspections cover gas and liquid pipeline inspections, pipeline failure investigation, joining, pressure regulation and overpressure protection, regulation application and compliance procedures, corrosion control, SCADA, breakout tanks, and pigging. Most of the required courses have prerequisite CBT. In addition, some of the IM inspection courses are optional for those carrying out standard inspections. Your early courses may include one or more of these optional courses, as class space becomes available. A sample T&Q course schedule can be found on the Sharepoint T&Q webpage. While the sequence of T&Q courses will not usually be the same for new inspectors, the list does give an example of the actual courses and the sequence for the first few months of employment.
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The Community Assistance and Technical Support (CATS) required T&Q courses are also different from those of standard and IMP inspectors. Nevertheless, attendance at the T&Q courses will likely include a large number of IMP and CATS personnel from all five regional offices. New inspectors will need to coordinate their attendance at T&Q courses with other local Alaska personnel. Efficient coordination will facilitate lodging arrangements, minimize rental car needs, and allow a single activity number to be entered in SMART for those attending the same course. Since two or more people will often have access to only one rental car, the driver should not plan to monopolize the car’s use in the evenings as he/she is responsible for the transportation needs of all the other passengers.
Example T&Q Schedule
The following is a listing of the required T&Q courses. The example schedule is a representation of what might be expected for the new inspector. Actual schedules will vary depending on when the actual course if offered and what time of year the new inspectors begins employment with PHMSA.
Core Courses ___Month_____________
Safety Evaluation of Gas Pipeline Systems Course November
Joining of Pipeline Materials Course November
Safety Evaluation of Breakout Tanks Course December
Pipeline Failure Investigation Techniques Course January
Fundamentals of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisitions (SCADA) System Technology and Operation Course
February
General Pipeline Safety Awareness Course March
Corrosion Control of Pipeline Systems Course May
Pipeline Safety Regulation and Comp. Procedures Course August
Gas Pressure Regulation and Overpressure Prot. Course September
Safety Evaluation of Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Systems Course
September
Hazwoper Refresher for Pipeline Safety Representatives would then be required and is offered late January of the following year.
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Telework
Telework, also called telecommuting or flexiplace, involves the working at home or at another approved location away from the regular worksite, such as a telecommuting center. Telework is voluntary, is not an employee right, and is not to be used as a substitute for dependent care.
The 2010 Telework Enhancement Act expanded and put into law previous policies. It requires each agency to establish a policy under which employees are generally presumed to be eligible to Telework so long as it does not diminish employee performance or agency operations. It excepts occupations involving daily handling of secure materials or daily duties that cannot be handled at an alternative worksite; however Telework is allowed even in those circumstances in emergencies or other situations at an agency’s discretion.
This law:
Requires each agency to designate a Telework managing office to oversee and promote this program;
Sets requirements for incorporating teleworking into agency continuity-of-operations planning;
Bars telework by employees who had been disciplined for certain reason, including for unexcused absences of more than five days in a year;
Requires agencies to provide training to teleworkers and ensure that no distinction is made between teleworkers and non-teleworkers for performance appraisal, training, work requirements, and similar purposes;
Sets standards on issues including information security; and
Requires ongoing reports to assess agency use of telework.
Any employee who wishes to telework must complete a telework training program provided by the agency and must enter into a written agreement with his/her supervisor. Supervisors and managers of teleworking employees must also complete telework training prior to entering into the agreement. The agreements typically cover issues including the schedule, the location, the equipment to be used and who will provide it, safety standards, information security policies, and expectations for working in severe weather or other emergency situations.
Most teleworking employees work away from their principal site on a predetermined schedule several days a month. Employees may telework on a situational basis, such as when working on a certain project or when weather or other conditions hamper commuting to the regular worksite.
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Standard Uniform Policy
The Office of the Associate Administrator for Administration/Chief Financial Officer (PHA) oversees the uniform standards for PHMSA. The Office of Pipeline Safety is responsible for enforcing these standards for their respective personnel. This policy sets the guidance on the use of those uniforms for inspectors and investigators in the Office of Pipeline Safety. This policy establishes uniform requirements to ensure the representation and clear identification of inspectors and investigators as employees of the Department of Transportation’s PHMSA and in support of PHMSA’s safety mission.
