B-157389, OCT. 29, 1965, 45 COMP. GEN. 215

B-157389, OCT. 29, 1965, 45 COMP. GEN. 215

APPROPRIATIONS - AVAILABILITY - GLASSES SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES FOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY EMPLOYEES WORKING WITH STEREOPLOTTING INSTRUMENTS USED IN MAP MAKING WHICH GLASSES ARE SHOWN TO MATERIALLY INCREASE WORK OUTPUT AND VISION CAPABILITIES OF THE EMPLOYEES AND ARE OF NO PERSONAL USE TO THE EMPLOYEES OUTSIDE WORKING HOURS MEET THE TWO CRITERIA FOR THE USE OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS FOR PURCHASES OF PERSONAL EQUIPMENT ON THE BASIS THAT THE GLASSES ARE NECESSARY TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE APPROPRIATION IS MADE AND THAT THEY ARE NOT EQUIPMENT THE EMPLOYEE COULD REASONABLY BE REQUIRED TO FURNISH AS PART OF THE PERSONAL EQUIPMENT TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THE POSITION, AND, THEREFORE, BOTH THE COST OF THE SPECIAL CLINICAL EYE EXAMINATIONS FOR THE SPECIAL GLASSES AND THE PRESCRIPTION FILTER GLASSES MAY BE PAID FROM APPROPRIATIONS FOR SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS AND RESEARCH OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, OCTOBER 29, 1965:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO LETTER DATED AUGUST 3, 1965, FROM ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR D. OTIS BEASLEY AS SUPPLEMENTED BY LETTER OF OCTOBER 1, 1965, FROM THE DIRECTOR, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, REQUESTING OUR DECISION AS TO WHETHER THE DEPARTMENT'S APPROPRIATIONS MAY BE USED TO PAY FOR THE COST OF CLINICAL EYE EXAMINATIONS AND SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WORKING WITH STEREOPLOTTING INSTRUMENTS.

IT IS STATED IN THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY'S LETTER THAT IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE PRECISION STEREOSCOPIC MAP PLOTTING INSTRUMENTS IN GENERAL USE BY THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, THE EMPLOYEES OPERATING THE INSTRUMENTS MUST WEAR SPECIAL FILTER SPECTACLES WHICH HAVE A RED LENS AND A BLUE LENS. EACH OPERATOR NEEDS TWO PAIRS OF SUCH FILTER SPECTACLES BECAUSE OF THE NECESSITY IN CERTAIN PHASES OF STEREOSCOPIC PLOTTING TO PERIODICALLY ALTERNATE THE POSITION OF THE RED AND BLUE FILTERS WITH RESPECT TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT EYES. AT THE PRESENT TIME, IF AN EMPLOYEE NORMALLY WEARS CONVENTIONAL SPECTACLES, THE FILTER SPECTACLES ARE WORN OVER THE CONVENTIONAL SPECTACLES.

THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY ADVISES THAT AS A PART OF A CONTINUING EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE UTILIZATION OF MANPOWER, THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAS RECENTLY CONDUCTED A STUDY OF VISUAL FACTORS IN THE OPERATION OF STEREOSCOPIC MAP PLOTTING INSTRUMENTS. THE STUDY AND ITS FINDINGS ARE DESCRIBED IN A PAPER TITLED "THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RESEARCH ON VISUAL FACTORS IN STEREOPLOTTING" AND FULL DOCUMENTATION OF THE STUDY IS GIVEN IN RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT NO. 14-08-0001-7578 TITLED ,STUDY OF EYE FATIGUE IN THE USE OF STEREOSCOPIC PLOTTERS," A COPY OF WHICH WAS ENCLOSED WITH THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY'S LETTER.

