OSHA and applicable consensus safety and health standards, ergonomic considerations, and sound safety and fire protection engineering techniques must be used to plan, build, design, construct, modify, repair, and procure new equipment, vehicles, and facilities. Consideration must be given to employee work environment, equipment, tools, supplies used, and the material on which work is performed.
Purchasing, delivery, and engineering personnel must consult safety personnel to ensure that safety engineering, health protection, and ergonomic considerations are integrated into all activities of the Postal Service.
Managers responsible for purchasing, design, and construction are accountable for compliance with OSHA standards and applicable fire protection and building codes.
When deemed necessary, the Postal Service may adopt more stringent, alternate, or supplemental standards. The Secretary of Labor must approve the adoption of alternate or supplemental OSHA standards. Therefore, the manager, Safety and OSHA Compliance Programs, Headquarters, must coordinate all such requests with the Department of Labor.
Installation heads, purchasing, contracting officers, and other managers are responsible and accountable for ensuring that all suppliers and contractors working on Postal Service property follow OSHA regulations and Postal Service safety and health policies. All suppliers must conform to OSHA regulations, and a Postal Service representative is to be assigned to monitor supplier activities as appropriate. Such monitoring includes coordinating with supplier safety “competent persons” and/or safety representatives. The process of evaluating and selecting suppliers must include review of a supplier’s safety and health record, written programs, training, and OSHA compliance activity, as apporpirate to the scope of the contracted work and in accordance with existing purchasing policy. See Handbook EL-800, Managing Contract Safety and Health Compliance.