The following items are the standard uniform for Pipeline Safety inspectors and investigators. Pants are excluded from the uniform as a logo on pants is deemed unconventional therefore making the pants adaptable for general use as ordinary clothing.
Jacket – Navy color with DOT on the back and PHMSA on the left breast;
Four each long-sleeve dress shirts – Tan color with DOT on the back and PHMSA on the left breast;
Four each short-sleeve dress shirts – Tan color with DOT on the back and PHMSA on the left breast; and
One each coverall with DOT on the back and PHMSA on the left breast.
PHMSA will not reimburse for laundering uniforms. Uniform items will be replaces as necessary on a case by case basis (i.e., where excessive wearing, damage or destruction has occurred).
Wearing the Uniform
PHMSA inspectors and investigators must wear the approved uniform to assure they are readily recognizable as representative of the Department of Transportation. The standard uniform items are not provided as replacements for the standard Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) necessary for safety related performance of duties The PPE shall be worn as appropriate and necessary to maintain personal safety.
Inspectors shall wear the dress shirt, short sleeve shirt and jacket as appropriate for official duty (e.g., inspection, public seminars, training or industry conferences) to be readily identifiable;
As appropriate, PHMSA inspectors and investigators may be authorized to not wear uniforms for personal security reasons;
Inspectors shall not wear the uniform items in casual settings where they do not expect to exercise their enforcement authority;
At the discretion of the supervisor, wear of the uniform may be temporarily waived when deemed appropriate (i.e., court appearances, headquarters office meetings). Inspectors and investigators shall wear clothing appropriate for their assigned duty.
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PHMSA approved PPE items are separate from uniform items identified in the policy. Listed below are the approved PPE items that are intended to protect employees from the hazards inherent in the performances of their job duties.
Pipeline Safety PPE
Heavy duty coveralls (Carhartts) or jacket and trousers; Flame-resistant clothing – either coveralls or pants and shirt; Flame-resistant insulated coveralls; Rain gear – safety yellow (coat and trousers); Work gloves (leather/cotton); Flame-resistant gloves; Steel-toed non-insulated boots; Steel-toed insulated boots; Mud boots; Hard hat with ratchet suspension; Flame-resistant hard hat liner; Eye protection – safety glasses with a side shield or prescription safety glasses with side shield or goggles for over glasses; Foam ear plugs with minimum noise reduction rating of 33; High visibility vest; and Snake chaps
Additional PPE for Alaska Duty
Flame-resistant parka – Indura Down Arctic; Flame-resistant overalls – Indura Down Arctic; Polar mitts; and Arctic boots
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Safety Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART)
The regularly used SMART database is utilized by PHMSA for many different applications, including: Enforcement, Safety Related Conditions, Operator Details, Unit Details, Activities Detail, External Applications, Unit Management and Assignment Detail. Inspectors have access to SMART via computer/server and will be used on a daily basis. In addition, SMART is a database management system used for planning, managing, and documenting pipeline inspections, among other functions. New inspectors should take time to learn to use the various functions within SMART as soon as possible. The SMART Program includes:
A method of recording all time spent in travel status, in training, attending classroom courses, and conducting inspections. The functions just described are considered Away from Office (AFO) time. Other in office functions should also be input into the database in order to track individual activities such as inspection preparation, compliance report development, other assigned in-office duties, meeting attendance (such as staff and team meetings), etc. This recordkeeping is a requirement of the job. It is imperative that new inspectors learn how to assign activity numbers without duplication when more than one person participates in the same activity. Inspectors must coordinate to determine who will initiate the initial activity number.
A listing of operators and operating units in the region for gas, liquid, onshore and offshore. Inspectors must learn to search for individual units and understand available information on each unit.
