Emergency Response Partners must develop, maintain, and carry out a response plan for public water system emergencies, including disease outbreaks, spills, operational failures, and water system contamination. Partners must notify DWS in a timely manner of emergencies that may affect drinking water supplies.
Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response (applicable to any Party and any subcontractors and sub-grantees whose employees or other service providers deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services): Party shall establish a written workplace violence prevention and crisis response policy meeting the requirements of Act 109 (2016), 33 VSA §8201(b), for the benefit of employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party shall, in preparing its policy, consult with the guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Services Workers, as those guidelines may from time to time be amended. Party, through its violence protection and crisis response committee, shall evaluate the efficacy of its policy, and update the policy as appropriate, at least annually. The policy and any written evaluations thereof shall be provided to employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party will ensure that any subcontractor and sub-grantee who hires employees (or contracts with service providers) who deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services, complies with all requirements of this Section.
Agency Response a. OGS will consider all information relevant to the Formal Dispute, and may, in its discretion, suspend, modify, or cancel the disputed procurement/Contract action prior to issuance of a Formal Dispute decision.
b. OGS reserves the right to require the filer to meet or participate in a conference call with OGS to discuss the Formal Dispute when, in its sole judgment, circumstances so warrant.
c. OGS reserves the right to waive or extend the time requirements for decisions and final determinations on appeals herein prescribed when, in its sole judgment, circumstances so warrant.
d. OGS reserves the right to consider or reject the merits of any Formal Dispute.
Environmental, Health and Safety Matters (a) Comply in all material respects with all applicable Environmental Laws, including, without limitation, obtaining and complying with and maintaining any and all licenses, approvals, notifications, registrations or permits required by applicable Environmental Laws. For purposes of this Section 5.12(a), material noncompliance by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any tenant or subtenant, with any applicable Environmental Law shall be deemed not to constitute a breach of this covenant provided that, upon learning of any actual or suspected material noncompliance, the Company and the relevant Subsidiaries shall promptly undertake all reasonable efforts to achieve material compliance (or contest in good faith by appropriate proceedings the alleged violation or applicable Environmental Law at issue and (to the extent required by GAAP) provide on the books of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, reserves in accordance with GAAP with respect thereto), and provided further that, in any case, such noncompliance, and any other noncompliance with applicable Environmental Law, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Promptly comply in all material respects with all lawful orders and directives of all Governmental Authorities regarding applicable Environmental Laws, except to the extent that the validity thereof is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and (to the extent required by GAAP) reserves in accordance with GAAP with respect thereto have been provided on the books of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as the case may be.
(c) Defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, agents, officers and directors, from and against any claims, demands, penalties, fines, liabilities, settlements, damages, costs and expenses of whatever kind or nature, known or unknown, contingent or otherwise, arising out of, or in any way relating to the violation of, noncompliance with or liability under any Environmental Laws applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective operations or properties, or any orders, requirements or demands of Governmental Authorities related thereto, including, without limitation, attorney’s and consultant’s fees, investigation and laboratory fees, response costs, court costs and litigation expenses, except to the extent that any of the foregoing arise out of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of (or, as determined pursuant to a claim initiated by the Company, breach in bad faith of its express obligations under the applicable Loan Documents by) the party seeking indemnification therefor, in each case, as determined by a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction. This indemnity shall continue in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement.
Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Contractor understands that HHS does not tolerate any type of fraud, waste, or abuse. Violations of law, agency policies, or standards of ethical conduct will be investigated, and appropriate actions will be taken. Pursuant to Texas Government Code, Section 321.022, if the administrative head of a department or entity that is subject to audit by the state auditor has reasonable cause to believe that money received from the state by the department or entity or by a client or contractor of the department or entity may have been lost, misappropriated, or misused, or that other fraudulent or unlawful conduct has occurred in relation to the operation of the department or entity, the administrative head shall report the reason and basis for the belief to the Texas State Auditor’s Office (SAO). All employees or contractors who have reasonable cause to believe that fraud, waste, or abuse has occurred (including misconduct by any HHS employee, Grantee officer, agent, employee, or subcontractor that would constitute fraud, waste, or abuse) are required to immediately report the questioned activity to the Health and Human Services Commission's Office of Inspector General. Contractor agrees to comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and System Agency policies regarding fraud, waste, and abuse including, but not limited to, HHS Circular C-027. A report to the SAO must be made through one of the following avenues: ● SAO Toll Free Hotline: 1-800-TX-AUDIT ● SAO website: xxxx://xxx.xxxxx.xxxxx.xx.xx/ All reports made to the OIG must be made through one of the following avenues: ● OIG Toll Free Hotline 0-000-000-0000 ● OIG Website: XxxxxxXxxxxXxxxx.xxx ● Internal Affairs Email: XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xx.xx ● OIG Hotline Email: XXXXxxxxXxxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xx.xx. ● OIG Mailing Address: Office of Inspector General Attn: Fraud Hotline MC 1300 P.O. Box 85200 Austin, Texas 78708-5200
