SAFETY Because of the toxic effects of insecticides, all men handling them, or exposed in any way to their effects, should be given some type of safety training. They should be cautioned to use the safety and protective devices available to them: gloves, coveralls, and other protective clothing; and respirators, or-in areas of high concentration, or for periods of prolonged exposure in confined places-canister-type masks. Personnel who routinely handle pesticides should report at once to the Medical Officer if they experience nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite. If loss of weight develops, they should report. First aid procedures should be part of the safety training of all personnel. They should know the antidote and first aid treatment recommended for the particular solution or powder with which they are working. If possible, victims of this type of poisoning should be immediately removed to the dispensary or to a hospital. Fire prevention practices must be observed at all times. EROSION Erosion problems arise chiefly in terms of the flooding of open areas, or the wearing away of walks, roads, and other paved areas. For example, lawns that are in the process of construction may fall prey to erosion unless some elementary precautions are taken. A good preventive device is to lay a 1-foot strip of sod along the walks and other edges of newly seeded areas. On paved areas, a watch should be kept for holes and signs of undercutting, and these spots should be filled in as soon as they are discovered. Prevention of erosion in areas subject to inundation can sometimes be accomplished by a selective planting of foliage. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to use sandbags, with brush or straw placed beneath. Sandbagging is also used to protect the face of earthfills. NATURAL DISASTERS The matter of erosion brings us to a related problem-namely, the engineering controls that may be employed to combat the results of floods and other natural disasters. In planning any preventive measures, however, it is necessary to strike a balance between the economy of providing protection, or of assuming destructive effects as a calculated risk, and therefore taking no special protective measures. Most of the damage suffered in the past by Navy activities has resulted from cyclonic disturbances. Overhead electrical systems are especially vulnerable. It is therefore advisable to have hurricane storage huts, equipped with tools and safety devices for handling damage to overhead lines. Damage to structures can be minimized by planting windbreaks, by using sandbags around sill areas, and by covering large-paned windows. APPENDIX I COMMON SOURCES OF ERROR There are numerous errors into which the PWO may fall simply because he has failed to read, or to properly understand, an item in a directive, instruction, or procedure. No doubt it would be possible to collect from bureau and activity sources some actual examples of serious error resulting from a combination of good intentions and incomplete information. However, to give specific cases, with all the detail necessary to set an exact picture, would require considerable space, and might fail of its purpose in some cases, since the circumstances are seldom identical in many cases. Therefore, the common sources of error have here been collected under general heads, and stated briefly, but in a manner that should alert the PWO to the areas in which he must make sure that he is acting in compliance with all established regulations. In re general command relations: Accomplishing projects without required approval of the management bureau. Splitting projects, to bypass limitations required for management bureau approval. Failure to advise commanding officer on expenditure limitations. Failure to keep the commanding officer apprised of important departmental matters. Bypassing the Work Reception and Control Unit. Failure to keep a maximum backlog of 2 shop- days in the ES work center. Unauthorized work in the shops. Assigning responsibility without delegating commensurate authority. Failure to acknowledge jobs well done. In re financial management: Overexpending. Failure to obligate. Charging expenditures to the wrong appropriation (as, for example, using O&M funds to finish a special project for which funds were separately allotted). Maintaining complete accounting records on allotments (thus duplicating the responsibility of the activity fiscal officer). In re organization: Failure to follow BuDocks guidelines in establishing the organization of the Public Works Department. Changing the organization pattern to benefit individuals (the individual must fit the established pattern, not vice versa). In re training: Failure to arrange for proper training for Public Works Department personnel. In re planning: Assuming all the planning workload of the activity (the Shore Facilities Planning System is a command function, to which all departments of an activity should contribute support). Failure to reestimate line items in various projects with changing market prices. In re reports: Erroneous reporting; this refers not only to the formal reports signed by the PWO, but to all feeder reports and other records. Failure to meet report deadlines (late reports indicate a poor work schedule in the reporting office; and they delay the work of the reviewer and endorser, in the receiving office). Failure to utilize management reports (reports must be evaluated, and action taken on the result of the evaluation). Careless use of management reports (basing management decisions on one or two reports, rather than studying a series of reports to evaluate trends). In re assignment or use of items or facilities: Neglect of check-in and check-out procedures in housing units (essential in rental housing, and desirable in public quarters). Failure to publicize a housing assignment policy. Inconsistent treatment of quarters occupants. Failure to observe dollar limitations on structural maintenance, and repair or replacement of furniture. Unauthorized use of Government vehicles and equipment (this includes contractors' use, without charge, of Government equipment). Unauthorized modification of vehicles and equipment (installing unauthorized sirens and lights, or locally developed safety equipment). Excessive downtime in transportation maintenance. Overuse of Class B vehicle assignments (Class B assignments are available only for the division or department to which assigned, but pool vehicles are available for use by the entire station). Failure to schedule heating and electrical loads, and to conserve fuel and power (by closing steam root valves in buildings during nonwork hours, and by the use of thermostats with day and night settings). Failure to eliminate unnecessary street and exterior lighting. Failure to cooperate fully in the utilities conservation program. Authorizing manufacture and fabrication, in the activity shops, of items more economically obtainable from commercial sources. Use of open purchase items in lieu of standard stock items. Overmaintenance. |