Longwood
University
Chief Administration
and Finance Officer:
Human Resources
201 High Street, Lancaster 335, Farmville, VA 23909
Phone: 434.395.2074
Fax: 434.395.2666
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Longwood
University |
Policy 5601
SAFETY RULES
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide the Longwood community with a comprehensive blueprint for effective, proactive management of health and safety issues relating to work, study or domicile on campus- in effect, a safe working environment for employees and a safe living and learning environment for students. An effective program benefits us all by helping reduce illnesses and injuries, and by preserving our environment and the limited resources entrusted to us by the Commonwealth.
II. APPLICABILITY
Longwood University is committed to the well being and safety of its students,
its staff and faculty, and to the public it serves. The responsibility for
advancing this commitment is a shared obligation. Although this blueprint
delineates specific roles for certain employees relating to the Longwood's Health and Safety Programs, health and safety is really everyone's business - students,
staff, administrators and faculty alike. Each member of the Longwood community,
at a minimum, is expected to conduct themselves with due care at all times, to
follow published Longwood health and safety guidelines
and to promptly report any
unsafe conditions to the institution's Safety Committee. Regulatory compliance is a
byproduct of a good health and safety programs, not the reason for them. The University
uses the Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry
(29 CFR PART
1910) as its primary source of employee health and safety
standards. (Although as a public agency
of the Commonwealth of Virginia it is
not strictly obliged to follow this federal standard, the Virginia Department of
Labor and Industry has adopted these standards in lieu of creating separate
state standards.)
III. DEFINITION OF THE LONGWOOD'S HEALTH AND SAFETY ORGANIZATION
Health and Safety are not exclusively the responsibility of the Safety
Officer. Health and Safety is everyone's responsibility. The Longwood
Environmental Health and Safety
Officer, however, shall be the primary Longwood contact person for inquiries
relating to the University's health and safety issues. Individuals seeking
additional
information on Longwood's Health and Safety Plan should contact one
of the members of the Health and Safety Committee listed in Section III A of
this policy.
A. The Employee Health and Safety (EHS) Committee: The EHS Committee is an informed, multidisciplinary group charged with ensuring that the Longwood community maintains readiness to effectively address health and safety issues. The EHS Committee does this through consultation and advisory services to the institution's employees, and students, and administration, relating to health and safety; through periodic meetings and physical inspections; through safety advocacy; through information and resource maintenance and dissemination relating to health and safety subjects; through safety investigations; and through recommendations to senior administration regarding health and safety policies, procedures, and training.
Person
Title/Office
Phone
Pinkey Baldwin
Locksmith, Bristow
395.2305
Charles
Lowe
Director of Public
Safety
and Chief of Police, Graham
395.2091
Larry
Robertson
Director, Residential and Commuter Life
Lancaster
395.2080
Raymond
Heinrich Hazard Communication, Stevens
Bldg. 395.2471
Carol Coulter
Employee Benefits, Lancaster
395.2074
Pamela
Higgins
Dir.,Student Health
Srvcs., Graham
395.2102
Wayne O'Brien
Dir. Student Counseling, Lancaster
395.2409
B. The Safety Officer: The Safety Officer manages the institution's day-to-day Safety Program. The Safety Officer chairs the Safety Committee; schedules and conducts fire drills; tests and inspects fire detection systems and equipment; schedules safety building inspections; reviews, evaluates and makes recommendations to ameliorate all work-related injuries, unsafe campus conditions, and complaints relating to health or safety; manages relationships with safety-related service or product vendors; and maintains a current working knowledge of necessary state and federal regulations compliance regulations.
Randall Johnson, Environmental Health and Safety Officer, 434.395.2940
C. Vice Presidents, Deans, Directors and Department Heads: Key managers also play a critical role in effective management of health and safety issues. Sometimes the best source of health and safety problem awareness and resolution is by the occupants. If ownership exists at this level, the likeliness of prompt attention is far greater than if the problem is ignored until an inspection or injury brings it to the light of day. Annual departmental budget requests can and should include provision for upgrading the safeness of the physical environment in each department. Facilities budgets cannot always anticipate these types of safety considerations. Supervisors also bear primary responsibility for establishing written departmental safety rules and safe operating procedures for equipment which could pose hazards if operated improperly, ensuring that employees in their charge are provided with the necessary training, protective equipment and properly functioning equipment to do their jobs safely.
D. All Students and Employees must take personal ownership of their own conduct and immediate living, study or working environments. This requires taking the initiative to report unsafe acts and unsafe conditions on campus. The Safety e-mail Hotline, at xSAFE, has been set up to permit anyone on campus to alert the Safety Officer of these types of matters. Employees are also responsible for wearing or using prescribed protective equipment, reporting any job-related injuries or illnesses to a supervisor, and refraining from operating equipment without authorization or without proper instruction.
IV. GENERAL INSTITUTIONAL SAFETY RULES
A. Longwood's campus wide Safety Rules are as follows:
1. Responsibility for Personal Safety: Each student and employee is responsible his or her own personal safety, and for exercising due care to prevent injuries from occurring to others, including the general public.
2. Knowledge of Safety Rules: Each student and employee is responsible for knowing and complying with the General Institutional Safety Rules as well as any dormitory, lab or departmental safety rules that apply to you. If a rule is not understandable to you, you may ask a supervisor or contact the Longwood Safety Officer directly for a better explanation.
3. Avoid Cutting Corners: Never compromise safety for the sake of speed or productivity.
4. Access to Barricaded Areas: Never enter barricaded or roped off areas of the campus without proper authorization. Barricades indicate that hazards exists.
