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Administrators Responsibilities | Environment, Health & Safety

Environment, Health & Safety

1. Authority and Responsibility

Major responsibilities that cannot be delegated:

  • Accountability for ensuring that faculty, employees, students, patients and visitors have the benefit of a safe and healthy environment.
  • Administrative Officials are encouraged to:
    • Develop and promote safety, health and environmental awareness as positive values in their organization.
    • Encourage employees and students to recognize and report hazardous conditions.
    • Support corrective actions as recommended or required by Safety Services.

Roles of Administrative Officials

  • Safety Services review and approval is required for all remodels and construction plans prior to commencing work.
  • Vacated space, including areas from laboratory relocation, must meet Safety Services clearance requirements prior to entry of construction personnel and/or future occupancy.
  • Granting agencies may stipulate specific safety requirements that must be followed.
  • Contact Safety Services when any outside regulatory official requests entry to the workplace for an inspection or review.

2. Delegations

Major responsibilities that can be delegated:

  • Establishing and Supporting: Designating a departmental safety coordinator and departmental safety committee to carry out department health and safety responsibilities.
    • The departmental Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) and documentation of compliance with the campus IIPP program.
    •  Programs to educate and train personnel regarding UC Davis health and safety policies and procedures, identification and elimination of hazardous conditions, record keeping, and ethical responsibilities.
    • Programs to ensure that all research is conducted in accordance with UC Davis Laboratory Safety Guidelines (including completion of laboratory safety plans, department injury and illness prevention plans, emergency action plans, and approval for use of radiation and hazardous biological materials).
    • Documentation of employee safety training (from any source, including formal presentations or one-to-one meetings/discussions) and maintaining this documentation in a readily available manner.
  • Developing and maintaining departmental emergency action plans that address procedures to be followed by personnel in case of fire, earthquake, major chemical spill, or other emergencies. Designating key emergency personnel and assuring emergency action plans are integrated into departmental training.
  • Reporting to Safety Services, as soon as possible after the occurrence, all accidents or “near misses” which result in injury and/or loss or destruction of property. Keeping records on employee injuries, incident reports, and grievances involving safety matters and loss or destruction of property. Ensuring that employees properly report injuries within 24 hours of the injuries.
  • Reporting any fire or fire/life safety hazard to the Fire Department and Safety Services as soon as possible.
  • Developing, maintaining and reviewing Safety Services programs for department laboratories, shops, studios, etc. in accordance with UC Davis policy and procedures as well as any applicable regulations (see Resources).
  • Following established procedural guidelines from Safety Services to assure that all staff are trained in handling hazardous waste and that all hazardous waste is properly stored, labeled, and picked up by Integrated Hazardous Waste.

3. Areas of Potential Risk

The Corporate Criminal Liability Act of 1989 requires an Administrative Official or manager to notify affected employees and Cal/OSHA in writing within 15 days after being made aware that a "serious concealed danger" has been identified. All individuals likely to be subject to danger should be provided a sufficient description of the danger. Failure to notify Cal/OSHA and affected employees in a timely fashion may result in fines and criminal prosecution.

Cal/OSHA regulations require every employer to report any serious injury/illness or death of an employee occurring in a place of employment or in connection with any employment within 8 hours to the nearest CAL/OSHA office. EH&S performs this reporting after consulting with the supervisor or department representative of the employee. Failure to notify Cal/OSHA may result in fines.