Employees

HANDBOOK EL-814 REVISION

Postal Employee's Guide to Safety

Effective April 27, 2006, Handbook EL-814, Postal Employee's Guide to Safety, is revised to update policies and procedures for fire prevention and protection, personal safety and protective equipment, housekeeping and sanitation, and motor vehicles. These revisions are a result of changes in Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and Postal ServiceTM policies.

Handbook EL-814, Postal Employee's Guide To Safety

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Introduction

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[Break the fourth paragraph into two paragraphs that read as follows:]

Submit your suggestions to your supervisor. You may wish to submit a suggestion or idea using the eIdeas program on the Postal Service Blue page. As an alternative, you can use PS Form 1270, Idea Proposal.

If you observe an unsafe condition or an unsafe act, report it to your supervisor immediately. Use PS Form 1767, Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition, or Practice, to document the condition. If you wish to remain anonymous, file PS Form 1767 directly with your installation's safety personnel. Without revealing your name, they will immediately give the report to your supervisor for necessary action. (In such cases, safety personnel must not disclose the name of the individual making the report.)

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Section III. Fire Prevention and Protection

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E. Flammable Materials

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[Revise the fourth bullet to read as follows:]

• Follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of your facility's Hazardous Materials and Spill Response document and also follow guidance found in the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for handling spills and leaks of specific products and chemicals.

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Section IV. Personal Safety and Protective Equipment

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B. Personal Protective Equipment

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1. Eye and Face Protection

[Revise the first bullet to read as follows:]

• Wear eye and face protection that meets American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards when working in areas where hazards exist that could cause eye injuries. You must wear side shields with your safety glasses.

At a minimum, face shields for the following types of work are mandatory and management must ensure face shields are available for these types of work:

- Handling or pouring acid or other corrosive chemicals.

- Using an emery wheel or grinding, riveting, chipping, or sandblasting equipment.

- Using compressed air for cleaning (see restrictions on the use of compressed air in Section V, Paragraph F).

- Working in areas designated as rewrap operations, where eye hazards exist.

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Section V. Housekeeping and Sanitation

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F. Using Compressed Air

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[Revise the second bullet to read as follows:]

• Do not use compressed air to clean machinery or parts in mail processing areas. Use vacuum cleaners for this purpose. The most current maintenance policies and procedures should be followed. When compressed air is permitted for use, the air must be compressed to 30 PSI or less or use a hose that is equipped with a nozzle that will deadhead at 30 PSI or less.

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Section VIII. Powered Industrial Trucks

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C. Towing Wheeled Equipment

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[Revise the third bullet to read as follows:]

• Attach no more than five containers to a driverless tractor unit or automatic guidance vehicle (AGV).

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Section IX. Mail Delivery

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D. Animals and Insects

1. General Rules

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[Revise the fifth bullet to read as follows:]

• Use dog repellent spray only if you are attacked. Spray it directly at the dog's eyes, nose, and mouth. Do not use dog repellent indiscriminately or when there is danger of spraying children or adults.

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Section X. Motor Vehicles

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E. Driving Regulations

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4. Parking

[Revise the first bullet to read as follows:]

Whenever the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle must be parked. To park the vehicle:

• Apply the foot brake and place automatic transmissions in the park position. Place manual transmissions in gear. For PVS vehicles 7 ton and above, place the transmission in neutral.

• Turn the vehicle's front wheels toward the curb if you are on a flat surface or the vehicle is facing downhill. If the vehicle is parked facing uphill, turn the front wheels away from the curb.

• Set the hand-parking/emergency brake. For PVS vehicles 7 ton and above, the parking air brakes must be applied.

• Turn off the engine and remove the key.

• Lock any sliding door(s) between the truck body and cab.

• Lock the doors if you will be out of direct sight of the vehicle.

[Delete the second bullet.]

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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of Handbook EL-814 and also into the online update, available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.

• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click on References.

• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under "Policies," click on PolicyNet.

• Click on HBKs.

(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)

It is also available on the Postal Service Internet:

• Go to www.usps.com.

• Click on About USPS & News, then Forms & Publications, then Postal Periodicals and Publications, and then HBKs.

—Safety and Environmental Performance Management,
Employee Resource Management, 4-27-06

NOTICE

Proposed Adverse Actions Against EAS 18 and Above and PCES 01 Employees

Management Instruction (MI) EL-380-2006-2, Procedures for Proposed Adverse Actions Against EAS Levels 18 and Above and PCES 01 Executives, is now available. This MI is effective immediately and obsoletes MI EL-380-88-5, Procedure for Removal or Demotion of PCES Executives and Postmasters.

