¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ

Regulations & Policies

Administration and Finance

I. OBJECTIVE & PURPOSE

To establish formal, comprehensive Environmental Health & Safety policy and authority.

II. STATEMENT OF POLICY

As part of the charge to maintain employee safety and environmental health at the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ (¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ), the Department of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S, www.unf.edu/ehs/) has developed the following policy in fulfillment of section 284.5 Florida Statutes and section 38I-10.008 Florida Administrative Code. These rules also require that each department of state government and state employers assign a Safety Coordinator, or equivalent, to perform the duties of loss prevention. At the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, this assignment has come from the Board of Governors through the University President to the Department of Environmental Health & Safety.

It shall be the policy of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ to provide a safe and healthful workplace that is free from recognizable occupational safety, health and environmental hazards. EH&S is responsible for providing written policies, procedures, program oversight, periodic training, investigations and recordkeeping to achieve this goal and help ensure ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ is in compliance with local, state and federal safety and health codes and regulations (see Comprehensive Health, Safety and Risk Management Program) (/ehs/policies-and-manuals.html).

Deans, Vice Presidents, Directors, Chairs, Department Heads and Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that faculty and staff adhere to program requirements. Key components of effective safety programs include new employee orientations and routine training sessions, facility and equipment inspections, job hazard analyses, safety committees, loss control, risk management and insurance, accident investigations, follow up and recordkeeping.

Employees are responsible for conducting job duties in a manner that adheres to safety requirements and minimizes the potential for illness or injury. Employees are expected to report unsafe acts or conditions to their supervisors and through the Safety Hazard Reporting Form available on the EH&S website ( /ehs/report-hazard.html) . Employees should not perform tasks which involve acts or conditions they have reported to be unsafe until receiving clearance from their supervisor. Supervisors should consult with EH&S regarding unsafe acts and proper procedures. Employees must report all accidents, injuries and unsafe conditions to their supervisors. No reports of hazards, unsafe acts, conditions or accidents will result in retaliation, penalty or other disincentive.

The ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ will employ appropriate resources to correct and/or mitigate unsafe conditions. Similarly, disciplinary action will be taken against an employee who willfully or repeatedly violates University safety policies. This includes, but is not limited to, failure to follow recognized safe practices, failure to utilize personal protective equipment and working alone or unsupervised in a lab or shop without prior approval/notifications.

Departmental supervisors are expected to be actively involved with employees and EH&S in establishing and maintaining effective safety programs. EH&S and other members of the University community will participate in ongoing safety and health program activities, which include:

• Promoting safety committee participation;
• Providing safety and health education and training; and
• Reviewing and updating University safety policies.

This policy statement serves to express ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ's commitment to and involvement in providing employees a safe and healthful workplace. This document will be incorporated as the standard of practice for the University. Compliance with safety policy will be expected of all employees as a condition of employment.

Print Page