ARTICLE HEALTH AND SAFETY The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the Home, in order to prevent injury and illness and abide by the Occupational Health and Safety Act as amended from time to time. Scheduled time spent in such meetings is to be considered time worked for which shall be paid by the Employer at his or her regular or overtime rate. Minutes shall be taken of all meetings and copies shall be sent to the Committee members. Minutes of the meetings shall be posted on the workplace health safety bulletin board. The Employer shall provide the time from work with pay and all related tuition costs and expenses necessary to certify the worker representative. Where an inspector makes an inspection of a workplace under the powers conferred upon or her under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the employer shall afford a certified committee member representing workers the opportunity to accompany the inspector during his or her physical inspection of a workplace, or any part or parts thereof. Where a worker certified member is not on-site and available, the Employer shall afford a worker health and safety representative if any, or a worker selected by a Union, because of knowledge, experience and training, to represent it, the opportunity to accompany the inspector during his or her physical inspection of a workplace, or any part or parts thereof. Two (2) representatives of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, one (I) from management and one (1) from the employees, shall make monthly inspections of the work place and shall report to the health and safety committee the results of their inspection. The members of the Committee who represent the workers shall designate a member representing workers to inspect the workplace. Where possible that member shall be a certified member. The employer shall provide the member with such information and assistance as the member may require for the purpose of carrying out an inspection of the workplace. In the event of accident or injury, such representatives shall be notified immediately and shall investigate and report as soon as possible to the committee and to the Employer on the nature and causes of the accident or injury. Furthermore, such representatives must be notified of the inspection of a government inspector and shall have the right to accompany him on his inspections. Scheduled time spent in all such activities shall be considered as time worked. The Joint Health and Safety Committee and the representatives thereof shall have access to the annual summary of data from the relating to the number of work accident fatalities, the number of lost workday cases, the number of lost workdays, the number of non-fatal cases that required medical aid without lost workdays, the incidence of occupational injuries, and such other data as the may decide to disclose. It is and agreed that no information will be provided to the Committee which is confidential. This information shall be a standing item recorded in the minutes of each meeting. The Union will use its best efforts to obtain the full co-operation of its membership in the compliance of all safety rules and practices. The Employer will use its best efforts to make all affected direct care employees aware of residents who have serious infectious diseases. The nature of the disease need not be disclosed. Employees will be made aware of special procedures required of them to deal with these circumstances. The parties agree that all employees are aware of the requirement to practice universal precautions in all circumstances. The parties further agree that suitable subjects for discussion at the joint Labour Management Committee will include aggressive residents. The Employer will review with the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee written policies to 'address the management of violent behaviour. Such policies will include but not be limited to:
Rectification of Safety Hazard Where, because of the existence of a safety hazard, a site has been stopped for a defined period of time and Employees sent off site by agreement between Site Managers and any combination of Union Official/s, Health and Safety Committee, those people who remain on site to do rectification work will be paid at the rate of double time for all such work.
Health & Safety (a) The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the Home, in order to prevent injury and illness and abide by the Occupational Health and Safety Act as amended from time to time.
(b) A Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) shall be constituted in accordance with the Act, which shall identify potential dangers, recommend means of improving the health and safety programs and obtaining information from the Employer or other persons respecting the identification of hazards and standards. The committee shall meet at least every three months or more frequently if the committee decides. The Employer agrees to accept as a member of its Joint Health and Safety Committee at least one (1) ONA representative selected or appointed by the Union from the Employer. Scheduled time spent in such meetings is to be considered time worked for which representative(s) shall be paid by the Employer at his or her regular or overtime rate. Minutes shall be taken of all meetings and copies shall be sent to the Committee members within two (2) weeks following the meeting, if possible. Minutes of the meetings shall be posted on the workplace health and safety bulletin board.
(c) The Employer shall provide the time from work with pay and all related tuition costs and expenses necessary to certify the worker representative. Where an inspector makes an inspection of a workplace under the powers conferred upon him or her under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Employer shall afford a committee member representing workers the opportunity to accompany the inspector during his or her physical inspection of a workplace, or any part or parts thereof. Where a committee member is not available, the Employer shall afford a worker selected by a Union, because of knowledge, experience and training, to represent it, the opportunity to accompany the inspector during his or her physical inspection of a workplace, or any part or parts thereof.
(d) Two (2) representatives of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, one
(1) from management and one (1) from the employees, shall make monthly inspections of the work place and shall report to the health and safety committee the results of their inspection. The members of the Committee who represent the workers shall designate a member representing workers to inspect the workplace. Where possible that member shall be a certified member. The Employer shall provide the member with such information and assistance as the member may require for the purpose of carrying out an inspection of the workplace. Scheduled time spent in all such activities shall be considered as time worked.