Individual operating unit information, including miles of pipeline, contacts, description of the unit, past inspection dates, who conducted the inspections, ranking factors for inspections, compliance concerns, probable violations, and a wealth of other information specific to the unit, all of which may be printed for use on inspections. Once assigned an inspection, SMART should probably be the first source of data accessed.
A “Pre-inspection Planning Worksheet” button is available for each operating unit and should be utilized prior to performing an inspection. The information provided will be especially useful to inspectors for review immediately prior to an inspection, including a history of the previous inspections for this operating unit, types of inspections, and who completed the inspections. This allows those who performed the previous inspections to be contacted for issues and/or problems encountered in that inspection. Also provided are incident reports, accident investigation details, and SRCRs since the last inspection, all of which must be reviewed during the upcoming inspection.
Various reports and letters listed by operator.
How to View an Activity in SMART
Enter your username and password to log in;
Select personnel then assignments date;
Click on find assignments;
Click on an Activity ID number to view;
Click on each tab to view the Activity detail;
Click on close window to exit.
How to Create an Activity in SMART
Enter username and password to log in;
Select applications tab;
Click on go to add a new Activity;
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Select Activity type, then lead person and click save;
Click on close to exit a new Activity;
Select assignments tab;
Click on assign number;
Edit inspections dates and then select tasks;
Enter your comments in the comments box and then click apply;
Click on OK to update an activity;
When adding addition assignments to SMART, click on new assignment and repeat steps 5-10;
Click on close window to exit an Activity.
How to Generate a Pre-Inspection Report in SMART
Enter username and password to log in;
Select reports and click on go of pre-inspection report;
Select region and enter the unit ID or OPID;
Check the box to include major incidents/accidents, if needed;
Click on generate inspection report or search units.
Post Inspection Activity in SMART
Enter your username and password to log in;
Select personnel then assignments date;
Click on find assignments;
Click on an Activity ID number to view;
Select assignments tab and then select assign number;
Edit inspection dates, if necessary and enter number of day(s);
Select AFO box if it is an out of office activity;
Enter your comments in the comments box
Click on OK to exit an Activity
Select comments tab
Enter Activity comments from your comments on the PIM, i.e. briefly summarize the aspects of operations and maintenance emphasized during the inspection;
Select portion insp. tab;
Enter portion of unit inspected from your facilities inspected on the PIM, i.e. briefly summarize the parts of the pipeline system for which field inspections were conducted;
Select summary tab;
Enter inspection result from your probably violations/concerns on the PIM, i.e. any recommended enforcement actions, regulatory safety issues, and etc.;
Enter inspection summary to include tips for subsequent inspectors by recommending emphasis areas for future inspections and etc.;
Click on update to complete an Activity detail;
Select activity tab;
Select unit ID;
Verify pipeline type;
Verify unit address and update if necessary;
Select misc. tab;
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Verify and update emergency phone and location, if necessary;
Verify and update record location, if necessary;
Verify and update pipeline description; if necessary;
Enter unit comments, if needed;
Select contacts tab and verify or update unit contact, if needed;
Select inspection tab and verify the information;
Select States/Counties tab and verify and update the information, if needed;
Select commodity tab and verify and update the information, if needed;
Select components tab and verify and update the information;
Click on update to complete the unit detail; Click on close window to complete the unit detail and click close window to exit an Activity.
SMART Activity Type Definitions
I-01 – Unit Inspections I-02 – Construction I-03 – Failure Investigation I-04 – Public Inquiry Investigation I-05 – Specialized Inspection I-06 – Major Project I-07 – IMP Field Verification I-08 – OQ Protocol #9 Field Verification I-09 Integrated Inspection O-01 – Team O&M Inspection O-02 – Operator Inspection O-05 – HQ Drug & Alcohol Inspection O-07 – Integrity Management O-08 – Security O-09 – Operator Qualifications Inspection O-10 – Operator Integrated Inspection O-11 – Operator Major Project S-01 – State Agency S-02 – Other State Agency M-01 – Meeting, Operator/Compliance M-02 – Meeting, OPS M-05 – Special Assignment M-07 – OPA Activities M-08 – Seminar/Conferences M-09 – Training C-01 – Damage Prevention C-02 – Pipeline Repair Permit Streamlining C-03 – Transmission Pipelines and Land Use Planning C-04 – Safety Stakeholder Awareness
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Preparation for Inspections
The amount of time allowed for pre-inspection preparation will be determined by your supervisor. Generally, inspectors use several months of preparation time to acquaint themselves with all available resources and to quiz coworkers on the best approaches to the various duties of an inspector. This preparation time equips the inspector with all necessary data and a head start long before actually conducting the inspection.
