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Minutes of the Health & Safety Committee
Meeting of the
Free Library of Philadelphia
September 20, 2005
In Attendance: Kathy Black, Michele
Belluomini, Carol Boardman, Sondra Corry, Bill
Fleming, Valerie Hosendorf, Kevin Ivery, Joe McPeak,
Mitch Partovi, Joe Perry, T. Kim Robinson, Richard
Somers, Steve Wright, Hal Rosenberg.
The minutes of a special meeting held
on July 27, 2005 were reviewed and approved. That meeting
was held with Jim Pecora, Project Manager and Chief Technical
Officer for the Library’s expansion project, to
advise us and answer questions about the engineering
probe effort that is going on in preparation for expansion
work.
Rich Sommers updated us on that project. He said holes
that have been bored are now being covered and painted.
The Art Department was to be completed that night, then
Literature, where shelves would be pulled out for inspection.
The probe piece is almost completed. Testing of paint
removal solvents is being done on small spots. All exterior
probes have been completed, as has solvent testing for
exterior cleaning. Joe Perry said he believes the project
has been handled well and Mr. Pecora has been very cooperative.
Air curtains at the front doors of Central were recently
replaced. Two more are being added, which should help
keep the first floor central hall warm and free of drafts
this winter. Also, the heating vent on the east side
of the vestibule is working well after a $20,000 repair
job. There are no plans at this point to repair the west
side vent.
Staff Break Areas at Central – Carol Boardman
and Joe Perry met with Mr. Pecora about configuration
of break areas in the new space being constructed. Two
rooms in the balcony above the Fleisher Collection will
be available for staff, but there will be no food for
sale in the new building, and the staff break room will
remain in the old building. Staff are expected to go
to area retailers for refreshments. Exercise equipment
may be installed for staff; changing rooms, showers,
rest rooms and private elevator access will also be provided
for the staff area.
We reviewed the Committee Member List. Appropriate changes
were made to titles, etc. Any further changes required
should be submitted to Kim Robinson.
Haddington Branch – The committee reviewed the
report submitted by Jerry Roseman, Industrial Hygienist
and consultant to the Union, after he and Kathy Black
inspected this branch at the request of union members.
Substantial mold growth is evident in the community room
and in the staff kitchen area, where there is also a
wall bulging with moisture. Mike Rudman of Risk Management
also was out to inspect the branch. Joe McPeak informed
us that CPO is working on solutions for this branch,
but that the costs are considerable and funds are not
currently available. They are considering designing the
outside area to improve drainage. Estimates are being
obtained to fix about a dozen branches which all have
similar problems. Ion the meantime, door and window well
drains have been cleaned, which has helped. At the Richmond
branch the water intrusion at the top level has been
stopped. Hal Rosenberg will be happy to answer questions
about the ongoing repair projects.
Unattended Parcel Signage – Michelle Belluomini
explained that employees have concerns about backpacks,
plastic bags and other parcels that are left sitting
in the library unattended for long periods of time. This
happens with some frequency, and she requested that signage
be placed around the library to deal with this. After
some discussion about the language and the difficulties
of enforcement, it was agreed that signs reading, “Please
do not leave personal property unattended” would
be made up and placed strategically around the library.
System-wide Closures – Substantial discussion
was held on what and who triggers a system wide closing
of the Libraries. The Managing Director’s Office
usually has this authority, especially for evening and
Saturday closings. Joe McPeak sometimes makes this decision,
and Bill Fleming said that heads of branches have authority
to close their branch for safety reasons, or perhaps
a power outage, but not for weather emergencies.
The emergency closing policy and the definition of essential
personnel is still being wrangled over by the union and
the city. Joe Perry advocates for a more flexible and
generous policy for closing, including a phone tree arrangement
for advising employees.
Management is working on “perfecting the system.” We may
revisit this in later meetings.
Expulsion Policy – Committee members expressed
thanks to Joe McPeak for his help in enforcing this policy.
The Law Department shot down some elements of the policy
employees hoped it would cover, including specific behaviors
that would trigger expulsion. Joe asked that employees
submit incident reports and expulsion forms electronically,
so that he can turn them around quickly – usually
seven days. Any supervisor has the right to expel someone
for seven days. Approval for longer periods must be obtained
from the Administration. A clarification on these points
will be provided in writing soon to Library employees.
Joe McPeak said he hopes to incorporate a section on
the expulsion policy into the training cycle. Kevin I.
expressed concerns about identifying people since the
Law Department will not agree to circulating pictures
of offenders. Joe replied that he sends out a detailed
description of the person, and the violation they committed,
and in most cases this should suffice for identification.
Kim suggested that computer card access be taken from
expelled patrons. A few people of particular concern
were discussed, and specific incidents may be brought
to the committee again for discussion and recommendations.
Bomb Scare Policy – Kathy Black informed the committee
members that the Union had carefully reviewed this proposed
policy through its Labor/Management committee with Risk
Management. Drafts had been circulated to Union leadership,
input had been provided and incorporated into the policy
and the Union is relatively satisfied with it now. City
facilities are not considered likely targets for bombers,
and in fact, only one explosive device has ever been
found in a City facility despite hundreds of called-in
bomb threats over the years. Although the Managing Director
has not yet signed off on this revised policy, Risk Management
is applying it already. Committee members can check the
www.dc47afscme.org website to review the policy.
The next meeting of the Health & Safety Committee
was set for Tuesday, November 22, 2005, at 3:00 p.m.
in the Director’s Dining Room, 4th floor, Central
Library.
Submitted by,
Kathy Black
Health & Safety Director
AFSCME DC47
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