(e) The Joint Health and Safety Committee and the representatives thereof shall have access to Incident/Accident Report Form required in S.51, S.52 and S.53 of the Act and the annual summary of data from the WSIB relating to the number of work accident fatalities, the number of lost workday cases, the number of lost workdays, the number of non-fatal cases that required medical aid without lost workdays, the incidence of occupational injuries, and such other data as the WSIB may decide to disclose. It is understood and agreed that no information will be provided to the Committee which is confidential. This information shall be a standing item recorded in the minutes of each meeting.
(f) The Union will use its best efforts to obtain the full co-operation of its membership in the compliance of all safety rules and practices.
(g) The Employer will use its best efforts to make all affected direct care employees aware of residents who have serious infectious diseases. The nature of the disease need not be disclosed. Employees will be made aware of special procedures required of them to deal with these circumstances. The parties agree that all employees are aware of the requirement to practice universal precautions in all circumstances.
(h) The parties further agree that suitable subjects for discussion at the Union-Management Committee and Joint Health and Safety Committee will include aggressive residents. The Employer will review with the Joint Health and Safety Committee written policies to address the management of violent behaviour. Such policies will include but not be limited to:
i) Designing safe procedures for employees,
ii) Providing training appropriate to these policies,
iii) Reporting all incidents of workplace violence.
(i) The Employer shall:
i) Inform employees of any situation relating to their work which may endanger their health and safety, as soon as it learns of the said situation,
ii) Inform employees regarding the risks relating to their work and provide training and supervision so that employees have the skills and knowledge necessary to safely perform the work assigned to them, When faced with occupational health and safety decisions, the Home will not await full scientific or absolute certainty before taking reasonable action(s) that reduces risk and protects employees.
iii) Ensure that the applicable measures and procedures prescribed in the Occupational Health and Safety Act are carried out in the workplace.
(j) A worker shall,
i) Work in compliance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations,
ii) Use or wear the equipment, protective devices or clothing that the worker's Employer requires to be used or worn,
iii) Report to his or her Employer or supervisor the absence of or defect in any equipment or protective device of which the worker is aware and which may endanger himself, herself or another worker, and
iv) Report to his or her Employer or supervisor any contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act or the regulations or the existence of any hazard of which he or she knows.
Environment, Health, and Safety (a) To the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, except as disclosed in Disclosure Schedules 3.16(b), (d), and (e), the Acquired Companies have complied with all Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws. No action, suit, proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint, claim, demand, or notice has been filed or commenced against any of the Acquired Companies alleging any failure to so comply. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, the Acquired Companies, to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, have obtained and been in compliance with all of the terms and conditions of all permits, licenses, and other authorizations that are required under, and have complied with all other limitations, restrictions, conditions, standards, prohibitions, requirements, obligations, schedules, and timetables that are contained in, all Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws.
(b) Except as disclosed in Disclosure Schedule 3.16(b), neither the Acquired Companies nor AIDEA with respect to the Acquired Companies, to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, has any Liability arising out of events or circumstances occurring under any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws for contamination of, damage to, or polluting any site, location, property, natural resources, the air, or any body of water (surface or subsurface), or for any illness of, or personal injury to, or death of, any employee or other individual related to the foregoing.
(c) To the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, all equipment and personal property owned, leased, or used in the Operations are and have been free of hydrocarbon contamination, asbestos, PCBs, dioxins, and any other hazardous, toxic, radioactive, or dangerous substances, except for the liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas the Acquired Companies produce, store, and handle, and except for the fuel, lubricants, refrigerants, and solvents that are used in the ordinary course of business in conducting the Operations. The liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas of the Acquired Companies, and the fuel, lubricants, refrigerants, and solvents used in its Operations, have all been stored, handled, transported, used, and disposed of in accordance with all Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws and consistent with all standard industry practices.
(d) Except as disclosed on Disclosure Schedule 3.16(d), all real property the Acquired Companies owns is, to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, free from contamination by any substance regulated under, or defined as or considered “hazardous” or “toxic” or “radioactive” or “contamination” or “pollution” under, any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws, including but not limited to hydrocarbons, asbestos, PCBs, and dioxins. AIDEA has provided IGU with true and complete copies of all environmental assessments, studies, and reports (1) of which AIDEA and the Acquired Companies have Knowledge and (2) that reference the real property any of the Acquired Companies owns, leases, or uses. Although neither AIDEA nor the Acquired Companies has conducted any environmental assessments regarding the leased real property used by the Acquired Companies, neither AIDEA nor the Acquired Companies has Knowledge of any environmental contamination on or under the portions of any leased or used real property where any of the Operations have been conducted.