The new MI sets forth required procedures for developing and finalizing notices of proposed adverse actions against Postal ServiceTM employees in Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS) levels 18 and above and Postal Career Executive Service (PCES) 01 executives. The MI requires managers to consult with appropriate human resources (HR) or labor relations (LR) personnel when drafting such actions. It also requires consultation with the appropriate legal counsel though the appropriate HR/LR personnel. If the proposing official disagrees with the recommendations of the designated legal counsel, he or she must obtain written permission from the manager, Field Labor Relations, Headquarters, to issue charges or select a penalty that was not recommended by designated legal counsel.

The MI also requires managers to consult with legal counsel through appropriate HR/LR personnel before placing EAS 18 and above or PCES 01 employees on administrative leave for more than 30 days; and before placing such employees in a non-duty status for more than 14 days pending disciplinary action or investigation into possible misconduct. Managers also must consult with legal counsel through the appropriate HR/LR personnel in an emergency situation regarding such employees.

MI EL-380-2006-2 is available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.

• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click on References.

• Under "References" in the right-hand column, click on PolicyNet.

• Click on MIs.

—National EEO Compliance and Appeals Programs,
Labor Relations, 4-27-06

NOTICE

Purchasing and Reporting Gift Cards and Related Recognition Awards Items

The Postal ServiceTM has signed contracts with several suppliers of gift cards and related recognition award items. Effective immediately, new orders for these products must be made with an IMPAC credit card, in denominations of $25, $50, $100, or $250, through the Web sites of any of the vendors listed below. Orders that exceed $10,000 must be made through Supply Chain Management.

Gift Certificates.com
www.giftcertificates.com/usps

Gift cards to national and local merchants that include the most popular stores, theaters, and restaurants.

Global Sports Access, Inc.
https://www.globalsportsaccess.com/usps/

Gift cards to apply to the purchase of tickets to sporting and entertainment events, including events that have been sold out.

1-800-GiftCertificate
www.800giftcertificate.com/usps

Gift cards to over 400 merchants and thousands of merchandise options.

NetPost CardStore
http://www.touchpoint.com/asp/uspsCorp/ index.cfm?page=employee_awards_login

A USPS®-branded product that includes greeting cards with gift cards enclosed. Greeting cards can be customized with downloaded images and messaging.

USPS Gift Cards
http://usps.maxgiftcard.com

Certificates redeemable for over 20,000 of the most current, popular, and recognized brand name products.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that all gift cards be reported as income, regardless of value. Gift cards must be reported in eAwards as spot gift certificate awards or Postal Career Executive Service (PCES) noncash awards. (eAwards is being upgraded to allow the reporting of noncareer awards.) To minimize the number of eAwards entries, managers may aggregate multiple gift card awards as a single entry. However, gift card awards must be reported in the calendar year they are issued, and eAwards normally closes down for calendar-year-end processing in mid-December. Payroll calculates and pays tax assistance on award amounts that exceed $50.

These instructions apply to all gift card purchases. Additional processes and controls, set by the officer of an organization, may also apply.

—Compensation,
Human Resources, 4-27-06

NOTICE

Revision to PS Form 2181-A, Pre-Employment Screening - Authorization and Release

Effective April 2006, PS Form 2181-A, Pre-Employment Screening - Authorization and Release, has been revised to add provisions for obtaining from applicants (1) other names and dates when used, and (2) previous addresses for the past 5 years. Discard/recycle all previous editions of PS Form 2181-A and replace them with the April 2006 version. See page 9 for the April 2006 edition of PS Form 2181-A.

PS Form 2181-A is also available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.

• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click on References.

• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under "Policies," click on PolicyNet.

• Click on Forms.

(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)

You can order PS Form 2181-A from the Material Distribution Center. Use touch tone order entry (TTOE): Call 800-332-0317; select option 2.

Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317; select option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message. (Wait 48 hours after registering before placing your first order.)

Use the following information to order PS Form 2181-A:

PSIN: PS Form 2181-A
PSN: 7530-02-000-7401
Unit of Measure: SH
Minimum Order Quantity: 1
Bulk Pack Quantity: 3,000
Quick Pick Number: N/A
Price: $0.0163
Edition Date: 04/06

—Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 4-27-06