514 EM 385-1-1 Chapters 30-37

Sections

37-8. General Requirements.

Duty Schedule

During the first two weeks of an emergency response, supervisors must monitor employees for stress-related health issues and seek medical help if needed. Extended work hours are permitted.
For operations exceeding two weeks, USACE and contractor employees must not work more than 84 hours per week, allowing for 8 hours of rest between shifts.
Employees working 12 hours per day, 7 days a week, must receive 24 hours of rest after 14 days and 48 hours after 21 days, with supervisors monitoring for stress-related health issues.

Machinery and Mechanized Equipment

Equipment must be inspected and meet USACE safety standards before use, with sufficient mobilization time provided in contracts.
Trucks must have barriers and back-up alarms, with specific conditions for loading and securing debris to prevent accidents and exposure to hazards.
Contractors must develop written SOPs for machinery operation, ensuring safety zones are maintained and the public is kept at a safe distance.

Traffic Control

Close public roads posing a hazard to operations in coordination with local agencies, adhering to MUTCD standards for traffic control and signage.
Use flaggers with appropriate signs, high-visibility apparel, and communication methods to manage traffic around work zones effectively.
Minimize dust emissions within work areas to protect individuals near debris operations.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

37-7. For operations exceeding two weeks, USACE and contractor employees must _____.

not work more than 84 hours per week

average no more than 80 hours per week

not exceed 10 hours per day

receive at least 8 hours of rest each 24-hour day

You forgot to answer the question!

EM 385-1-1 Paragraph 37-8 (f.–h.).

37-8. General Requirements. (f.–h.).

f.  Duty Schedule.  (37-8.f)

(1)  During the first two weeks of an emergency response operation, extended work hours are allowed.  Supervisors must monitor employees for signs of stress- related health problems and seek medical assistance as appropriate.

(2)  For operations lasting longer than two weeks, USACE and contractor employees must not work more than 84 hours per week.  Employees may be required to work up to 12 hours per day, 7 days a week.  Work and travel time must allow for
    8 hours continuous rest between each work shift.

(3)  Employees who are working 12 hours per day, 7 days a week will be provided the opportunity for 24 hours of rest after working 14 days; and 48 hours of rest after working 21 days.  Employees should take at least 24 hours off for rest after a continuous 30-day period of work and at least 24 hours every 2 weeks thereafter.
    Supervisors will monitor employees for signs of stress-related health problems and seek medical assistance as appropriate.

(4)  All days of rest must be scheduled on a non-scheduled workday; there are no exceptions. A non-scheduled workday is a day without regularly scheduled work hours. It must be a day where only overtime is scheduled.  This includes Saturdays, Sundays, or Federal Holidays. Tour of duty schedules cannot be changed to accommodate a day of rest to be taken when the employee would have otherwise been set to work regularly scheduled work hours.

g.  Machinery and Mechanized Equipment (see chapters 16 and 18).  (37-8.g)

(1)  Inspection of equipment is critical, as the notice to mobilize can be extremely short and equipment may not be up to USACE safety standards.  Whenever feasible, contract specifications must provide adequate mobilization time to allow equipment to be inspected and brought up to USACE standards.  Do not use equipment not meeting the requirements of this manual.

(2)  Trucks hauling debris on public highways must have physical barriers (that is, covers and either tail gates or chain link fencing) to preclude debris from falling from the truck.  Tailgates or chain link fencing must cover the full area at the rear of the dump body.

(a)  Trucks must be equipped with back-up alarms.

(b)  Use rollover warning devices for long-bed end dump (see para 18-8.b).

(c)  Do not add sideboards to trucks to increase their capacity unless specific
        design specifications are provided to contractors as part of the scope of work or are provided by the manufacturer.

