|Revised Ordinances of the City of Taunton

Chapter 2 - Administration|

CityTaunonOrdiance

Sec. 2-186. Safety rules and policies.

(a) Violation rate schedule. The following violations shall be subject to disciplinary action based on the rate of seriousness indicated:

Rate Violations

A, 1 Drinking or use of drugs competence leading or contributing toward an accident

A, 1, 2 or 3 Incompetence leading or contributing toward an accident.

A, 1 or 2 Insubordination contributing toward an accident.

A, 1 or 2 Misconduct contributing toward an accident.

A,1 or 2 Abuse of property, materials and/or equipment contributing toward an accident.

A,1,2,or 3 Failure to comply with health and safety regulations or policies.

A,1,2,or 3 Failure to obey rules concerning proper care and use of tools and materials, etc., which

Contribute toward an accident.

(b)Explanation of rate system. Safety violations will result in disciplinary action as indicated below based on the rate of seriousness of the violation:

(1)Al violations:

Three (3) day suspension, first violation; dismissal, second violation;

(2)A2 violations:

Written warning, first violation; three (3) day suspension, second violation; dismissal, third Violation.

(3) A3 violations:

Verbal warning, first violation; three (3) day suspension, second violation; dismissal, third Violation.

Note: a. Any verbal written warning or suspension for a violation will be taken into consideration, if there is another violation of that rule or any other policy.

b. Violations listed with more than one (1) rate will be considered by the degree of seriousness of that particular violation as to what disciplinary step will be taken for first violation.

c. Records of disciplinary action will be entered into the involved employee's personal file.

d. Warnings will be removed from an employee's personal file after a reasonable length of time. This procedure is initiated by the employee and is subject to approval of the department safety officer, employee's direct supervisor and chairman, city safety council. The lengths of time prior to the initiation of this procedure is in accordance with the seriousness of the violation. The following schedule or waiting period shall commence with the "Date of Violation." Immediate dismissal is to remain permanent part of the employee's personal file:

(1) Three (3) day suspension, one year.

(2) Written warning, nine (9) months.

(3) Verbal warning, six (6) months.

e. At no time will safety be disregarded to accelerate the completion of a job regardless of the situation.

(c) Safety notices.

(d)

(1)Compressed air used for cleaning must not exceed thirty (30) P.S.I. per federal statute, and any department that uses air compression that exceeds one hundred (100) P.S.I. will insure that they will not be used for cleaning. To accomplish this, department superintendents will provide specially designed nozzles. These nozzles must be used and used as designed without "modification." Due to the potential hazards involved, violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First offense, written warning.

Second offense, three (3) day suspension.

Third offense, dismissal.

(2) In order to provide personal protection and in order to comply with federal mandate, all city employees and all visitors to city facilities must wear protective equipment when they are in hazardous areas. Hazardous areas will be defined within each department by the department safety officer and department superintendents. Employees will not be allowed to work in these areas without suitable protection. Violations of this safety notice will be dealt with as follows:

First violation, written warning.

Second violation, three (3) day suspension.

Third violation, dismissal;

(3) Due to the flammable and toxic nature of many of the materials used by various departments within the city,"No Smoking" regulations will be rigorously enforced. Smoking will be permitted in specifically designated areas as posted. Department heads along with their safety officer will designate and post no-smoking areas within their departments. In areas where smoking is permitted, only approved receptacles such as ash trays or sand buckets will be used to dispose of matches and cigarettes. Matches or cigarettes are not to be thrown into trash receptacles.

All employees are cautioned to never empty ash trays before leaving from work. Smoking in prohibited areas and the unsafe disposal of cigarettes or matches and the unsafe emptying of ash trays are violations of this safety notice and will be treated as follows:

First offense, written warning.

Second offense, three (3) day suspension.

Third offense, dismissal.

(4) The city's garage and parking lots speed limits are to be strictly enforced. This speed limit applies to all employees whether driving personal or city vehicles. Violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First violation, written warning.

Second violation, three (3) day suspension.

Third violation, dismissal.

(d) Fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers are to be used as follows:

(1) Employees are to know where fire extinguishers are located, what types of fire they are suitable for, and how to operate them.

(2) Employees are to use correct type of extinguisher on fires as listed on extinguishers.

(3) Whenever an extinguisher is used, and, even if only partly discharged, the employee using the same is to return the extinguisher to the department safety officer.

(4) Extinguishers are to be used only for fire fighting. Other uses will result in a safety violation citation as follows:

First offense, three (3) day suspension.

Second offense, dismissal.

(e) Clothing safety. For reasons of personal hygiene and safety, the following dress regulations are required of city employees:

(1)Employees are not permitted to wear shorts or bermudas.

(2) Employees will wear proper footwear in manufacturing areas, road work, sewer/water main work, tree work, operating lawnmowers and other hazard jobs or areas, employees are not permitted to wear sandals, tennis or any open type shoe.

(3) Employees doing special jobs (cleaning city pools/fountains, etc.) may wear tennis shoes or waders.

(4) It is required that all employees regardless of working indoors or outdoors wear shirts or other suitable clothing above the waist at all times.

(5) It is required that all non-office employees wear trousers or jeans.

Violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First offense, verbal warning.

Second offense, written warning.

Third offense, three (3) day suspension.

(f) Hard hats. Employees will wear hard hats when working on:

(1) Construction jobs and around moving or stationary heavy equipment.

(2) Tree work.

(3) Installing/repairing, water/sewer, mains/lines.

(4) Operating brush chipper, stumper and chainsaw.

(5) Upon recommendation of department safety officer on any occasion not covered by any of the above. The department safety officer will be determining authority in fringe areas of this safety notice. Violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First offense, written warning.

Second offense, three (3) day suspension

Third offense, dismissal.

(g) Operation of special equipment. No employee will operate any special equipment (Brush chipper, stumper, chainsaws, jack hammers, welding equipment and heavy equipment, etc.) unless they have been specifically hired to perform this task, or they have had adequate training on said equipment to enable them to be proficient enough to insure that no accidents are likely to result when operating special equipment. Violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First offense, written warning.

Second offense, three (3) day suspension.

Third offense, dismissal.

(h) Sewer/water mains installation or repairs. Whenever any repairs are done on existing sewer/water mains or installation of new sewer/water mains, proper shoring will be used at all times as required by state law. Violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First offense, three (3) day suspension.

Second offense, dismissal.

(i) Safety signs and reflector vests/straps. Whenever any work being done by any city department, blocks, obstructs or hinders the passage of vehicles on a city thoroughfare, proper signs and horses or barriers will be placed in accordance with existing state regulations. Personnel working on these jobs will wear approved reflector vests at all times. Violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First offense, written warning.

Second offense, three (3) day suspension.

Third offense, dismissal.

(j) Sound protectors. Any employee working with equipment that produces high noise, e.g. jack hammers, chainsaws, brush chippers, etc., will, at all times, wear sound protectors while working with or around said equipment. Violations of this safety notice will be treated as follows:

First offense, verbal warning.

Second offense, written warning.

Third offense, three (3) day suspension.

(k) Reports. A report is to be made out at the time of accident by supervisor and submitted to the safety officer, for review and comment.

(l) Effect of section on state and federal rules. These policies and rules do not supersede state and federal rules.

(m) Suspended employees not to be paid for suspension period. All suspensions and dismissal proceedings must follow the procedures as set down by civil service regulations and/or city ordinances and various representing unions. (Rev. Ords. 1964, Sec. 14-14; Ord. of 11-14-78)