Item 18 - Safety

18.1 Prevention of Accidents

The District will make reasonable provisions for the safety of employees in the performance of their work. The District and the Management and Confidential Employees will cooperate in promoting the realization of the responsibility of the individual employee with regard to the prevention of accidents.

18.2 Employee Safety Program

The District will maintain an Employee Safety Program to assure that all District employees are trained. The program shall consist of the following elements: 1) Injury Prevention Plan: A written Plan that defines the District Safety Policy and the training requirements for all employees, both mandatory and optional; 2) The Employee Safety Manual: A manual for each employee that contains all the Safety Rules and Requirements for the District. The District shall inform the Management and Confidential Employees of any proposed new or revised rules; 3) Record- keeping: The District shall maintain a data base of all current employees safety related training and schedule employees for required training to assure that mandatory requirements are maintained. The Risk and Property Department will provide notification to management/supervision of employees who fail to maintain required training/certification current.

18.3 Safety Meetings

Safety Meetings shall be conducted individually by department or by common work location for the purpose of reviewing accidents and preventing their reoccurrence, eliminating hazardous conditions, identifying potential dangers, and familiarizing all employees with safe work procedures and applicable State and Federal Safety Orders. Managers or their designees shall present a specific safety topic and discuss issues with those employees attending the meeting. The Safety Officer will provide technical assistance and subject material for meetings when necessary. Monthly Safety meetings shall be held for the following departments: Meter/Transformer, Substation, Line Construction, Trouble, Service Maintenance, Irrigation Services, Irrigation Construction/Maintenance, Fleet Maintenance, Woodland and McClure Generation Stations, Water Treatment Plant, Meter Readers, Field Service Personnel, Building/Grounds and Material Handling. All other Departments will be required to attend at least two (2) Safety Meetings per year. One meeting will consist of a review of the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, Fire Evacuation Plan, Bomb Threat and Fire Extinguisher Training.

18.4 Walk-Around Inspections

An employee representative will accompany the District safety representative on inspections conducted by state agencies affecting their work area. Any employee or employer's representative shall have the right to discuss safety violations or safety problems with the inspector privately during the course of an investigation or inspection.

18.5 District Inspections

a. District Safety Officer will make semiannual inspections of all non-electric District properties, all District activities and equipment. The District Safety Officer may be accompanied by a representative of each applicable department who is knowledgeable in the work area. The results of such inspections will be available to District management and Management and Confidential employees upon request.
b. District safety representatives will make unscheduled safety inspections on a random basis at District facilities and job sites to assure compliance with safety requirements.

18.6 On-The-Job Accidents

It shall be the duty of all officers and employees to make an immediate report of all on-the-job accidents, injuries and illnesses to their immediate supervisor who will notify the department head, the Risk and Property Department and/or the Human Resources Department.

18.7 Fitness for Duty

When there is reasonable suspicion that an employee is unable to safely perform the duties of his/her position, such employee may be required to undergo a medical examination, which may include drug and alcohol testing. All newly hired employees will be required to undergo a medical evaluation, which will include drug and alcohol testing as a condition of employment. Specific procedures of Fitness for Duty are spelled out in the Fitness for Duty Policy adopted by the Board of Directors August 28, 1990 and revised November 13, 2001. The complete policy and procedures is located in Section B32 of the Employee Handbook.