Assisting Others with Their Inspections
Accompanying a more experienced inspector on an actual inspection is designed to be a learning experience for a new inspector. The new inspector will usually accompany more than one inspector on a total of about six inspections. This approach allows the new employee to learn by observing and assisting inspectors in actual standard inspections. A mixture of liquid and gas pipeline facilities should be included in these inspections. If possible, onshore and offshore facilities should also be included, along with small and large operators. Prior to going on inspections, it is suggested that careful consideration be given to prioritizing the goals that you want to achieve as a new inspector in these “training” inspections. As you complete the inspections and learn more from the actual field experiences, you may consider revising your goals. Discussing your goals with the experienced inspectors that you accompany will provide additional insight.
Communicate regularly with the inspector on planning for the inspection; ask what the inspector will do to prepare and his/her rationale, especially the week before the inspection. Despite the natural tendency to want to assist the inspector as much as possible, it is recommended that you focus on observing what the inspector is doing, and wait to become involved with actually doing any of the duties yourself on the first inspection. It will be useful to replicate some of the duties of the experienced inspector for practice, such as copying pertinent SMART (IOCS) data for the unit to be inspected. Check with the experienced inspector with respect to references; ask to see the documents that he/she will be carrying, and make copies for your use. Discuss his/her purpose for carrying various documents, if the reasons are not obvious. Documents to carry may include copies of previous inspection reports, telephonic report printouts for the operator, copies of pertinent DOT advisory bulletins, a copy of the regulations, and copies of any applicable technical standards. Download and print a copy of the correct inspection form for use during the inspection, as though you were responsible for doing the inspection yourself. Review the form prior to the inspection to reacquaint yourself with the various issues involved. Remember to make travel plans well in advance and to enter your time out of the office in SMART under the activity number assigned by the experienced inspector. Do not forget to place yourself on the calendar for the time out of the office. A travel itinerary should also be emailed to the Administrative Assistant no later than the Friday of the week before the trip. Prepare your laptop computer to carry on the inspection by downloading any documents from the server that you will need, such as inspection forms.
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Enforcement
Enforcement may be a totally new area at this point following completion of the “trainee” inspections. It is possible that a new inspector may have accompanied experienced inspectors on six inspections without ever having to deal with a violation. If this is the case, the new inspector will not have experienced the requirements of completing the violation paperwork and following through on the violation procedures. It is suggested that the new inspector thoroughly review the procedures, example reports, and letters available. Sharepoints Enforcement section provides detailed explanations of the types of compliance letters and violation reports, as well as sample CPF letters. Explanations are provided for warning letters, letters of concern, notices of probable violation, compliance orders, and other enforcement related documents that an inspector must prepare. It is also suggested that the new inspector become familiar with the many example letters and violation reports that can be used as a guide when required to prepare these compliance letters at a later date. These files are separated into letters for the current year, as well as several prior years. Always take advantage of more experienced co-workers and ask their assistance in preparing these letter and reports. At a minimum, they can provide recent CPF letters that they consider good examples to follow.
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Legal Guidance
The PHMSA attorneys assist in handling enforcements of actions issued by PHMSA and disputes brought forth by operators. PHMSA employs assigns two paraplegias that are assigned to the Eastern and Western Regions of the U.S. and U.S territories. The paralegals act as a liaison between the attorneys in Washington, DC and the regions. Their primary duties are to document cases, assist inspectors with writing enforcement actions and to make preliminary assessments and interpretation of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
The CFR is a codification of the United States Statutes. The Code is broken down into 50 general Titles of subjects regulated by the statutes. The Code gives more specific direction and interpretation of the statutes over particular subject matter. The Codes become permanent rules and regulations that apply to the statutes and are constantly changing and being updated. The CFR is the most current source to find the guidance needed to make legal decisions.
