Hygiene Question and Answers.docx

--The home page on SAM states these services will be performed at all facilities annually. In the Work Scope, there is a statement that says “services may be required at various locations”. To clarify, is this contract to perform services at all bases or are services requested on an as-needed basis, which is why the pricing is per facility ?

The services will need completed at all locations within the FY. It is not an as needed basis

--Is this a new contract or has it been issued before ? If so is there a contract number associated with it?

The previous contracts were Blanket Purchase Agreements

--Are you able to provide any information on the number of buildings on a site occupied and/or used by ARNG ? We performed a similar project for ARNG-Northeast and they specified which buildings were to be inspected such as a Field Maintenance Shop or a Readiness Center.

There are 116 facilities, they are the ones in the excel spreadsheet. They are all maintenance facilities-TASMG, AASF, CSMS, MATES, TUAS, UTES, and FMS throughout the states listed.

--Are there drawings or CADs for buildings to be included in the scope ?

Drawings/CAD diagrams, any facility specific info, etc is to be requested directly from the facility after award is made, when scheduling the survey. Previous reports can be made available upon request.

--Is this a new or existing contract? No

--If this is an existing contract, can you please provide the name of the incumbent contracting firm, the contract number, period of performance and dollar amount?

IHI Environmental - DUNS: 602637142 - W912LA-15-A-0004 expired Network Environmental - DUNS: 194301859 - W912LA-15-A-0007 - expire 9 Sep 20 R&R Environmental - DUNS: 044147440 - W912LA-13-A-0011 expired Aloha World Ultra Travel - DUNS: 126753524 - W912LA-15-A-0008 - expire 25 Sep 20

--Under federal Industrial Hygiene contracts, the Government sometimes pays for laboratory fees based on existing relationships the Government has established prior with individual laboratories. In the case of this particular contract, which party--the Contractor or the Government--is responsible for establishing relationships with laboratories and paying the laboratory fees?

The government will provide the lab and associated fees. IHSW is still in the process of securing a lab and will notify the contractor of lab selection after award of contract.

--RFP section 5.1.12 states the Contractor should "obtain a shop layout plan" for each shop being surveyed. Does the state ARNG IH Technician obtain these documents for the Contractor in advance of each site survey, or does the Contractor obtain these plans from each facility manager when they are on-site instead?

The contractor is responsible. Not all states have an IH technician.

--RFP section 5.1.13 states the Contractor should "collect and document chemical inventories" for each shop being surveyed. Does the state ARNG IH Technician obtain these documents for the Contractor in advance of each site survey, or does the Contractor obtain these plans from each facility manager when they are on-site instead?

The contractor is responsible. Not all states have an IH technician.

--How many standard workdays will each site survey entail, or does the Contractor decide for itself how many workdays are necessary for each site survey on a case-by-case basis?

The contractor decides how many workdays are necessary. However, as stated in the PWS section 5.1.27, work that requires an additional visit to a facility due to unfinished or missed work will be at the expense of the vendor. Mandatory deliverables that are stated in the Performance Requirements Summary that are not completed will be reported IAW the QASP.

For vendors needing an estimate - smaller maintenance facilities typically take 2 days, larger facilities take up to 5 days. TASMG can take up to 2 weeks.

--Are there any limitations to the number of Contractor personnel that can be accommodated at any particular site?

There is no limitation to the number of contractor personnel. Be sure to include any costs for extra personnel expected onsite during surveys at time of bid.

--Is it safe to assume that the first visit is considered the baseline assessment where operations requiring IH sampling are identified and quantified in a report. Then a follow-up assessment is conducted as an additional unit cost?

Although all facilities are at different places as far as baseline, periodic, follow-up etc, assume baseline for pricing purposes. Lab will be selected, and analytical fees will be paid, by IHSW. This solicitation is for one visit per facility listed. Follow-up assessment is not anticipated at this time. A follow-up should only occur if project deliverables were not completed, in which case the vendor is responsible for costs incurred.

--For regulatory purposes, if periodic sampling is required until controls are met or regulatory requirements are met, is it safe to assume that each periodic sampling is an additional unit cost?

