UAF Health and Safety Policy

UAF Policy 02.09.01

Original Adoption: March 3, 2015

Revised: September 26, 2023

Responsible Chancellor's Cabinet Member: Chief of Staff

Responsible Department/Office: Office of the Provost,
                                                                        Vice Chancellor for Research
                                                                        Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services

Download signed policy (PDF)

POLICY STATEMENT

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) establishes a comprehensive safety policy to protect life and health by creating a safe working and learning environment. This policy specifies responsibilities for safety and environmental health, outlines regulations and procedures, and provides basic guidelines for activities, programs, and training. The policy applies to all UAF employees, students, volunteers, and contractors at all UAF campuses and sites utilized by UAF and/or when conducting university business.

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) encourages all employers to adopt an Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/employer-responsibility.html).  Most successful Injury and Illness Prevention Programs are based on a common set of key elements. These include: management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification, hazard prevention and control, education and training, and program evaluation and improvement.  UAF’s Health and Safety Policy establishes management and worker responsibilities and training requirements and is a component of UAF’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Environmental Health and Safety and Risk Management (ESHRM) staff have full institutional support and authority to develop, execute, and enforce comprehensive health and safety programs for UAF.

DEFINITIONS

Affiliate is an individual that is not employed by the university but is associated with the university and needs access to university systems and/or services.

Basic Safety Training Requirements required training modules established by EHSRM and found online at the EHSRM website (http://www.uaf.edu/safety/training/).  

Contractor is an individual or business that conducts work as specified in a contract with UAF or in a contract with the UA system, if that work is being conducted at UAF owned or leased facilities or property.

Employee is anyone who is employed by the University of Alaska.

Environmental Health and Safety and Risk Management (EHSRM) is the UAF office that provides technical environmental, health, safety, and operational risk management services to the colleges, institutes and departments of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).  

Hazard communication programs are a common and coherent approach to classifying chemicals and communicating hazard information on labels and safety data sheets.

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) is the breakdown of a job into its component steps and then the evaluation of each step to identify hazards. Each hazard is then corrected or a method of worker protection is identified. Additional requirements for worker training, certification, authorization, etc., may also be identified.

Student is an individual enrolled in at least one UAF credit or non-credit course.

Visitor is an individual who is in a UAF facility or on UAF property, but is not a university student, employee, contractor or contractor employee, or volunteer.

Volunteer as defined by Federal law under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, (FLSA), is an individual that provides services, without any expectation of compensation, and without any coercion or intimidation (see reference section for volunteer forms).

UAF Business is carrying out activities on behalf of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. UAF and its organizational units have the following responsibilities in fulfilling the institution’s commitment to the health and safety of employees, students, volunteers, and visitors:
   1. UAF activities shall be conducted in accordance with applicable health and safety laws, regulations, and codes that govern the design, construction, operation, use, and maintenance of UAF facilities and the conduct of university activities in locations both within and outside of university facilities.
   2. UAF will provide information and training regarding health and safety hazards. In addition, UAF will provide to the surrounding community information regarding environmental health hazards arising from operations and activities at the University as required by applicable regulations.
   3. UAF will install and maintain facilities and equipment in accordance with recognized and accepted standards essential to reduce or prevent exposure to hazards.
   4. UAF will provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to all employees at the University’s expense when engineering or administrative controls are not adequate to minimize exposure. PPE is the responsibility of the department.
   5. UAF will provide occupational medical services for employees as required by law and as may be dictated by existing circumstances or programs.
   6. UAF will not tolerate adverse treatment of any employee exercising their rights under the OSHA’s Whistleblower’s Protection Program (http://www.whistleblowers.gov/). These rights include, but are not limited to, raising a safety and health concern, seeking access to exposure and injury records, participating in an inspection or talking to an inspector, and/or filing an OSHA complaint. If an employee feels they have been retaliated or discriminated against for exercising these rights, they are encouraged to first seek consultation with EHSRM.
2. All University employees, students, and volunteers have the following responsibilities:
   1. Observing and following health and safety laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures.
   2. Completing applicable mandatory health and safety training, as outlined in item 3.
   3. Promptly reporting to their supervisors or instructors all safety and health hazards, and work related incidents, injuries, and occupational illnesses.
   4. Promptly reporting any health and safety violations to their supervisor.
3. All UAF employees have the following additional responsibilities:
   1. Knowing that all necessary warnings and precautionary measures are not contained in this document and that additional information and safety measures may be required in particular circumstances.
   2. Completing training for and/or complying with UAF Required Training Policy 04.07.010.
   3. Report to EHSRM via phone call within four hours any accident involving an employee, student, or volunteer that results in transport for medical treatment, in-patient hospitalization (admitted overnight), unconsciousness, or death. Failure to report can result in fines to the department. All other work-related accidents/incidents must be reported to EHSRM as soon as possible. UAF Dispatch should be called after hours.
   4. Comply with the State of Alaska adopted Building, Fire, Mechanical codes, and those standards covering hazardous materials handling as interpreted by the UAF Fire Marshal or UAF EHSRM.
   5. Comply with recommendations made by EHSRM that arise from reviewing and investigating work-related illnesses, injuries, and incidents.
4. The following individuals or offices have responsibilities in addition to those applying to all employees, as listed in section 3.1 through 3.4:
   1. UAF Chancellor, Vice Chancellors and Associate Vice Chancellors:
      1. Establish, oversee, and authorize health and safety programs and a system for assessing safety performance for the University.
      2. Implement the Health and Safety Policy and the Required Training Policy, and communicate its requirements for employees, students, and volunteers.
   2. Deans, Directors, and Designees in all locations under their control:
      1. Reinforce the importance of health and safety and create a culture of health and safety in their unit(s).
      2. Administer this Health and Safety Policy and the Required Training Policy.
      3. Designate and empower building coordinators to ensure compliance with emergency management directives.
      4. Under the guidance of EHSRM, designate and empower safety coordinators for departments or units to promote compliance with the Health and Safety Policy and program requirements.
      5. Commit resources for correction of health and safety deficiencies.
   3. Faculty, Principal Investigators, and Supervisors
      1. Ensure those under your direct supervision comply with this policy.
      2. Provide oversight of facilities, equipment, and practices to support a safe working and learning environment.
      3. Cooperate with EHSRM staff in safety and accident investigations and comply with recommendations that arise from reviewing and investigating work-related illnesses, injuries, and incidents.
      4. Ensure that employees, volunteers, and students properly manage hazardous material storage in accordance with University, state and federal requirements.
      5. Incorporate workplace safety requirements and responsibilities into the position description and job duties.
   4. Environmental, Health, Safety, and Risk Management (EHSRM) shall:
      1. Advise the University community of its responsibilities regarding the Health and Safety Policy.
      2. Provide guidelines to assist and help the University ensure compliance as it relates to relevant environmental, health, and safety laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines.
      3. Recommend programs and actions for compliance.
      4. Consult with regulators and other external entities on behalf of the University.
      5. Provide guidance and assistance in identifying, evaluating, and correcting safety and health hazards.
      6. Conduct investigations and analyses of occupational incidents, injuries and illnesses, including near-misses.
      7. Identify noncompliant situations and recommend improvements to those who are responsible for departments, laboratories, units and work areas. Follow up with additional measures if the situation is not rectified.
      8. Provide guidance for proper management of hazardous materials.
      9. Perform safety inspections on a regular basis or upon request.
      10. In cases of imminent danger to life or health, order cessation of hazardous activity until the danger from such a condition is abated or adequate measures have been taken.
      11. Review contractor site-specific safety plans for completeness and provide applicable feedback to project/contract managers.
      12. Develop and execute comprehensive health and safety programs for the university. These programs will comply with all laws, regulations and standards relating to health and safety.
   5. University Police Department shall:
      1. Provide immediate police response to emergencies, engage in proactive crime prevention, ensure enforcement of laws, and offer protection and defense of life and property.
      2. Monitor and dispatch 911 calls and general calls for police service, and alert campus to emergencies or ongoing threats.
      3. Provide community service officer (CSO) services which include but are not limited to locking and unlocking of buildings and safety escorts.
   6. University Fire Department shall:
      1. Provide responses to fires, and hazardous materials incidents as needed, and other life-threatening emergencies on the Fairbanks campus.
      2. Provide emergency medical services.
      3. Complete annual testing of fire hydrants on the Fairbanks Campus.
   7. Facilities Services shall:
      1. Maintain and inspect fire suppression systems, alarms, and extinguishers in campus buildings.
      2. Monitor and maintain campus strategic Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs).
   8. Office of Emergency Management shall:
      1. Manage/maintain UAF Emergency Operations Plan. Update threat analysis with current hazards and any Annexes or Indexes with related health and safety preparedness/response actions or plans.
      2. Oversee/manage UAF Emergency Action Plan program. Ensures that EAP health and safety information is updated annually and that building occupants have reviewed content. Communicate no less than annually to ensure ongoing awareness.
      3. Identify staff and faculty emergency response training needs and conduct scenario-based exercises for training purposes in coordination with EHSRM and other safety services.
   9. Oversight Committees
      1. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) provides oversight for all uses of vertebrate animals at UAF and plays an integral role in ensuring the health and safety of employees, students, and volunteers, and visitors accessing the UAF animal facilities.
      2. The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) provides oversight and guidance for all campus needs related to research and teaching involving the use of recombinant nucleic acids, artificial gene transfer, infectious agents, and biologically derived toxins.
      3. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews all research projects under the auspices of UAF that involve human subjects to ensure compliance with federal regulations and assure protection of human participants in research.
      4. The Compliance Alliance is a standing committee tasked with identifying institutional risks, including emerging compliance issues and regulations, identifying areas where new university policies need to be established or enhanced, and ensuring that university policies and procedures are communicated effectively and that training resources are in place.
   10. Contractors
       1. Contractors under an executed agreement with UAF will comply with safety requirements outlined in the applicable contract documents. Contractors will comply with all applicable health and safety laws and regulations.
          Serious or willful non-compliance may be grounds for termination of the contract.  While on a UAF site, contractors will comply with this policy.
       2. Contractors will provide job- and site-specific safety plans to UAF for EHSRM review and comment prior to start of work.
       3. Contractors will maintain and make readily available a Safety Data Sheet for each hazardous material used on site. For construction activities Safety Data Sheets will be submitted to UAF as either part of the safety plan or at least prior to the material being integrated into the jobsite.

NON-COMPLIANCE

1. University employees are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, if they disregard or fail to comply with established health and safety policies and procedure, or fail to report violations that are brought to their attention.
2. Non-compliance with OSHA and other regulatory agency requirements may result in citations and penalties/fines. Departments may be charged for the fine or a portion of the fine based on their participation in the notice of violation.
3. UAF reserves the right to levy internal fines to departments for non-compliance with OSHA and other regulatory agency requirements. Fines will be charged to the department or principal investigator (PI).
4. Students who fail to comply with established health and safety policies and procedures are subject to review under the Student Code of Conduct, and if circumstances warrant they are subject to termination of enrollment or other necessary measures to protect their safety and the safety of others.
5. Volunteers or other non-university employees may be restricted from participating in future University activities.

REFERENCES RELIED UPON

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
https://www.osha.gov/

EXCEPTIONS

There are no exceptions to this policy.

PROCEDURES

1. Communicate emergency action plans to all personnel to provide familiarity and coordination between facility personnel and emergency responders.
2. Ensure that the Hazard Communication Plan or Chemical Hygiene Plan for each work area is prepared and regularly updated, and that all employees and volunteers are informed of the hazards associated with their duties.
3. Direct employees, student employees or volunteers, and volunteers under their supervision to complete and comply with all applicable required training as outlined in Responsibilities Section 3.3.
4. Evaluate workplace hazards within their departments using the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) process to identify workplace hazards and recommend appropriate engineering or administrative controls, or personal protective equipment to protect against any identified hazards. EHSRM provides training and consultation on developing JHAs.

POLICY APPROVED BY:

Daniel M. White, Chancellor
University of Alaska Fairbanks