Guidelines for Contractors and A-E firms - revised Feb 2010.doc

GUIDELINES FOR CONTRACTORS

AND

A/E FIRMS

PERFORMING SITE INVESTIGATIONS

AND

FIELDWORK (including construction)

AT THE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

GAITHERSBURG, MD

Revised date: February 23, 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title

Page

1.

Emergencies

2.

Safety Equipment

3.

Investigation Equipment

4.

Mechanical/Electrical Rooms

5.

Confined Space Entry

6.

Utility Outages, Road Blockages

7.

Hazards

8.

Corridors

9.

Operating Equipment

10.

Fire Protection

11.

Internal Combustion Equipment

12.

Asbestos

13.

Safety and Health Compliance

14.

Work Safety

15.

Working Hours

16.

Excavation

17.

Environmental Management

18. Scrap Building Materials Disposal

19. Electrical Safety

Daily Reports

GUIDELINES FOR CONTRACTORS AND A/E FIRMS

PERFORMING SITE INVESTIGATIONS AND FIELD WORK

1. Emergencies:

In case of emergency, call x2222 from a campus phone. State your name, building location, room number, and a description of emergency. The NIST Fire Protection Group provides fire and ambulance service on site. If a phone other than NIST (975 exchange) is used, "911" should be used for emergency calls. The contractor shall state that he/she is located at NIST and give the details as described above. Contractors should become familiar with the NIST Gaithersburg Occupant Emergency Plan, issued January 2006.

2. Safety Equipment:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as head, eye, foot, respiratory, and ear protection shall be worn in identified areas. Hard hats, for example, shall be worn in mechanical rooms. Contractors and A/E firms to provide necessary PPE of the approved type to protect themselves against exposures encountered. NIST provided dosimeters (radiation exposure measurement) may be required to be worn when working in or around specific sections of Building 235 and Building 245.

3.Investigation Equipment:

Site investigations and field work may require the use of a stepladder and/or other investigative equipment (measuring tapes, flashlights, screwdrivers, etc.). Contractors and A/E firms shall provide their own stepladders and/or investigative equipment. The stepladders shall be Type I (industrial) or Type II (commercial).

4. Mechanical/Electrical Rooms:

Obtain authorization from the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) prior to working in electrical and/or mechanical rooms. Lock rooms after use. For work in high-voltage rooms, a NIST high-voltage electrician must be present the entire time. Do not operate any valves, switches, or breakers without prior approval from the COTR.

5. Confined Space Entry:

If a contractor or A/E must enter a confined space on the NIST site, they shall follow the applicable provisions of the OSHA Permit-Required Confined Space Regulation (29CFR1910.146). The contractor or A/E shall be responsible for implementing and documenting an entry permit system as necessary, giving full consideration to personnel training, atmospheric testing, ventilation, PPE, and emergency procedures and equipment. Should the contractor or A/E have questions regarding any confined space to be entered on the NIST site, they are to contact the COTR or the Plant Division's Safety Coordinator (x6940, Bldg. 301, Rm. A119).

6. Utility Outages, Road Blockages:

Do not close or partially block any roads or cause utility outages (electrical, steam, chilled water, water, compressed air, gas, sewer, telephone, fire alarm, signal systems, etc.) without prior authorization from the COTR. Provide a minimum of 14 days written notice for all utility systems outages.

7. Hazards:

Storing, positioning, and use of equipment, tools, and materials, in a manner likely to present a hazard to the public or building occupants by its accidental shifting, ignition, or other hazardous qualities is prohibited.

8. Corridors:

No corridor, aisle, stairway, door, or exit shall be obstructed or used in such a manner as to encroach upon routes of ingress or egress utilized by the public or building occupants, or to present unsafe or unhealthy conditions to the public or building occupants.