Each periodic sampling event would incur an additional unit cost. However, due to funding and period of performance limitations, additional sampling events are not anticipated for this solicitation.

--Section 5.1.7 says " Conduct IH breathing zone and general area time weighted average or short-term exposure limit sampling as determined by IH investigation all ARNG maintenance employees." My question is, what does "all ARNG maintenance employees" mean? Does this mean that the IH investigation should consider all employees when conducting representative IH monitoring or is this saying to actually sample every ARNG maintenance employee?

Please consider sampling as many employees as possible, understanding that sometimes representative sampling is the only available option. Please be sure to schedule the survey with the facility representative when operations are actually occurring. IHSW is attempting to gather more sampling data, as we have had issues in the past with contractors performing surveys when operations were not actually occurring. We are also attempting to allow each employee to have a personal sampling event available in their medical records.

--Regarding access to all sites. Will the contractor receive a badge which will allow relatively quick access to each different site across all states and Guam? Any color provided will help me understand the time required to achieve access to the sites.

Regarding access to all sites. Will the contractor receive a badge which will allow relatively quick access to each different site across all states and Guam? Any color provided will help me understand the time required to achieve access to the sites.

The contractor typically is signed in and escorted by the facility representative or state IH technician at the time of survey. NGB IHSW does not issue badges or IDs, as every state and facility has their own policies and guidance for security.

--We did not find information concerning the source selection criteria or submittal requirements. Language throughout the solicitation describes past ANG experience and key personnel as important. Please clarify the level of detail you'd like to see in the response and how the responses will be evaluated.

No Source Selection, evaluations are on page 102/103. Past performance will use CPARS.

--Our experience and understanding from past performance of similar scopes, is that a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) has been a requirement for these services, yet the solicitation does not "require" this level of involvement. If the award is price-driven, the non CIH-requirement may result in less experienced technicians and less desirable work product. We recommend that this matter be revisited; please advise.

A CIH is not required because the IHSW regional IHs serve as the final IH reviewers and acceptors of all work. IHSW has had vendors in the past who have had excellent senior IH technicians perform independent surveys and submit quality work. If CIH review and signature, or presence at time of survey, is required by the contracted company's policy, please submit the bid as appropriate. Understand that quality work in accordance with the project deliverables are expected to be met, whether a CIH or Technician performs the survey. Deliverables that are not met could result in a follow up survey at the vendor's expense.

--Can you please indicate which facilities will require a baseline survey and which will require an update.

Facilities are at different places as far as baseline, periodic, follow-up etc. IHSW recommends assuming baseline for pricing purposes. Due to the nature of the ARNG mission and operations, the status of facilities and employees are constantly changing, so a baseline is usually performed.

--And lastly, can you please provide some level of guidance regarding the availability and reliance on state/territory ARNG Industrial Hygiene technicians' availability to assist in the data collection. This is relevant to assist in determining pricing.

IHSW cannot give guidance on the availability of state technicians, as they are not our employees. While we require that they are present at time of survey if possible, they are often unavailable due to annual training, required military courses, and state active duty orders. We recommend that the contractor not rely solely on the state IH technician if assistance with surveys is required.

--Sec. 5.1.17 states to conduct evaluations of IFRs. Does this include collection of lead wipe samples and if so is there a specific protocol? In ARNG NE we were directed to collect a series of 25 to 32 lead wipe samples at each former IFR and Readiness Center where troops cleaned and stored weapons.

NO collection of lead wipe samples are needed

--Sec. 5.1.16 states "....excluding mold sampling unless authorized by IHSW". Does this mean we should be prepared to conduct mold sampling and if so how would this be accounted for in our cost?

No mold sampling is needed

--Exhibit 2 ARNG Facilities by State shows a much larger number of facilities than the 115 plus CMRA. For example there are 378 armored that do not appear on the facilities list. Is it the expectation that the vendor needs to inspect all of these facilities even ones that do not appear on the list or spreadsheet? For clarification in NE almost all of the former IFRs were in armories. This would make a significant difference in labor and staffing.

Only the listed facilities are to be surveyed.