Policy 3-300: University Health and Safety Policy

1. Purpose and Scope
   1. The University encourages and supports all programs which promote safety, good health, and well-being of University faculty, staff, students, participants in University sponsored programs, and visitors. This policy endorses efforts which ensure the quality of occupational and community environments while participating in University sponsored and work related activities.
   2. The scope of this policy applies to University of Utah premises owned, operated and leased and all persons on the premises. All staff and volunteers of the University have individual responsibilities to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and for that of others who might be affected by their acts of omissions. They must cooperate with those persons who are responsible for health and safety to enable them to carry out their duties. 
2. Definitions
   
   1. (Reserved)
3. Policy
   1. It is the policy of the University of Utah to promote good health, well-being, and occupational safety for its faculty, employees, students, and visitors, whether on campus or elsewhere engaged in the work of the University. This policy endorses programs which:
      1. Provide safe and healthful conditions and reduce injuries and illnesses to the lowest possible level. No task is so important and no service so urgent that it cannot be done safely.
      2. Ensure compliance with both the spirit and intent of national, state, and local regulations providing for environmental and occupational health and safety.
      3. Provide information, training, and safeguards to faculty, staff, and students regarding health and safety hazards, and to the surrounding community regarding environmental hazards arising from operations and events at the University.
      4. Install and maintain facilities and equipment in accordance with recognized and accepted standards essential to reduce or prevent exposure to hazards by faculty, staff, students, and visitors.
      5. Provide appropriate personal protective equipment to all employees at University expense when engineering controls are not adequate to minimize exposure.
      6. Provide medical services as required by law and as may be dictated by existing circumstances or programs.
   2. The following is a non-inclusive list identifying responsibility and accountability for environmental health and safety issues:
      1. The University President has ultimate responsibility for establishing and maintaining environmental health and safety programs and establishing a system for assessing safety performance for the University.
      2. University Administration. All vice-presidents, deans and department heads are responsible to:
         1. Ensure that facilities and equipment provided meet requirements for a safe work environment and activities being conducted or modified are in compliance with applicable rules, regulations and standards.
         2. Ensure individuals under their management have the authority and support to implement health and safety policies, practices and programs.
         3. Ensure areas under their management are in compliance with University, local, state and national environmental health and safety policies, practices and programs.
         4. Establish priorities and committing resources for correction of safety deficiencies.
         5. Establish procedures for dissemination of policies and other safety-related information.
         6. Establish procedures for implementation of policies.
         7. Establish a system for assessing safety performance.
         8. Immediately notify the University of Utah's Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) department when they become aware of a violation of any University, local, state or national environmental health or occupational safety rule or regulation. This includes any contact with the local, state, and federal regulatory agencies.
      3. The Campus Health and Safety Committee is responsible to:
         1. Formulate, review, and/or recommend the adoption of environmental health and safety policies.
         2. Advise Administration through the Vice President for Administrative Services on the status of these University programs and achievement of goals established on an annual basis. 
         3. Provide appropriate staff and faculty expertise for development of tools to assess safety performance and risk management. 
      4. Safety related (sub) committees may be established by individual organizational units and/or by the Campus Health and Safety Committees as required to achieve the objectives of this policy.
      5. The University's Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Department is responsible to:
      1. Provide staff support to safety committees.
      2. Assist in the formulation of health and safety policies.
      3. Provide health and safety related technical services.
      4. Monitor the effectiveness of health and safety programs.
      5. Investigate identified health and safety hazards.
      6. Recommend actions to correct health or safety deficiencies.
      7. Operate hazardous waste disposal services.
      8. Develop and manage the University Biosafety program. 
      9. Develop and assist in implementation of safety programs.
      10. Identify and prioritize training required to comply with all applicable Occupational Safety and Health Act standards and provide a general definition of who should receive the training.
      11. Provide training materials, assistance, and programs in safe and healthful work practices.
      12. Consult with employees and supervisors about health and safety with the exception of any radioactive materials.
      13. Review legislation, recommend policies, and monitor compliance with environmental, health and safety statutes and regulations and University health and safety policies and programs.
      14. Provide guidance and technical assistance to supervisors and managers in schools, departments, and other work units in identifying, evaluating, and correcting health and safety hazards.
      15. Act as the University's official representative with Utah Occupational Safety and Health, Environmental Protection Agency, Department Of Transportation and other regulatory agencies on those issues which are associated with environmental health and occupational safety. 
      6. The Office of Radiation Safety is responsible for:
         1. All radioactive materials.
         2. All issues, licenses, and registrations relative to University use of ionizing radiations.
         3. Development of radiation control policies, procedures, and records.
         4. Staff support for the Radiation Safety Committee, Nuclear Reactor Safety Committee, and the Radioactive Drug Research Committee.
         5. Radiation producing devices (medical, analytical, therapeutic).
         6. Radiation dosimetry, monitoring and analyses.
         7. Employee and student radioisotope training.
         8. Interactions with Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, the Department Of Transportation, and State agencies that regulate radiation safety for research, education, and medical users.
         9. Radioactive waste management.
      7. The Hospital Occupational Health Program has the responsibility to provide training and immunizations as outlined by health and safety guidelines and to track occupational injuries for University Hospital and Clinics personnel.
      8. The Human Resources' Absence Management (Employee Health/Work Wellness Center for Hospitals & Clinics staff) is responsible to:
         1. Coordinate the delivery of high quality, timely, cost effective medical treatment and other health services as needed for an injured University of Utah employee.
         2. File first report of injury claims.
         3. Maintain incident and injury trend data for use by Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety, safety committees and departments.
         4. Disseminate reporting Procedures to departments.
         5. Encourage cost reduction activities such as case management, preferred medical providers, and early return to work programs such as light duty assignments.
      9. Risk and Insurance Services is responsible to:
         1. Coordinate and follow up on non-occupational incident/accident forms. 
         2. Recommend corrections to known hazardous conditions.
         3. Provide staff support to safety committees. 
         4. Investigate, coordinate, report, manage and maintain records of non-occupational liability, and property insurance claims. 
         5. Provide risk management information, education, and services to University departments. 
         6. Integrate compliance with insurance provisions.
         7. Maintain insurance and other risk financing programs.
         8. Review University contracts and making recommendations to protect the University's interests.
      10. The University of Utah Public Safety has primary responsibility to:
          1. Provide traffic enforcement and education.
          2. Police services.
          3. Security services.
          4. Oversee emergency management education, and preparedness.
      11. The University Fire Marshal is responsible to:
          1.  Provide fire prevention and consultation services.
          2.  Provide fire extinguisher training to University personnel.
          3. Represent the University and any of its departments or organizations in interactions with off-campus fire prevention/protection/fighting agencies.
          4. Serve as the designee for the State Fire Marshal as assigned and appropriate.
      12. Supervisors, Faculty, principal investigators, first line supervisors, and all other persons in authority are responsible to:
          1. Provide safe and healthy environments for those areas and personnel for whom they have supervisory or administrative responsibility, incorporate health and safety issues as an integral part of all activities at the University.
          2. Be continuously cognizant of the health and safety needs of all co-workers and employees for whom they are responsible.
          3. Initiate and enforce necessary preventive measures to control hazards.
          4. Ensure necessary support such as personal protective equipment, occupational medical examinations, local exhaust ventilation, etc. are in place.
          5. Ensure employees are trained prior to beginning new tasks.
          6. Report injuries and illnesses to Human Resources' Absence Management (Employee Health/Work Wellness Center for Hospitals & Clinics staff). 
          7. Review accident and injury reports for their area(s).
          8. Serve as a focal point for health and safety concerns.
          9. Immediately notify Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety when they become aware of a violation of any University, local, state, of federal environmental health or occupational safety rule or regulations.
          10. Immediately notify Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety if contacted by local, state or federal occupational or environmental regulatory agencies.
      13. The Global Risk Manager is responsible to: 
          1. Assist in the development of policies, procedures, and best practices relating to faculty, staff and student international travel.
   3. 14. All University of Utah faculty, staff, and students are responsible to:
      1. Participate in mandated training programs provided by Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety, supervisors and other instructors.
      2. Strictly adhere to federal, state and university safety requirements and guidelines.
      3. Perform activities as trained.
      4. Properly use university supplied materials and equipment.
      5. Use good judgement in carrying out work assignments and following established procedures.
      6. Promptly report unsafe conditions, environmental health hazards as well as injuries and illnesses to the cognizant supervisor or program director. Give due consideration to personal safety and the safety of others while performing assigned tasks.
         1. Disregarding or neglecting established policies and procedures can result in disciplinary action under appropriate procedures for faculty, staff, or other category of employees.
4. Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms and other related resources
   