IT IS STATED THAT AN IMPORTANT FINDING OF THE AFOREMENTIONED STUDY IS THAT THE WORK OUTPUT OF EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN STEREOSCOPIC PLOTTING OPERATIONS IS MATERIALLY INCREASED WHEN THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH COLOR FILTER SPECTACLES GROUND TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S PRESCRIPTION. ALSO, THE STUDY SHOWED THAT IF THESE HIGHLY TRAINED EMPLOYEES ARE PROVIDED WITH SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES, THEY WILL, IN MOST CASES, RETAIN THE REQUIRED VISUAL SKILLS FOR PERFORMING STEREOPLOTTING DUTIES UNTIL NORMAL RETIREMENT AGE, RATHER THAN REQUIRING TRANSFER AND RETRAINING INTO OTHER WORK UPON LOSING SUCH VISUAL SKILLS SHORT OF RETIREMENT. AS A RESULT OF THIS EXTENSION OF TENURE, FEWER REPLACEMENTS WOULD BE NEEDED AND TRAINING COSTS WOULD BE REDUCED OVER THE LONG TERM. THEREFORE, THE STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT BY PROVIDING EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN STEREOSCOPIC PLOTTING OPERATIONS WITH SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES THEIR VISION CAPABILITIES CAN BE IMPROVED, AND PROLONGED, THEREBY ACHIEVING BETTER MANPOWER UTILIZATION AND EFFECTING COST SAVINGS IN THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY'S MAP MAKING OPERATIONS.

THE RECORD SHOWS THAT THE SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES WILL BE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF FULFILLING THE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE PRECISION STEREOSCOPIC MAP PLOTTING OPERATIONS THAT THE EMPLOYEES PERFORM, AND WILL BE OF NO PERSONAL USE TO THE EMPLOYEES EXCEPT DURING WORKING HOURS. STEREOSCOPIC MAP PLOTTING WORK NECESSITATES THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF CONTINUAL VISUAL ACUITY AT A CLOSE-UP VIEWING DISTANCE OF EIGHT TO TWELVE INCHES, A UNIQUE REQUIREMENT THAT IS NOT IN ACCORD WITH THE CORRECTION PROVIDED BY NORMAL GLASSES PRESCRIBED FOR CUSTOMARY DAY-TO-DAY USES SUCH AS READING AND/OR DISTANT OBSERVATION. ALSO, SINCE THE REFRACTION FOR COLORED GLASS IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF CLEAR GLASS, AND BECAUSE THE FILTER SPECTACLES MUST BE CALIBRATED FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED CLOSE-UP VIEWING DISTANCE, AN EMPLOYEE'S PRESCRIPTION FOR ORDINARY GLASSES WOULD NOT BE APPLICABLE FOR FILTER SPECTACLES. THEREFORE, SEPARATE CLINICAL EYE EXAMINATIONS WOULD BE NECESSARY TO OBTAIN AN EMPLOYEE'S PROPER PRESCRIPTION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION-GROUND FILTER SPECTACLES.

THE GENERAL RULES WITH RESPECT TO FURNISHING SPECIAL CLOTHING OR EQUIPMENT TO GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ARE STATED IN 3 COMP. GEN. 433, IN PERTINENT PART, AS FOLLOWS:

