# Presentation: 669263

## Safety Within National Cemeteries

**--------**

**Notes:**
Cover page of presentation

## Why -- To Serve Veterans

**Safety Impacts: **
**Work**
**Consider Demographics **
**History of OWCP Claims ****(Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs)**
**Resources**
**Legislative Mandates**
**Management Response**

**Notes:**
Safety must be part of the management culture to work.

## Work Demographics

**Working conditions (workplace)**
**Type of  work (job assignment)**
**OWCP**
**Type**
**Source**
**Cause**
**Nature**

**Notes:**
The VA WC/MIS allows the viewer to break down the injury/illness by four ways.  Plus job classification

## Workforce OWCP Injuries/Illnesses

** **

**Notes:**
Note that there were 153 OWCP Claims and 2,864,450 hours of lost time production

## NCA - Numbers of Cases

**Notes:**
The FY 2000 year is not finished and the number of claims is 141  ---   in FY 99 the number was 153.
With 92% of the year finished 141 is 92% of 153, so NCA is on target to have the same number of cases.

FY 1999 hours was 2,864,450
and 
FY 2000 hours currently are 3,241,917

## NCA Compared to Other Federal Agencies

**Notes:**
VA Lost Time Case Rates per 100 FTEEFY 95-99
Currently, FY 2000 rates are consistent with FY1999

## NCA Injury Types Per OWCP

**Notes:**
OWCP Claims by Type:
610 is 21%  ---  lifting/strained
230 is 8%    ---  Slipped, tripped (no fall)
620 is 9%    ---  Stressed by (repeated action)
520 is 6%    ---  Contact by (motion of object)
111 is 5%    ---  Struck by falling object
Others 100, 110, 120, 200, 210, 220, 330, 410, 420 (cut by), 430 (Stung by), 440 (bitten by), 500, 510, 511, 600, 700 (exposure), 710 (inhalation), 730 (absorption), 800 (traveling in), 999 (13 unclassified) 

## Breakdown on NCA Occupations and Percent Injuries/Illnesses

**Notes:**
Occupation codes:
Labor:
W4754 is 53%  ---  Roads and Grounds Maintenance Supervisor
W3502 is 8%    ---   Laboring
W5716 is 8%    ---   Engineering Equipment Operator
Others:
W3566, W4206, W4701, W4749, W5003, W5201, W5703, W5705, W5803, W5806, W5823, W7304
Administrative:  G0301, G0303, G0326, G0343, G0350
Not Coded:  Z9999

## Impact on Resources, e.g., OWCP

** **

**Notes:**
From the Austin, TX WC/MIS system
Bottom Line  $1,732,685.73 (includes cases being paid on for pervious years) for FY 1999

## OWCP Cost Trends

**Notes:**
Payment is ether 66 2/3 or 75 percent of the employee’s pay

In FY 1998 the average cost per claim so far has been $3,769.59
In FY 1999 the average cost per claim was $1,601.73
In FY 2000 the average cost per claim so far has been $2,365.18

## Legal Mandates

**Public Law ****(Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970)**
**Executive Order 12196**
**Regulations  ****(29 Code of Federal Regulations) -  OSHA**
**Departmental Directives -  7700 ****(required by regulations)**
**NC Administration Directives ****(required by Departmental Directive)**

**Notes:**
OSHA and EPA
7700 - (d) National Cemetery System (NCS)
1. The Director, National Cemetery System, is responsible for developing and implementing a written OSH program for their cemeteries and area offices; and
2. The Chief, Architectural and Engineer Division, of NCS is responsible for reviewing construction designs and specifications for projects under the jurisdiction of the National Cemetery System to ensure that safety and health requirements are addressed.

## Occupational Safety and Health Administration - NCA Citations

**Notes:**
OSHA visit to NAC facility resulted in 5 violations.  OSHA can not fine VA but EPA can.  OSHA will post violations on there web site as at this facility.  This the OSHA web page for additional facility violations.
Nashville VA cemetery:
Personal Protective Equipment - sun screen, shirts, along with other traditional equip. are PPE.
Electrical 
Lack of annual retraining
Abrasive Wheel
chemical Containers not labeled

## High Profile Safety Issues for NCA

**Violence**
**Lyme Disease**
**Chemicals**
**Training**
**Medical Examinations **
**Asbestos**
**Ergonomics**

**Notes:**
All of these issues have come up
Add war stories....

##  VA Management

**DASHO  -  Mr. Eugene Brickhouse**
**DASHO staff  -  ****Director, John Hancock**
**HRM -- Unions 5**
**NCA - HQ point of contact**
**Area Safety Coordinators**
**Facility Contact - ****Safety Poster 2180**
**VHA - VISN and Facility**

## Management continued

**DASHO**
**Goals**
**Oversight**
**General support **
**VHA**
**Safety staff can support**
**NCA**
**Program**

## Annual Inspections

**Notes:**
Facilities self report on their status of there inspections.  VHA has staff to conduct the inspections but NCA is responsible for assuring they are done and complete.

## NCA Inspection Tracking

## Questions