Safety CornerThe following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS Each year at this time, questions arise concerning the use of space heaters at NIH owned facilities. The guidelines that follow below do not pertain to NIH leased facilities. Please be aware that if you work in a leased facility, there may be more stringent requirements from the building owner and/or local fire-safety "Authority Having Jurisdiction." Please check with your Office of Research Facilities (ORF) Facility Manager (http://orf2.od.nih.gov/AboutORF/BuildingsandFacilityManagers.asp) before purchasing or using a space heater in any NIH leased facility. Before a space heater can be considered for an NIH owned facility, any difficulties in regulating or maintaining a comfortable temperature must first be directed to ORF to have a building engineer attempt to make mechanical adjustments to the heating system. If it is determined by ORF that an area cannot be adequately heated, written approval will be provided by the ORF Facility Manager assigned to the building to support the purchase and use of a space heater in designated areas only. Space heaters are not permitted, under any circumstances, in laboratories, patient care units, or clinics. Prior to installing any space heater, ORF must also verify that the electrical service to the area is adequate to safely accommodate the heater. Space heaters can easily overload electrical circuits in a building, therefore, additional circuits may need to be installed. If electrical work is required, the occupant's IC should initiate a work request. If ORF has available funds and it is clear the building is not capable of providing reasonable levels of heat (70 degrees) in that particular room, ORF will fund the electrical work. The Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services, does not endorse any particular brand or manufacturer of space heaters; however, a convection-type heater is preferable. Convection models slowly warm the air around them and pose less of a burn hazard since their surface temperatures are generally lower. Prior to purchasing the heater, be sure that the unit has been tested by an approved testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and is equipped with ALL of the following features to minimize fire hazards typically associated with these devices: - A multi-directional tip-over switch - space heaters can easily tip over. This switch automatically turns off the unit regardless of which way it may fall.
- An overheat sensor - this sensor limits the heat output of the space heater and automatically turns off the unit if it becomes too hot.
- A visible on/off indicating switch and light.
Proper placement of the space heater is important for safety as well as for comfort. Make sure the unit is placed on a hard, non-combustible surface instead of carpet. All combustible materials (e.g., paper, plastics, wood, etc.) must be stored at least three feet away from the heater. The power cord must not be covered by carpeting or other materials and extension cords should not be used. Electrical current used for space heaters can cause extension cords to overheat and potentially cause a fire. Plug the space heater directly into a properly grounded outlet. Never leave the heater in operation when an area is unattended or unoccupied. If you have questions concerning the selection and use of space heaters, please contact the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services at 301-496-0487.
NED Release V 3.7 Boosts Emergency Preparedness at NIH
The Director of the Office of Human Resources, Christine M. Majors, recently distributed the following notice to all NIH Employees announcing the integration of the NIH Emergency Tier Designation (ETD) into the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED):
Re: New NED Feature Boosts Emergency Preparedness at NIH
The Offices of Human Resources and Research Services are excited to announce the integration of the NIH Emergency Tier Designation (ETD) into the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED). Beginning on October 14, 2014, all NIH employees will be able to find their ETD in their NED profile https://NED.nih.gov/. This new functionality within NED will facilitate Emergency Tier assignments and will provide employees and supervisors ready access to view their emergency Tier designation at any time.
The NIH ETD program, implemented in December 2012, uses a three-tiered system and is based on the functions performed by the employee to support the NIH mission and the employee's participation in the NIH Telework Program. The Tiers are as follows:
Tier I - Emergency Employees
Tier II - Non-Emergency/Teleworkers
Tier III - Non-Emergency/Non-Teleworkers
FINDING YOUR EMERGENCY TIER DESIGNATION:
As of October 14th, employees can view their ETD in their NED profile by accessing NED via https://NED.nih.gov/, NED displays the 'search' page. Once the employee enters their last name and first name in the search information and clicks the 'find' button, NED will display the information about the FTE, including their assigned ETD.
Please take this opportunity to review your phone number and building location information so that you will receive the appropriate notifications for emergencies that may impact your work location.
NEW EMPLOYEES AND POSITION CHANGES:
To account for new employees or employees who have recently changed positions and may have not yet been formally notified of their Tier, NED will automatically populate their ETD field with a "Tier III-Default-Non Emergency/Non-Teleworker" designation.
If an emergency should occur prior to the employee being formally designated and notified, the employee should respond to emergency communications as a Tier III-Non-Emergency/Non-Teleworker unless otherwise instructed by their supervisor.
EMERGENCY TIER DESIGNATION COORDINATORS: The Executive Officers of each IC have identified ETD Coordinators who will serve as points of contact to effectively implement the ETD program within their IC.
WHERE TO FIND HELP: Should you have questions about your ETD or how to find it, please contact your ETD coordinator. An ETD Coordinators listing along with other ETD resources can be found in the Emergency Preparedness and Continuity of Operations section of the Administrative Hub via http://adminhub.nih.gov.
Christine M. Major, IPMA-CP Director, Office of Human Resources
National Institutes of Health
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