B599--Confined Space Assessment Chillicothe VA Medical Center 36C25025Q0695

This Sources Sought/Market Survey Notice is being conducted by Chillicothe VA Medical Center, 17273 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH 45601 to identify all sources that are capable of providing Confined Space Assessment Services for the period of September 30, 2025 September 29, 2026, at the discretion of the Government in strict accordance with all schedules, specifications, terms, conditions and provisions of any resulting contract. SCOPE OF WORK: The Engineering Department at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center Engineering is requesting a Confined Space Assessment in accordance with ANSI Z117.1 Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces along with 29 CFR 1910.146, OSHA's Permit required Confined Space Standard, to determine which spaces should be designated as Permit Required Confined Spaces. As a part of this process, the contractor will take into consideration any VA safety requirements, contractor protocols, etc. Note that as a part of this facet of the project, it will be necessary to have a VA representative available to assist with access to restricted areas and provide details regarding potential contents of spaces that might not be able to determine remotely (i.e. inter-related duct connections, mechanical components, etc.) Contractor shall perform an on-site review, identify, assess, evaluate, and document all known, recently identified, and previously unidentified confined spaces. Provide Qualified Safety Professional(s) to conduct an on-site evaluation to further understand current and potential confined spaces. Each confined space will need to be surveyed, hazards identified and assessed. Contractor shall collaborate with CHILLICOTHE VAMC staff to evaluate the number of confined spaces and hazards within each area, such as engulfment or atmospheric hazards. Contractor shall evaluate the compliance and behavioral application of any existing confined space entry procedures, identify gaps, and provide an action plan for improvement. Review findings and compare those to the spaces currently identified as Permit-Required within the facilities Determine level and means of confined space identification (i.e. signage, workplace warnings, etc.) and cite where improvements may be needed. Provide the VA with an Executive Summary Report (ESR) that details information gathered, proposed program enhancements, action items, etc. Currently we are estimating a minimum of 200 spaces will be evaluated as a part of this project. The A to E rating shall be determined as follows: Confined Space Program Report Contractor shall develop and deliver both a draft report and final report. The draft document shall be submitted electronically while the final is both electronic version and a printed copy. The site plan should label all confined spaces sequentially according to a confined space number. The report shall be divided into sections for each confined space. For the draft report, Contractor shall develop and deliver one (1) PDF formatted report to the COR and one (1) Blank Template to be utilized to add additional confined spaces as they are discovered in the future. The report will be formatted as follows: The binders shall have a title inserted on the outer jacket and spine indicating at a minimum the following: 2025 Confined Space Program . Table of Contents. Tab 1 Name of Contractor, points of contact, credentials of Qualified Safety Professional(s). Tab 2 - Copy of SOP 20. Tab 3 - Definitions and explanations of key terms. Tab 4 List of confined spaces on the Chillicothe campus. Tab 5 Site plan showing the locations of all confined spaces on the Chillicothe campus. Tab 6 Detailed information of each confined space. The details shall indicate the confined space number label (corresponding to the site plan), the location, a description of the space, the approximate dimensions of the space, how the space is accessed, the hazards associated with the confined space, the entry classification, and the procedures to follow before, during, and after entry. Tab 7 Entry permit template(s), submission, and approval procedures for confined space entry. Tab 8 Procedures to follow for the various permit entry requirements. Tab 9 Emergency rescue procedures. Tab 10 - Images of acceptable (and unacceptable) PPE and equipment for confined space entry. Contractor shall prepare confined space entry procedures (Program Policy), to include recommendations for proper labeling of each confined space in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.146 to help the CHILLICOTHE VAMC employees safely navigate and perform required work within the discovered confined spaces. Contractor shall compile new entry procedures into a standardized format, consistent with CHILLICOTHE VAMC formatting and maintain any applicable and existing identification systems (procedure numbers, space IDs, etc.). Contractor shall collaborate as needed with VA fire department for emergency procedures. Contractor shall include visual documentation, photographs, hazard test results, site plan and excel database with location information for all identified spaces. The final report, the Contractor shall develop and deliver three (3) hard copy binders, one PDF formatted report, and native files in the format of MS Word, MS Excel, AutoCAD, etc. to the COR. The final report will be formatted in the same format as the draft report. Final report is due thirteen (13) calendar days after receipt of the POC s technical comments. Option years require updated reports and have the title updated according to the calendar year of the assessment. Signage Contractor shall develop and install warning signs and/or appropriate placarding at the entrance to all designated confined spaces. Signs are designed to notify individuals who might not otherwise recognize a confined space as permit required and enter them inadvertently. The signage shall be OSHA- compliant and indicate the confined space number label (corresponding to the site plan), the hazards associated with the confined space, the entry classification, permit required/non-permit required, and the procedures to follow before, during, and after entry. Contractor shall deliver PDF and native files for the signage to the POC. In option years signage shall be updated and new signage installed as necessary to correct minor issues and add signage for new confined spaces. Training Contractor shall deliver Confined Space Training for appropriate Chillicothe VAMC employees regarding the existence and location of each confined space and the hazards confined spaces pose. The training will consist of one (1) onsite presentation for effected CHILLICOTHE VAMC employees as formal training. Training shall conform to the requirements of OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1207. A qualified instructor(s) with a minimum of 2 years of experience in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 shall visit the CHILLICOTHE VAMC campus to conduct training sessions. If this is a service your business can provide, respond to this Sources Sought by Wednesday, July 09, 2025; 3:00 P.M. Eastern time. Responses should include: (1) Business Name and Address (2) Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and E-mail Address (3) SAM UEI and NAICS code (4) Business Size SMALL or LARGE (5) Type of Business SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN OWNED, VETERAN OWNED, 8A, HUBZone, WOMEN-OWNED etc. (6) Applicable GSA/FSS Contract Number (if applies). All businesses eligible to provide this service are encouraged to reply as this information may be used to determine potential set-asides for the above noted service. E-mail responses to: Alexis Alexander, at Alexis.Alexander1@va.gov. (Note: This is NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE or an announcement of a solicitation.)

