Questions and Answers 2.docx

Questions and Answers Solicitation 36C26126Q0817 Generate Lock Out / Tag Out Procedures

1. Question: Yearly reviews of the LOTO program, is the Government looking for each of the 900 procedures to be reviewed too? Or just the written program?

Answer: Just the written program.

2. Question: Are there any specific LOTO management requirements? Ie: is the VA looking for a specified software-based program/subscription to maintain their LOTO procedures or if the VA will accept a non-proprietary solution.

Answer: If software solution is offered, it will need to be FEDRAMP approved. Management program must comply with OSHA and VA requirements.

3. Question: Does the government require a specific LOTO procedure template and/or LOTO management program to be utilized for this effort?

Answer: Both must be in compliance with OSHA and VA requirements.

4. Question: Regarding the annual visit to "evaluate programs and determine if changes to previously established procedures are necessary and create new procedures if required,” does the government require a full LOTO procedure audit for all LOTO procedures previously developed on an annual basis?

Answer: Only those which VA decides require update due to inaccuracies or alterations and/or if new equipment was installed

5. Question: Is the annual visit the same as the annual periodic inspection required by OSHA?

Answer: No

6. Question: Regarding the 25 new procedures per year, does that number include any revisions to existing procedures?

Answer: Only those which the VA decides require update due to inaccuracies or alterations and/or if new equipment was installed

7. Question: For the 25 new procedures, who will be responsible for revising any procedures that require a technical update, and if it is the contractor, is there a limit on the number of procedures to be revised?

Answer: The revisions are part of the 25 per year by the contractor. 25 is the limit.

8. Question: Please confirm that Section B.4 IT security requirements (cyber awareness training, background investigations, POA&M, FISMA/PIA obligations) do not apply, consistent with the PWS statement that contractors will not have access to the VA network or sensitive VA information under this contract.

Answer: The Performance Work Statement has been updated to require contractor VA network access. This will be required to store and update developed procedures and QR codes on VA systems.

9. Question: Does “14mil laminated” refer to per-side pouch thickness (the common industry convention), and is a specific laminate material/finish (matte vs. gloss, UV-resistant coating) required or preferred?

Answer: Yes. Matte, UV resistant

10. Question: For the equipment list VAPAHCS will provide as a template, can the government share the approximate breakdown by site (Palo Alto / Menlo Park / Livermore) and by equipment category ahead of award, to support proposal staffing and scheduling?

Answer: The contractor is required to determine that as part of the contract, however the limit is 900 Type I procedures. 900 is the limit, regardless of whether all equipment is covered. If not enough, then procedure development will be prioritized.

11. Question: For subcontractor personnel who visit the VA site only occasionally, to spot-verify draft procedures for a specialty equipment class (e.g., boilers, medical gas systems, photovoltaic arrays) rather than holding a standing/recurring site presence, do they count as “contract employees assigned to the worksite” for pre-placement TB screening purposes under VHA Directive 7715, or does that requirement apply only to personnel with regular/ongoing site access?

Answer: If they are the same employees, they need to be screened. If they are not PiV credentialed, staff are required to visit police dispatch to acquire day pass.

12. Question: Please confirm whether subcontractor personnel are required to wear uniform clothing bearing the prime Contractor's (Open Aegis LLC's) name per the PWS Uniforms clause, or whether uniform clothing identifying the subcontractor's own company name is sufficient — consistent with how the separate Contractor's Badge clause explicitly extends to subcontractors, while the Uniforms clause does not.

Answer: They should wear the uniforms of their employer.

13. Question: Does verifying an energy isolation point ever require physically entering a permit-required confined space (e.g., a below-grade lift station or boiler pit), or is this documented/observed from outside the space?

Answer: That is not expected, but it might be a possibility. If required, potential camera scan can identify isolation points, to be determined during assessment.