IN THE ABSENCE OF SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR THE PURCHASE OF PERSONAL EQUIPMENT, PARTICULARLY WEARING APPAREL OR PARTS THEREOF, THE FIRST QUESTION FOR CONSIDERATION IN CONNECTION WITH A PROPOSED PURCHASE OF SUCH EQUIPMENT IS WHETHER THE OBJECT FOR WHICH THE APPROPRIATION INVOLVED WAS MADE CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AND SATISFACTORILY FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S STANDPOINT, WITHOUT SUCH EQUIPMENT. IF IT BE DETERMINED THAT USE OF THE EQUIPMENT IS NECESSARY IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PURPOSES OF THE APPROPRIATION, THE NEXT QUESTION TO BE CONSIDERED IS WHETHER THE EQUIPMENT IS SUCH AS THE EMPLOYEE REASONABLY COULD BE REQUIRED TO FURNISH AS PART OF THE PERSONAL EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO ENABLE HIM TO PERFORM THE REGULAR DUTIES OF THE POSITION TO WHICH HE WAS APPOINTED OR FOR WHICH HIS SERVICES WERE ENGAGED. UNLESS THE ANSWER TO BOTH OF THESE QUESTIONS IS IN THE NEGATIVE, PUBLIC FUNDS CANNOT BE USED FOR THE PURCHASE. DETERMINING THE FIRST OF THESE QUESTIONS THERE IS FOR CONSIDERATION WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT OR THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVES THE PRINCIPAL BENEFIT RESULTING FROM USE OF THE EQUIPMENT AND WHETHER AN EMPLOYEE REASONABLY COULD BE REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE SERVICE WITHOUT THE EQUIPMENT. CONNECTION WITH THE SECOND QUESTION THE POINTS ORDINARILY INVOLVED ARE WHETHER THE EQUIPMENT IS TO BE USED BY THE EMPLOYEE IN CONNECTION WITH HIS REGULAR DUTIES OR ONLY IN EMERGENCIES OR AT INFREQUENT INTERVALS AND WHETHER SUCH EQUIPMENT IS ASSIGNED TO AN EMPLOYEE FOR INDIVIDUAL USE OR IS INTENDED FOR AND ACTUALLY TO BE USED BY DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES.

APPLYING THE TESTS OR CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THE ABOVE-QUOTED LANGUAGE, IT IS APPARENT THAT WHEN EMPLOYEES WHO WORK WITH STEREOPLOTTING INSTRUMENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES THEIR WORK OUTPUT MATERIALLY INCREASES AND THEIR VISION CAPABILITIES ARE PROLONGED THEREBY ACHIEVING BETTER MANPOWER UTILIZATION AND EFFECTING COST SAVINGS TO THE GOVERNMENT. IN THIS REGARD THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY ADVISES THAT THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IS LISTING AN ACTIVITY TITLED "IMPLEMENTATION OF VISUAL- CARE PROGRAM," AS AN ELEMENT IN ITS STATEMENT OF MANPOWER UTILIZATION AND COST REDUCTION GOALS, PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRESIDENT'S COST- REDUCTION PROGRAM. ALSO, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES WILL BE OF NO PERSONAL USE TO THE EMPLOYEES EXCEPT DURING WORKING HOURS WHEN THEY ARE USING GOVERNMENT STEREOPLOTTING INSTRUMENTS. IT IS OUR VIEW THAT UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES ARE NOT EQUIPMENT SUCH AS AN EMPLOYEE COULD REASONABLY BE REQUIRED TO FURNISH AS PART OF THE PERSONAL EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO ENABLE HIM TO PERFORM THE REGULAR DUTIES OF THE POSITION FOR WHICH HIS SERVICES WERE ENGAGED. ACCORDINGLY, IT APPEARS THAT SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THE ABOVE-QUOTED LANGUAGE AND MAY BE PAID FOR FROM APPROPRIATIONS FOR SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH. OF COURSE, ALL SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION FILTER SPECTACLES FURNISHED EMPLOYEES BY THE GOVERNMENT REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT AND SUBJECT TO ITS CONTROL.

REGARDING THE COST OF SEPARATE CLINICAL EYE EXAMINATIONS, IT IS STATED THAT THE PRESCRIPTIONS TO WHICH THESE GLASSES WOULD BE GROUND WOULD NOT BE DIRECTLY APPLICABLE FOR NORMAL GLASSES AND WOULD NOT, IN ANY CASE, NEED BE REVEALED TO THE EMPLOYEE. IN VIEW THEREOF, THE COST OF THE SEPARATE EYE EXAMINATIONS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN AN EMPLOYEE'S PROPER PRESCRIPTION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SPECIAL PRESCRIPTION-GROUND FILTER SPECTACLES MAY ALSO BE PAID FOR FROM THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH.