05.600 Environmental Health and Safety Policy

Chancellor

Effective February 5, 2010

UNC Policy Manual Chapter 300.8.3 [G]; Office of State Human Resources Workplace Requirements Manual Section 2.1; NC Employees Workplace Requirements Program

• EH&S Department
• NC Osp’s Workplace Requirements Manual
• Policy Manual Chapter 300.8.3[G]

Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S)

Policy Details:

1. Purpose

   This policy establishes roles and responsibilities regarding health, safety, and environmental policies and programs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW). It sets the expectation that all UNCW employees conduct their duties in a safe and environmentally responsible way.

2. Scope

   Applies to all university employees and operations regardless of status or type of employment.

3. Policy

   UNCW conducts teaching, research and all other operations in compliance with applicable standards, codes, regulations, and laws. Safety and environmental protection are a daily part of every person’s responsibilities.

4. Responsibilities

   1. Senior Officers

      Senior Officers have the overall responsibility for safety and health at UNCW by making environmental health and safety a priority.

   2. Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs‐ Business Services

      The Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs – Business Services (AVCBA) has supervision of EH&S and is responsible to help secure resources to support the EH&S programs throughout UNCW.

   3. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Department

      1. Implementation of this policy is delegated to the EH&S Director. The UNCW EH&S Department will strategically develop and present university‐ wide EH&S policy. The EH&S Department is responsible to develop and manage comprehensive environmental, health, and safety programs. Each of these programs may consist of written programs, training, audits and inspections where required. EH&S serves as consultants to the UNCW community in their implementation.

      2. EH&S shall identify and address regulatory requirements under the NC Department of Labor, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, NC Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, NC Department of Insurance, Wilmington Fire Department, North Carolina Radiation Protection Section, the United States Department of Transportation and other applicable federal, state, and local safety and health regulations.

      3. EH&S Director shall be the university point of contact for regulatory agencies and inspectors related to safety, as well as radiation protection and environmental issues not related to design and construction activities.

      4. EH&S shall have the authority to inspect all UNCW facilities for the presence of unsafe conditions and violations at any time. In addition, in the event that any condition presents imminent danger, EH&S shall have the authority to stop work immediately (both UNCW and contractors) at the site until the violation is resolved to EH&S’ satisfaction.

      5. EH&S shall have the ability to review and comment on purchases with regard to safety considerations.

      6. All new construction and renovations shall be reviewed by EH&S.

      7. EH&S shall have the authority to issue small scope, general maintenance, work orders, on behalf of the managing department as necessary to correct safety, health and environmental hazards (on behalf of the department).

      8. EH&S shall notify employees and line supervisors promptly of any violations and risks to health, safety or the environment. If not remedied in a reasonable period of time, they shall then notify the next highest level in the organization and address the matter through the organizational hierarchy as needed. At any point during this process, a formal conference to discuss mitigation and corrective actions can be scheduled. The division(s) where the violation occurred is ultimately responsible for the payment of fines resulting from any regulatory citation.

   4. Safety and Health Committees

      1. Safety and Health Committees will assist EH&S by reviewing policies and procedures, accident or illness trends, disaster responses and will assist in the development and review of written programs.

      2. A broad scope of committees report to the Chancellor’s Council for Safety and Security. They should report activities, findings, and recommendations no less than annually. These Committees are as follows:

         1. Radiation Safety Committee

         2. Laboratory Safety Committee

         3. Diving & Water Safety Committee

         4. Workplace Safety Committee

   5. Department Chairs/Directors/Supervisors

      Department chairs, directors, and supervisors shall enforce EH&S policies and procedures at the departmental level, review departmental policies, practices and procedures, establish budgetary allowances and shall make safety, personal protective equipment, and training available to employees as required. They shall make working safely a priority in their organization and expect that of each of their employees. In addition, they should report and/or correct unsafe conditions as soon as possible, investigate, with EH&S, accidents in their departments and maintain proper recordkeeping.

   6. Employees

      1. Each employee shall conduct his/her duties in a safe manner making safety an equal priority to production and quality. Each employee shall comply with all health and safety policies and procedures as well as wearing appropriate safety and personal protective equipment.

         Each employee is responsible for reporting unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, potential hazards, accidents, and risks of any kind to the immediate supervisor or to EH&S as soon as he/she is aware that they exist.

      2. Every employee, staff member, or student has the right to report, without retribution or retaliation, a safety concern related to university operations. Individuals can report to their supervisor, EH&S staff member, UNCW’s Internal Audit Office or to the appropriate regulatory agency. Employees are encouraged to follow the chain of command.