THIS IS A PRE-SOLCITATION NOTICE: The Network 10 Contracting Office, PO Box 492, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48105, is soliciting and intends to award a firm fixed price, contract for Confined Space Assessment Services at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center in Chillicothe, OH. NAICS Code 541620, size standard $19 million. This solicitation shall be conducted in accordance with FAR 13. All potential bidders MUST be registered and active in the System for Award Management site (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov. Potential bidders should register at https://www.sam.gov in order to receive notification of and/or changes to the solicitation. The solicitation will be issued electronically and will be available only via the Contract Opportunities website https://www.sam.gov. No fax or mail quote packages shall be accepted. The solicitation package will be available on the Contract Opportunities website on or about July 15, 2025. No phone, fax or email inquiries will be taken for this Pre-Solicitation Notice.

THIS IS A PRE-SOLCITATION NOTICE: The Network 10 Contracting Office, PO Box 492, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48105, is soliciting and intends to award a firm fixed price, contract for Confined Space Assessment Services at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center in Chillicothe, OH. NAICS Code 541620, size standard $19 million. This solicitation shall be conducted in accordance with FAR 13. All potential bidders MUST be registered and active in the System for Award Management site (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov. Potential bidders should register at https://www.sam.gov in order to receive notification of and/or changes to the solicitation. The solicitation will be issued electronically and will be available only via the Contract Opportunities website https://www.sam.gov. No fax or mail quote packages shall be accepted. The solicitation package will be available on the Contract Opportunities website on or about July 15, 2025. No phone, fax or email inquiries will be taken for this Pre-Solicitation Notice.

Questions and Answers for RFQ 36C25025Q0695 Question: Please verify that invoices shall be submitted monthly. Answer: Yes, monthly in arrears. Question: On page 5, what is SOP 20? And please confirm that the SOP will be provided to the selected contractor. Answer: SOP 20 is our confined space entry standard operating procedures. A copy is attached. Question: On page 5, credentials for qualified safety professional(s) are listed as a requirement. What qualifications are required for the professionals (i.e., lead inspector being a Certified Safety Professional, reviewed by Certified Industrial Hygienist)? Answer: A person who is qualified to teach proper confined space entry procedures, whether that be OSHA certification or some other form of training that allows the individual to teach others. Question: On page 5, can you clarify what the The A to E ratings are? Answer: We really want permit required and not permit required. The A to E is a mixture between NIOSH classifications and OSHA. Where some permit required spaces have more stringent requirements. Question: On page 6, it s stated that the contractor will compile new entry procedures into a standardized formation consistent with the VAMC formatting. Please confirm that example VAMC documents to verify formatting will be provided to the winning contractor. Answer: A copy of SOP 20 is attached, basically a binder of all the information and procedures. We will get the documentation and fine tune the binder to our standards i.e. cover sheet, table of contents, definitions, policies, etc. Question: For the development of confined space signage with unique information for each sign, are paper documents in a protective cover with the required information acceptable for indoor locations? For outdoor locations such as manholes, what is the VAMC s preferred method to display the all the requested information? Answer: It would have to be hard lamination (rigid material) for the manholes they will be defined in the SOP and in the binder. We don t expect to label manholes due to environmental conditions. Question: Please confirm that the installation of the signage can be completed after the assessment is completed and report finalized. This would allow the number of confined spaces and detailed information for each space to be final before creating installing the signs. Answer: After completion of all documentation and finalization of the assessment the signs can be installed. Question: What is the timeframe for when the signs need to be installed after the report has been finalized? Answer: As soon as possible, no later than 90 days. Question: What is the timeframe to complete the onsite training to staff after the report has been finalized? Answer: After the finalization of everything including the installation of signage. No later than 30 days after installation of signage. Question: On page 7, is it acceptable to submit the training certificates via email to the participants after allowing the instructor to generate a PDF of each certificate? The complied training certificates and attendance roster will also be emailed to the COR. Answer: Yes. Question: On page 25, how much notice to take equipment out of service is typically required? Answer: Depending on what is being taken out of service. Mostly a few days to a week is required with most equipment. Question: Please confirm that currently identified confined space information and/or documents for the confined spaces listed in appendix A will be provided to the selected contractor. Answer: A list of all spaces and an escort will be provided Question: The SOW mentions option years, however, there is only 1 line item for a base year. Are option years a part of the solicitation? Answer: This service is only for a one-year period. Question: How many students (affected employees) does the VA anticipate will require the one-time training? Answer: Preferably train the 3 or 4 supervisors and/or make a video and that will be used to train the remaining employees. Question: Will the affected employees be entering confined spaces as part of their duties? Answer: Yes, when necessary. Question: If entry is anticipated, what level of training does the VA expect or require? Answer: We want staff to know what procedures they need to take when entering a confined space, permits, air quality monitoring, equipment they may require, as well as if there is anything they can do make a permit required space a non-permit requirement. Question: Can you please confirm whether travel is considered an allowable cost under this solicitation? Answer: Yes. Question: A Safety Professional is not included in the Wage Determination Sheet provided could the VA please clarify what the minimum acceptable wage rate or classification should be for this role? Answer: Please refer to pg1. Section 20 of 36C25025Q0695 for the classification. Question: Could you please confirm whether this is a new contract or a recompete of an existing contract? If it is not a new contract, would you be able to provide the current or previous contract number for reference? Answer: This is a new requirement.