9. Operating Equipment:

Do not turn off, on, or adjust any NIST operating equipment without prior authorization from the COTR. Work carefully around rotating equipment. Loosely fitting clothing (neck ties, dangling jewelry, etc.) shall not be worn when working near rotating equipment. Long hair shall be secured. Some equipment may start automatically. (Note: It may become necessary to implement appropriate lock-out, tag-out procedures to control hazardous energy sources to ensure that personnel do not activate equipment during investigation, servicing, or maintenance.) Provisions of NFPA 70E shall be followed when an arc flash hazard exists.

10. Fire Protection:

The Contractor or A/E shall comply with all applicable fire protection/prevention requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the NIST Fire Protection Group. Should any operations capable of providing a source of ignition (for example welding, cutting, burning, or heating) be performed within or adjacent to NIST buildings/structures/equipment, a hot work permit must be obtained from the NIST Fire Protection Group (x6190) prior to such work.

11. Internal Combustion Equipment:

Such equipment will not be allowed within any building without prior written approval. Gasoline or diesel powered equipment (such as fork lifts, loaders, tractors, cutting saws, etc.) will not be authorized for use within any building in any circumstance.

12. Asbestos:

Some ductwork and piping may be insulated with asbestos containing materials (ACM). Contact the Plant Division Safety Coordinator (x6940) prior to disturbing suspected ACM. ACM may also be present in floor tile, bench tops, and/or plaster ceilings.

1) If more than three (3) ceiling tiles must be removed at one time in a single location, the Plant Division Safety Representative (i.e. Sharon Ray) must be notified beforehand so she can review the task to be performed and ensure all safety requirements are adhered to. Contractors shall provide 5 working days notice.

2) Whenever a ceiling tile of any kind is removed, it must be removed slowly and as level as possible. Workers need to check as soon as they can see on top of the tile if there is any debris laying on top, such as a piece of pipe insulation or other bldg materials in general. If there is debris, the worker should re-install the tile and notify his supervisor and COTR so the proper measure can be taken to remove whatever debris is found.

3) All contractors at a minimum must wear the following Personnel Protective Equipment while working on/in/above the ceiling and/or removing ceiling tiles:

* Safety glasses with side shields or goggles

* Leather gloves or the Mechanics Red Gloves

4) It is strictly prohibited to perform any type of "aggressive activity" that could break the encapsulate seal or agitate the air above the hallway or concourse ceilings. Examples of "aggressive activity" include - dragging conduit or pipes over ceiling tiles; hammer drilling into the columns; removing numerous ceiling tiles at one time; striking against pipes or pipe insulation; dropping items on top of ceiling tiles; and numerous workers above the ceiling at one time performing various tasks.

13. Safety and Health Compliance:

Contractors and A/E firms shall adhere to all applicable OSHA, NFPA, NEC and NIST safety and occupational health regulations while on site. Federal OSHA (Baltimore area office) has safety jurisdiction at federal facilities in the State of Maryland. The NIST local contact is the Plant Division Safety Coordinator (Bldg. 301, Rm. A119, x6940).

All contractors are required to wear OSHA approved safety glasses. All contractors working at Buildings 235 and/or 245 are subject to a 2 hour safety training session.

14. Work Safety:

The contractor shall take all necessary precautions to prevent injury to personnel, the public, building occupants, and damage to property of others.

15. Site Access and Working Hours:

NIST is a Federal facility and access is controlled at all entrances to the campus. Only Government employees may grant access to non-Government employees.

Personnel Access: Contractors shall forward names of all personnel that require access to the COTR as soon as possible after workers are identified. For short-term laborers, provide at a least two days notice in advance to the COTR. The following information is required:

A.

Name

B.

Citizenship status (USA, Canada, Japan, etc.)

C.

If not a citizen of USA, the following additional information is required:

1. Occupation (mason, electrician, carpenter, project manager, etc).

2. Company name

3. Company address

4. Company phone number

D.

Duration of work at NIST.

E.

Delivery drivers must be entered into the system for access.

F.

Day of visit Official Photo ID from a regulatory authority (passport, driver’s license, etc).

Vehicles Access:

Automobiles: Contractor personnel arriving in cars on their first day must check in at the visitor trailer to receive a temporary badge prior to proceeding to the project site. Hours of operation of the visitor trailer are 0600-1700. Once in possession of a valid NIST badge, workers may enter via the Main Gate or Gate “C” and proceed to the project site. Note that all automobiles are subject to a random inspection.

Trucks: All Trucks are to enter NIST via “C” Gate along Quince Orchard Rd. between 6:00 am and 3:30 pm daily, and at the main gate off of W. Diamond Ave. between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm. No deliveries will be allowed after 4:30 pm. “Trucks” include such vehicles as pick-ups with storage compartments, delivery trucks, delivery vans, and tractor trailers. Trucks arriving through Gate C will be directed to the Building 301 Truck Inspection Station. At Building 301, trucks will be registered, inspected, and the drivers will be granted access. Any truck which exits the installation will have to be re-inspected upon re-entry at Building 301. A vehicle dashboard placard will be placed within the truck. Placards change daily.

Responsibility: When deliveries are made, the Contractor is responsible providing information and directions to the driver to proceed to the work area and for unloading. NIST will not be responsible for delivering contractor materials to the project site.

Hours of Operation: NIST opens at 6:00 am (sharp) until 6: 00 pm for Contractors who do not have 24-hour access privileges.

Normal work hours are 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

All work over 80 dBA shall occur after normal work hours.

NIST Truck Inspection Stations hours are:

6:00am -3:30pm at Building 301

3:30 pm – 4:30pm at “A” Gate – (Main gate)

Parking: Loading docks are for loading and unloading equipment and materials. Do not park at or near loading docks or the space between buildings. All Contractors vehicles and personnel vehicles are to use the building parking lots. NIST Police will issue Federal parking tickets.

Speeding: NIST speed limit is posted on the campus. If a speeding ticket is issued, the offender will be required to appear in Federal Court.

Painting Hours: All painting shall be per the SOW and/or specifications. If not stated all painting shall be done from 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM Monday to Friday. Painting on weekends from 6 AM to 4 PM shall be scheduled through the COTR, with at least seven days notice.

16. Excavation:

Excavation is not permitted without prior written authorization from the COTR.

17. Environmental Management:

NIST will conduct its operations in an environmentally sound manner. NIST’s Environmental Management System (EMS) has been established based on the requirements of the International Organization of Standards (ISO14001). All firms contracted by NIST shall review and be familiar with the NIST Environmental Policy and significant aspects of the NIST EMS, which may be accessed at http://www.nist.gov/.

All contractors who provide products and services to NIST are expected to comply with all applicable environmental regulations, conduct their work using environmentally sound practices, and assess options that will result in the least environmental impacts. The Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) will inspect and enforce sediment control and storm water management regulations and practices for projects at NIST.

Where a contractor is supplying products or services associated with significant environmental aspects of the NIST EMS, the contractor will work with the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative to establish procedures to minimize, or otherwise control the potential environmental impacts associated with those significant environmental aspects.

Each contractor shall ensure that their subcontractors are aware of this policy and comply with the requirements of this clause.

18. Scrap Building Materials Disposal

a. In order to reduce disposal volumes of clean scrap wood based building materials taken to landfill dump, segregate such materials and dispose of the materials and dispose of the materials using one or a combination of the following methods.:

i. Arrange for recycling of materials or

ii. Sell to companies that purchase wood for disposal in biomass to energy facilities.

b. Store recyclable waste in separate clearly marked containers. Arrange and pay for collection by a licensed recycling contractor. Recyclable items include, wood, glass, aluminum, steel, gypsum, paper, cardboard, and plastics..

c. Segregate remaining construction debris (that Contractor cannot feasibly recycle or reuse in some way) and give such materials if feasible to companies which recycle insert materials.

19. Electrical Safety:

All contractors shall comply with NFPA 70E “Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.” If the Contractor selects to work on energized equipment, Contractor shall have a documented permit system for working on energized electrical equipment.

20. Daily Reports

Contractor shall provide to COTR a daily report of all major activities, personnel on site (includes all subcontractors), major deliveries, and major tools and equipment on site.

Facilities Planning, Engineering and Construction Group, Plant Division