(e) Except as disclosed on Disclosure Schedule 3.16(e), neither the Acquired Companies nor AIDEA has Knowledge of any leak, spill, release, discharge, or disposal of any substance regulated under, or defined as or considered “hazardous” or “toxic” or “radioactive” or “contamination” or “pollution” under any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws that has occurred on, in, or under the real property any of the Acquired Companies owns, leases, or uses, or has ever owned, leased, or used, in conducting the Operations, that was reportable or should have been reported to any government or governmental agency, or that was or could have been subject to clean up or remediation, under any Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws.
(f) Except as disclosed on Disclosure Schedule 3.16(f), to the Knowledge of AIDEA and the Acquired Companies, there is no underground storage tank present on any real property any of the Acquired Companies owns, leases, or uses or has owned, leased or used, in conducting the Operations.
Contractor Responsibility and Debarment The following requirements set forth in the County’s Non-Responsibility and Debarment Ordinance (Title 2, Chapter 2.202 of the County Code) are effective for this Agreement, except to the extent applicable State and/or federal laws are inconsistent with the terms of the Ordinance.
A. A responsible Contractor is a Contractor who has demonstrated the attribute of trustworthiness, as well as quality, fitness, capacity and experience to satisfactorily perform the contract. It is the County’s policy to conduct business only with responsible contractors.
B. The Contractor is hereby notified that, in accordance with Chapter 2.202 of the County Code, if the County acquires information concerning the performance of the Contractor on this or other Agreements which indicates that the Contractor is not responsible, the County may, in addition to other remedies provided in the Agreement, debar the Contractor from bidding or proposing on, or being awarded, and/or performing work on County Agreements for a specified period of time, which generally will not exceed five years but may exceed five years or be permanent if warranted by the circumstances, and terminate any or all existing Agreements the Contractor may have with the County.
C. The County may debar a Contractor if the Board of Supervisors finds, in its discretion, that the Contractor has done any of the following: (1) violated a term of an Agreement with the County or a nonprofit corporation created by the County; (2) committed an act or omission which negatively reflects on the Contractor’s quality, fitness or capacity to perform a contract with the County, any other public entity, or a nonprofit corporation created by the County, or engaged in a pattern or practice which negatively reflects on same; (3) committed an act or offense which indicates a lack of business integrity or business honesty, or (4) made or submitted a false claim against the County or any other public entity.
D. If there is evidence that the Contractor may be subject to debarment, the Department will notify the Contractor in writing of the evidence which is the basis for the proposed debarment and will advise the Contractor of the scheduled date for a debarment hearing before the Contractor Hearing Board.
E. The Contractor Hearing Board will conduct a hearing where evidence on the proposed debarment is presented. The Contractor and/or the Contractor’s representative shall be given an opportunity to submit evidence at that hearing. After the hearing, the Contractor Hearing Board shall prepare a tentative proposed decision, which shall contain a recommendation regarding whether the contractor should be debarred, and, if so, the appropriate length of time of the debarment. The Contractor and the Department shall be provided an opportunity to object to the tentative proposed decision prior to its presentation to the Board of Supervisors.
F. After consideration of any objections, or if no objections are submitted, a record of the hearing, the proposed decision and any other recommendation of the Contractor Hearing Board shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors shall have the right to modify, deny or adopt the proposed decision and recommendation of the Hearing Board.
G. If a Contractor has been debarred for a period longer than five (5) years, that Contractor may, after the debarment has been in effect for at least five (5) years, submit a written request for review of the debarment determination to reduce the period of debarment or terminate the debarment. The County may, in its discretion, reduce the period of debarment or terminate the debarment if it finds that the Contractor has adequately demonstrated one or more of the following: (1) elimination of the grounds for which the debarment was imposed; (2) a bona fide change in ownership or management; (3) material evidence discovered after debarment was imposed; or (4) any other reason that is in the best interests of the County.
H. The Contractor Hearing Board will consider a request for review of a debarment determination only where (1) the Contractor has been debarred for a period longer than five (5) years; (2) the debarment has been in effect for at least five (5) years; and (3) the request is in writing, states one or more of the grounds for reduction of the debarment period or termination of the debarment, and includes supporting documentation. Upon receiving an appropriate request, the Contractor Hearing Board will provide notice of the hearing on the request. At the hearing, the Contractor Hearing Board shall conduct a hearing where evidence on the proposed reduction of debarment period or termination of debarment is presented. This hearing shall be conducted and the request for review decided by the Contractor Hearing Board pursuant to the same procedures as for a debarment hearing.
I. The Contractor Hearing Board’s proposed decision shall contain a recommendation on the request to reduce the period of debarment or terminate the debarment. The Contractor Hearing Board shall present its proposed decision and recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors shall have the right to modify, deny, or adopt the proposed decision and recommendation of the Contractor Hearing Board.
J. These terms shall also apply to subcontractors of County Contractors.