   1. Rules
      Rule 3-300A: Tobacco Free Campus , Effective July 1, 2018.
5. Reference
   1. Tobacco Free Campus Guidelines , In effect until June 30, 2018.
   2. Policy 5-111: Corrective Action and Termination Policy for Staff Employees
6. Contacts
   
   1. Policy Owner (primary contact person for questions and advice): Managing Director for Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety.
   2. Policy Officer: Vice President for Administrative Services

These officials are designated by the University President or delegee, with assistance of the Institutional Policy Committee, to have the following roles and authority, as provided in University Rule 1-001:

"A 'Policy Officer' will be assigned by the President for each University Policy, and will typically be someone at the executive level of the University (i.e., the President and his/her Cabinet Officers). The assigned Policy Officer is authorized to allow exceptions to the Policy in appropriate cases..."

"The Policy Officer will identify an 'Owner' for each Policy. The Policy Owner is an expert on the Policy topic who may respond to questions about, and provide interpretation of the Policy; and will typically be someone reporting to an executive level position (as defined above), but may be any other person to whom the President or a Vice President has delegated such authority for a specified area of University Operations. The Owner has primary responsibility of maintaining the relevant portions of the Regulations Library ... [and] bears the responsibility for determining – requirements of particular Policies... ." University Rule 1-001-III-B & E

 VII. History

Current version – Revision #3

Date Approved: August 8, 2017

Earlier version – Revision #2

Date Approved: August 29, 2016

Approved by: Academic Senate Executive Committee, August 15, 2016; Full Senate, August 29, 2016.

Revision #1

Approved July 10, 1995.

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