Health and Safety
Date of Current Revision: March 2005
Responsible Officer: Chief of Police
- PURPOSE
This policy provides guidelines and instructions to assist university officials in their compliance with applicable provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act as well as pertinent state health and safety laws.
- AUTHORITY
The president has given the vice president for administration and finance the responsibility and the authority to ensure that safety guidelines are observed. - DEFINITIONS
Occupational Safety and Health Act:
OSHA is the federal legislation that guides and mandates specific safety policies and procedures for applicable organizations, including James Madison University.
Environmental Protection Agency:
The EPA is the federal agency that oversees management of, among other things, toxic substances and waste. - APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all university employees.
- POLICY
The university will comply strictly with EPA, OSHA, Waste Management and other safety and health related codes, laws and standards.
- PROCEDURES
Safety violations should be reported to a supervisor and the University Fire/Safety/Environmental Engineer. See "Responsibilities" for additional details. - RESPONSIBILITIES
7.1 The director of the Office of Human Resources shall ensure that probationary employees required to undergo a physical examination do so following offer of employment. Such examinations are provided at university expense.
7.2 The fire/safety/environmental engineer is responsible for the following:
- Provide the means for complying with EPA, OSHA, Waste Management, and other safety and health related codes, laws, and standards.
- Assist in the implementation of this policy and report willful noncompliance to the assistant vice president for resource management.
- Require all contractors performing work on campus to abide by this policy and OSHA regulations.
- Conduct safety inspections and submit reports to responsible university supervisors and administrative officials.
- Investigate all accidents and submit reports of findings to appropriate university officials.
- Conduct safety training for university personnel in cooperation with the director of the Office ofHuman Resources and other university officials.
- Assist university departments to develop of safety procedures for their specific needs.
- Maintaining high standards of health and safety within their department or office and require compliance with all safety regulations.
- Provide necessary protective equipment for their personnel.
- Post available information on safety regulations and procedures within assigned work area(s).
- Be familiar with and enforce all safety regulations and procedures that apply to their assigned area(s).
- Ensure that appropriate protective equipment is available and used properly by their personnel.
- Provide appropriate health and safety instructions for their personnel.
- Require all "safe operating" instructions and procedures regarding the operation of equipment, machines and vehicles to be posted and obeyed.
- Report all accidents and hazards to the director or department head and the fire/safety environmental engineer.
- Immediately report any situation that may result in injury, loss of life, or property damage to the safety engineer.
- Comply with safety instructions and procedures posted in each work area; report unsafe conditions or acts to their supervisors.
- Follow all instructions and procedures on the operation of equipment, machines, vehicles.
- Refrain from any unsafe act that might endanger self or others.
- Dress properly for specific work assignments and use protective equipment correctly.
- Report immediately to his/her supervisor all accidents and/or injuries.
The responsibilities of the Ionization Radiation Safety Committee and the College of Science and Mathematics Health Physicist are documented in a College of Science and Mathematics policy. Its application is limited to the sciences as approved by the president and distributed to only those departments handling and storing radiation materials.
7.7 Bloodborne Pathogen Regulations:
The responsibilities of those administratively accountable are documented in Policy 3109 and approved by the president. Affected departments are required to prepare and maintain Exposure Control Plans specific to their function and assigned tasks. These regulations concern communicable diseases with measurable risk of exposure to designated classes of employees.
- SANCTIONS
Sanctions will be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the offense and may include termination of employment. - EXCLUSIONS
None
- INTERPRETATION
The authority to interpret this policy rests with the president and is generally delegated to the vice president for administration and finance and the assistant vice president for resource management.
Approved:
May 2002
Linwood H. Rose, President
Index of Terms
OSHA
Safety Engineer
Safety