PHMSA paralegals are responsible for making the court record as enforcements are issued to operators. Each enforcement is documented and prepared as if the case were going to a hearing. The paralegal is responsible for assisting the attorney with writing the enforcements with this objective in mind.
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Inspection Guidance
As an aid to all inspectors, this handbook includes samples of flow charts that are obtainable from the Administrative Assistant or PHMSA’s Intranet site. There is a flow chart for pre-inspection, inspection, and post-inspection processes. If there are any questions regarding these charts, please consult your supervisor or RD. As of March 2012, inspections are no longer called “standards,” they are all II (Inspection Integration) and are processed through the IA (Inspection Assistant) database. Inspectors must use IA on everything except Construction, LNG, Distribution, CRM, and PAPE; however you will continue to use I-01, 7, and 8 in SMART to record P&M inspections, field IMP, and field OQ.
Priorities During Inspections
IMP Field
P&M Records
P&M Field
OQ Fied
Preparing Inspection Correspondence
The following information goes over the steps that an instructor must take to prepare and finalize their post-inspection correspondence:
1. Inspector drafts letter, violation report, and post inspection memorandum (PIM), and placesit on disk for review of format and grammar. All changes should be reviewed with theengineer.
2. Finalized file is put on the P: drive under P:\drafts\(inspector name), followed by and e-mailsent to the lawyer and inspector.
3. Forward a scanned copy of the PIM (initialed by the deputy director) and Violation Report(signed by the deputy director) to the Regional Office in Lakewood, along with anyapplicable letter of probable violation.
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Pre-Inspection
Set up additional dates
for field inspection
while on site
Review calendar & select
tentative dates for inspection
BEGIN
Records & Files
location the same?
Yes
No
Update SMART & schedule trip
Obtain GovTrip authorization
& update PHP Calendar
Data gather & review
Contact Operator, verify dates
& inspection forms
High Risk Ranking
units must be inspected
by June 30 of each year
Review compliance
history
Review past
inspection reports
Consult with other
inspectors
Review all database:
SMART, ODES, etc.
Open
compliance
issues?
Comments from
previous
inspectors?
Recent
accident/incident
information?
Review case
& follow-up
Review &
discuss w/
inspectors
Review
information,
discuss w/
investigator,
& follow-up
issues No
No
See 1
See 1
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
See 1
1
Database complete
& accurate? No
Proceed to inspection process
Identify data to
be gathered
Yes
See 1
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Conduct an open interview:
Instructions
Goals of inspection
Personnel needed
Issues or concerns about operator
Unit description
PL components
Follow-up past enforcement actions
Ensure appropriate
personnel present at
inspection to address
the issues
Any issues need to be
addressed from pre-
inspection planning?
Yes
No
No Yes
BEGIN
Inspection
Initiate inspection
Procedures Records review Field inspection
Team O&M
conducted within
5 years?
WR
reviewed O&M
within 1 year?
No
Review O&M
Manual
Review operator or
regulatory changes
Potential issues
or violations?
Gather necessary
documentation or
picture
Gather
evidence?
Yes
No
Conduct an exit interview
Proceed to post inspection process
BEGIN
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Enter inspection dates
in SMART
BEGIN
Yes
No
BEGIN
Post-Inspection
Violations
Yes
Complete and submit
GovTrip
3 days max
3 days max
Update SMART data,
complete and submit
post inspection memo
(PIM) and checklists
2 weeks max
Update SMART data
if needed and change
status to complete in
SMART after the
review process is
complete
2 weeks max
Update SMART data
after the review
process is completed
60 days max
Prepare a draft
enforcement letter(s)
and proceed to
inspector tracking
process of each type
of violation
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Post Inspection Memorandum (PIM)
After each inspection, the inspector is required to complete a PIM within 30 days. A PIM contains all of the details about the inspection and is essential for the unit folders. The following are some breakdowns of the steps taken after an inspector returns from an inspection:
Travel vouchers will be submitted the first business day following return from an inspection.
Each travel voucher must have a completed IOCS activity report (printout called IOCS Inspection Summary) documenting at a minimum traveler name, AFOD days, type of inspection, and unit inspected.
Post inspection memos are due within 30 days of completion of your travel voucher.
NOPVs and, if needed, Violation Reports (Compliance orders and Civil Penalties) should be submitted concurrently with the PIMs if possible, however, no longer than 90 days from completion of the inspection.
Inspectors will notify the Regional Director immediately if they need assistance in preparing NOPVs within this 90-day submission period.
A good PIM Format is essential for our files. The PIM should include the following fields:
Company Inspected (UREC No.)
Type
Location
Date
Facilities Inspected (Describe system and what you physically looked at)
Person Interviewed (Who and Title)
Records Reviewed (What and Where)
Deficiencies Found or Conclusions
Recommendations (This includes proposed enforcement actions, areas ripe for a letter of concern, future inspection intervals, etc.)
Attachments
A sample PIM has been provided to show the correct format for the document. Please consult the Sharepoint intranet site for all up-to-date pre-formatted forms to complete. If you are unsure of the completion of the PIM, please consult the unit files for past PIMs as a sample. Experienced inspectors will also be willing to provide insight on the correct ways to complete a PIM. All completed PIMs must be reviewed by a fellow inspector and supervisor and initialed for approval.
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PIM Sample
POST INSPECTION MEMORANDUM
Director Approval: Chris Hoidal _____________ Inspector Approval: Inspector Doe ____________
Reviewed by:_____________ Date: (PIM Date)
Operator Inspected:
John Doe Co. (Example) OPID: 12345 (Example - Operator ID) Region: Western 123 ABC St. Nowhere, NW 00000-0000
Unit Inspected: Name of Inspection Unit Unit ID. 98765 (Example)Unit Type: Interstate Natural Gas (Example) Inspection Type: Standard (Example) Record Location: Enter location where records were reviewed. Inspection Dates: Enter inspection dates. AFOD: Enter away from office days for inspection.
Operator Contact: John Smith, Engineering Manager (Example)Phone: (555) 555-5555 Fax: (555) 555-5555 Emergency: (Dispatch/Cell)
Unit Description: Description of the Unit Inspected.
Facilities Inspected: Describe the portions of the unit reviewed during the inspection i.e. stations/valves/Pipe-to-soil readings/river crossings/etc. Can be combined with the unit description.
Persons Interviewed: List persons interviewed during inspection and title.
Probable Violations/Concerns: List probable violations/concerns and recommended compliance action.
Comments: Provide information to the next inspector alerting them to areas they may need to focus attention on for next inspection i.e. records or field locations not looked at in detail during this inspection.
Recommendations: Recommend inspection frequency or change in Unit.
Attachments: Evaluation Report, System Map, Pictures, etc. (examples).
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Weekly On-Call Personnel Telephonic Notification Guidelines * You are officially on-call from 07:00am Monday morning through the opening of the office on
the next Monday morning.* Blaine Keener will send out the Monday regional on-call duty person for each region. There is a
separate e-mail identifying the National Pipeline Incident Coordinator (NPIC) on-call personsent to all regional personnel.
* You are required to stay in range so your Blackberry is able to receive e-mail notifications ofaccidents within PHMSA’s Western Region states.
* Please plan ahead and get someone to take your duty if you will be out of range for a few hoursor on an airplane.
* You must have appropriate state and federal contacts, including their e-mail addresses, stored inyour Blackberry (see attached list of contancts).
* Only respond to information requests from the NPIC. PHMSA receives many truck and RRaccident NRC reports as well as sewage and produced water, etc. reports. These do not need tobe responded to unless specifically requested from the NPIC.
* You should be able to ascertain the appropriate jurisdiction for any NRC notifications.* If it is PHMSA’s jurisdiction, call the operator and obtain sufficient information about the
release to satisfy PHMSA’s NPIC and the PHP-500 Response Group and forward thatinformation via e-mail in a timely manner.
* If it is state jurisdictional, forward the NRC notice to the state with an e-mail requesting theyinvestigate and respond.
* If there is an injury or fatality, call Chris and/or Peter ASAP.* Always copy the PHP-500 Response Group and the NPIC on-call person from the PHP-5
Response Group on all e-mails.* You may turn your Blackberry off each evening at bedtime (after 9:00pm) but you must turn it
back on by 7:00 am the next morning and immediately respond to any notifications that came inover the previous night.
* The region has supplied PHMSA HQ with an emergency response telephone call down list inthe event a major accident occurs within the region. If this happens while you are on duty, ChrisHoidal and Peter Katchmar will be notified via telephone no matter who is on-call.
Note: If you are notified of a major event within the region, call Chris Hoidal immediately for instructions.
There are always events beyond our control such as e-mail server maintenance that is usually performed on weekends. If you are made aware of an e-mail outage during your on-call weekend, please notify the PHP-500 Response Group as well as the NPIC on-call person via telephone that the e-mail is down and that all NRC reports within the region must be communicated by telephone.
Also note that if your on-call weekend includes a holiday on that Monday, you are on-call until Tuesday morning at 7:00am.
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Western Region State Program Contacts
This page aleft blank for confidentiality reasons.
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IMPORTANT NUMBERS
This section contains contact information for the employees in the Alaska office, complete Western Region, and the entire PHMSA directory. Please utilize the provided blank area for any additional numbers that may not be on the lists.
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Information Technology (IT) Services
t is PHMSAs IT and support groups goal to be a customer focused IT and support provider that is a valued strategic business partner who leverages efficient, effective, and economical 21st
Century solutions to enable the lines of business to execute mission objectives.
In Alaska, our primary contact for all IT problems is Dan Fisher, but attached is a complete list of all employees that are part of the PHA-50 group and can be contacted for help with all IT needs. The main number to call for all IT needs is (202) 385-4357. Other IT employees can be reached if you have specific needs that meet their qualifications at the following numbers:
I
IT Employee contact information left blank for confidentiality reasons.
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Anchorage Office Staff Roster
This page left blank for confidentiality reasons.
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Western Region Staff Roster
This page left blank for confidentiality reasons.
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PHMSA Directory Staff Roster
This page left blank for confidentiality reasons.
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TERMINOLOGY
he new employee may not be familiar with much of the new “language” experienced at PHMSA, which will consist of many acronyms. A few of these are listed below:
General Acronyms RD – Regional Director RDO – Regular Day Off CPF – Compliance Progress File WL – Warning Letter CAO – Corrective Action Order NOA – Notice of Amendment NOPV – Notice of Probable Violation PIM – Personal Inspection Memo SRCR – Safety Related Condition Report, HAZWOPER – Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
Computer Applications SMART – Safety Monitoring and Reporting Tool
The use of acronyms may appear overwhelming at first, especially as the new employee begins to communicate with fellow employees and to read various office documents. Co-workers may use acronyms assuming the new employee understands them. In the event this happens, unknown terms should be questioned immediately to prevent poor understanding of the ongoing discussion or documents in question. The new employee should also consider making a personal list of unfamiliar acronyms and terms (with definitions) for easy reference. After several weeks, a long list of acronyms will have been compiled, but the new employee will begin to feel more comfortable using them.
In addition to acronyms, as access to the various computer programs become available, the new employee will be expected to keep track of both the user name formats specific to each program and the passwords. It would be beneficial for all new employees to keep diligent track of all user names and passwords.
T
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RESOURCES
any resources are available to all Federal employees, but at a cost. In depth information on the contents in this handbook can be found at the following locations:
The Federal Employees Almanac www.federaldaily.com
FedLine www.fedguide.com
For general policies and guidance on other topics not discussed in this handbook, as well as up to date forms and policies, please refer to PHMSA’s Sharepoint at: http://tcapp.phmsa.dot.gov/PHP/default.aspx.
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