(d)  Cut trees, to include leaners and hangers, into manageable size to allow placement in the bed of a truck.  Secure all loads so that any debris, dust-like emission, aggregate (for example, gravel), soil, or stump cannot be ejected during transport to the final reduction site. After final reduction, use tarping systems that prevents workers from being exposed to fall hazards greater than 6 feet (1.8 m).  Secure and tarp all loads leaving the reduction site.

(3)  Prior to operation, contractors must develop written SOPs for each brush chipper, shredder, and grinder.

(a)  SOPs must incorporate the manufacturer's recommendations for safe operation of the equipment as well as the use of a safety zone and fire prevention efforts.

(b)  Keep a copy of the operations and maintenance manuals for chippers, grinders, and shredders onsite.

(c)  A minimum 200 feet (61 m) safety zone is required for authorized persons during operation of chippers, shredders, and grinders unless documentation or actual practice indicates otherwise.  Place signs every 200 feet (61 m) to identify the safety zone.

(d)  Keep the public at least 300 feet (91.4 m) from all chipper operations.

(e)  Do not permit unauthorized personnel to enter the safety zone while the chipper is in operation.

(f)  Provide operators of front-end loaders, skid steers, knuckle booms, and other equipment working in debris reduction areas or feeding grinders, shredders, or chippers with protection according to chapter 18.

(g)  Whenever chipper operations are shut down for any significant length of time (for example, overnight, or when the chipper will be left unattended), clear equipment walls, crevice drums, cutter heads and hammers, and drive mechanisms of all combustible materials by blowing, washing, and wetting down.

(h)  Immediately remove any material contaminated by leakage of hydraulic fluids, oils, or fuel.  Minimize leakage through preventive maintenance.

(i)  Because piles of chipped wood are susceptible to spontaneous combustion, implement fire controls such as segregation, separation, and adequate water supply.

(4)  Limit the number of workers in proximity to loaders, trucks, and other equipment to the minimum necessary to accomplish the job.

(a)  In restricted areas or areas with reduced access or visibility, take special precautions to ensure the safety of workers on the ground.

(b)  Sequence the work to minimize equipment movement when personnel are in the work area.

(c)  Workers around operating machinery or vehicular traffic must wear high- visibility apparel according to chapter 5.  These workers include, but are not limited to, flag persons, signalpersons, spotters, survey crews, and inspectors.

(5)  Loaders, trackhoes, and other construction equipment in debris reduction areas must have functional lights in the front and back in order to work at night or during periods of reduced visibility.

(6)  Select and use aerial lifts/platforms/bucket trucks according to chapter 22.

(7)  Unless provided by the manufacturer, seat belts are not required at the operator’s station on articulating grapple trucks (that is, knuckle boom trucks).  If provided by the manufacturer, seat belts are required to be worn.

(8)  Access ladders must be a minimum of 12 inches (30.5 cm) width with 16 inches (40.6 cm) recommended.

h.  Traffic Control. (37-8.h)

(1)  Traffic control is extremely important on highways, in residential areas, and at construction sites. When traffic may pose a hazard to operations, public roads must be closed. Coordinate road closings in writing with appropriate local agencies.  Traffic controls and signage must comply with the MUTCD.

(2)  When a road cannot be closed, take the following precautions:

(a)  Place “FLAGGER”, “WORKERS”, or similar appropriate signs along the roadway, 1,000 feet (304.8 m) and 500 feet (152.4 m) before the work zone, on both sides of the work zone.

(b)  Use a sufficient number of flag persons to control traffic within the work area.

(d)  Use "STOP/SLOW" paddles, preferably mounted on a 6 feet (1.8 m) staff, for traffic control.

(e)  Flag persons must be able to communicate simultaneously with each other and with the foreman, and effectively signal and direct the affected public.

(f)  Use two-way radios whenever visual contact between flaggers is not maintained.

(g)  Flaggers must be trained according to paragraph 37-3.c prior to being placed in traffic.

(3)  Keep fugitive dust emissions to a minimum within the work boundaries, especially when people are in/near debris towers.