5. Know Emergency Exits: Know the locations of all emergency exits in your living, study and work areas on campus.
6. Know Fire Extinguisher Locations: Know the locations of all fire extinguishers in your living, study and work areas on campus.
7. Know Eyewash Locations: Know the locations of eyewash stations if your curriculum or work creates potential eye hazards.
8. Supplementary Safety Reading Materials: Read thoroughly all supplemental safety reading materials issued you.
9. Horseplay: Employee horseplay is prohibited.
10. Reporting Unsafe Conditions: There are times when unsafe conditions can be corrected immediately by the individual noticing them. Other times, however, they will not be amenable to self-correction. In these circumstances, students and employees are required to immediately report such conditions.
11. Controlled Substance Prohibition: Possession, use or distribution of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances or including and being under the influence of alcohol by employees is prohibited. Students are subject to the laws of the Commonwealth and the policies of the Student Handbook.12. Weapons: Weapons are defined as guns, bows, knives (in excess of pen knives) or other instruments which are manufactured to kill or seriously injure. Weapons are prohibited on campus, except for police officers. A license to carry a concealed weapon is not a grant of permission to bring a weapon on to campus.
13. Personal Area Housekeeping: Each student or employee is responsible for maintaining good housekeeping in his or her immediate work or living area.
14. Reporting Injuries: All employees are responsible for reporting injuries to their immediate supervisor, no matter how minor they may appear.
15. Cooperation in Accident/Injury Investigations: All employees and students are responsible for cooperating with campus or external (such as OSHA or state police) investigations of accidents or injuries which occur on campus or off-campus relating to sanctioned Longwood business or activities.
16. Defective Equipment, Tools, Vehicles: Equipment such as tools, appliances or vehicles which appear to be defective, in the sense that they cannot be operated safely), should not be operated. Tools without safety guards are considered defective equipment. The condition should be reported to a supervisor immediately. Vehicles should be parked immediately and the Campus Transportation Officer should be contacted immediately at 434.395.2299 to make arrangements to provide alternate transportation and pick up the vehicle.17. Training to Operate Equipment, Tools, and Vehicles: Never operate anything you have not been properly trained to operate. Unfamiliarity breeds accidents.
18. Walking and Floor Surfaces: Exterior walks and interior floor surfaces should be kept clear at all times. Walking surfaces should be the first priority 0in clearing snow and ice. Wet interior floors should always have signs warning pedestrians to exercise care or avoid due to wetness.19. Seat Belts: Seat belts must be worn at all times when a vehicles is moving.
20. Unauthorized Riding: Never ride on vehicles or on areas of vehicles not designed for riders. Examples: Pick-up truck beds, tractor fenders, etc.
21. Hitch-Hikers: Never pick up hitch-hikers while operating Longwood-owned vehicles. Also note that family members who are not employees of the University are prohibited from riding in Longwood-owned vehicles as well. These are liability insurance requirements.
22. Necklaces, Ties, Rings, etc.: Jewelry which would become caught in moving machinery should never be worn when operating this type of equipment.
23. Lifting: Never lift items that are too heavy for you. If your job involves considerable lifting, training in lifting techniques should be made available to you by your department. There are also devices that help alleviate pressure on backs called "lift belts." Again, if your job involves considerable lifting, request such equipment be provided to you.
24. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): Read all MSDS that are provided to you. Be sure to read the label precautions on all chemical, detergent, or similar products before you use them.
25. Personal Protective Equipment: Personal protective equipment designated for use by your supervisor or by departmental safety rules must be worn as directed at all times.
26. Compressed Air: Compressed air should not be used to clean yourself, clothing or other persons.
27. Transporting. Dispensing and Storing Flammable or Hazardous Liquids: Approved safety containers must be used when transporting, dispensing or storing flammable or hazardous liquids.
28. Electrical Wiring: Never touch exposed, frayed or loose electrical wiring. Consider it dangerous and report it to a supervisor immediately.
29. Tools: Tools shall be maintained in good repair. Broken tools should be replaced. Tools should always be used for their intended purpose only.
30. Night Work in Proximity to Roads: Anytime employees are performing work in proximity to a highway or road, every worker shall wear either a florescent mesh jacket or other reflective material on outer clothing. At least two hundred fifty (250) square inches of it should be visible for three hundred sixty (360) degree viewing.
31. Grounded Plugs: If equipment, an appliance or extension cord has a three (3) prong plug, it must be plugged into a grounded, three (3) prong receptacle. Removal of the third prong is prohibited.
32. Attending Power Equipment: Power equipment should always be attended. If not in use it should be unplugged or, if it has a key, the key should be removed.
33. Car/Truck Keys: Keys should never be left in vehicles.34. Ambulation: Never run on stairways. Use handrails when provided. They are there for your safety. Proceed with caution around blind corners.
35. Keys in General: Never loan out your keys or access cards for your dorm, your workplace, or your vehicle.
36. Suspended Loads: Never pass under suspended loads of machinery or material. Whenever possible the area below suspended loads should be cordoned off and made inaccessible to pedestrian traffic.
37. Sharp Objects (like screw drivers, etc.): Never throw them. Never carry them in your pockets.
B. Departmental Safety Rules: Each Department Head has the authority to create and enforce additional, department-specific Safety Rules. These rules should be posted in the department and new employees should be apprised of them prior to beginning work. A copy of all departmental Safety Rules should be provided to the Safety Officer when created or amended.
C. Enforcement: Violation of any Safety Rule is actionable under the Department of Human Resource Management General Policy 1.60, entitled Standards of Conduct.
Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, September 7, 2002.