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Policies and Procedures

1100 Safety

Initial Date of Approval:1/30/09

Revision Date(s): 5/11/15

Administrative Responsibility: President

PURPOSE

Provide guidelines for the safe operation of the college and the safety of employees, students, and the general public as well as the prevention of accidents on Skagit Valley College (SVC Campuses, Centers, and college controlled properties).

REFERENCES

POLICY

SVC shall comply with standards and systems of education for safety as shall be, from time to time, prescribed by the Director of Labor and Industries through the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, by other state agencies with authority for emergency response planning, or by statute.

It is also the responsibility of SVC to establish and supervise:

  • A safe and healthful working environment.
  • Training programs to improve the skill and competency of employees in the field of occupational safety and health.

PROCEDURES

Safety Committee

The Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations is the designated Safety Officer for the College. 

  1. The SVC Safety Committee is organized to advise the Safety Officer and assist in the detection, reporting, investigation, and elimination of unsafe conditions and work procedures. 
  2. The Safety Committee shall consist of the following: Safety Officer (Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations); the VP of Administrative Services or her/his designee; (1) administrator selected by the President, (1) faculty member selected by the faculty union, (1) classified staff representative selected by the classified staff union, (1) exempt staff representative, (1) student representative selected by Student Government, and (1) Whidbey Campus representative. (Committee members shall serve one>year terms and may be subject to re>appointment). Should a vacancy occur, a new member shall be selected prior to the next scheduled meeting. 
  3. The Safety Committee will operate according to the procedures specified in WAC 296>800> 13020. The Safety Committee shall prepare and maintain written procedures covering accident prevention, chemical hazards, accident investigation and reporting, and all other hazards requiring emergency planning and response. 
  4. Source documents for safety and health procedures will be maintained in the office of the Safety Officer (Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations) and the Maintenance Supervisor at the Whidbey Campus. 
  5. As required by WAC 296>900>13015, SVC shall maintain a safety bulletin board for the purpose of displaying safety bulletins, newsletters, posters, accident statistics and other safety educational materials. 

 

Reporting Injuries and Unsafe Conditions

In the event of an injury on college>controlled property, all persons are asked to make reports of the injury so that the college may take steps to evaluate any potentially unsafe conditions. 

  1. Guidelines for responding to an emergency situation on campus are contained in the All Hazards Emergency Response Plan and the Flip Guide to Emergencies. These guides are distributed to staff and are available through the College’s webpage and Intranet site, the office of the Safety Officer (Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations) or the Administration Office at Whidbey Campus. 
  2. In the event of an emergency, appropriate response actions in accordance with the All Hazards Emergency Response Plan should be taken immediately, and the President or her/his designee should be contacted in a timely manner. . In the event of an accident, an Accident Report form should be completed and turned in to the Director of Security Services via Maxient or by hard copy. 

Apparent unsafe conditions should be reported, in writing, to the Safety Officer (Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations) by electronic Maintenance Request or by hard copy. Obvious hazardous or unsafe conditions should be reported immediately to the Safety Officer, Facilities and Operations staff, or Security Services staff. 

 Any person who has sustained an injury on Skagit Valley College>controlled property is encouraged to promptly report the injury to the Security Services Office. 

 Skagit Valley College employees must report injuries sustained while engaged in work-related activities to the Security Office or to Human Resources. 

Eye Safety 

Skagit Valley College has an eye safety program for all persons under the jurisdiction of the college. Deans/Vice Presidents and the Director of Facilities and Operations are responsible for the eye safety program, which conforms to the standards established by RCW 70.100.010. 

Hazard Communication Program 

Skagit Valley College has a hazard communication program in compliance with the OSHA Communication Standard. The purpose is to give workers information on hazardous chemicals in the workplace so that they can use chemicals safely, protect themselves from harmful exposures, take appropriate actions during emergencies, and monitor their own health. 

In order to ensure that information concerning the hazards of chemicals is transmitted to employees and other affected persons at SVC, the Washington Administrative Code require that the College: 

  1. Develop and implement a written hazardous communication program for labels and other forms of warning, safety data sheets, and implement employee information and training, including: 
    1. A list of hazardous chemicals known to be present. 
    2. Methods used by SVC to inform employees of hazardous tasks. 
    3. Methods used to inform contractors on SVC premises of hazardous chemicals their employees may be exposed to in performing their work. 
    4. Utilize the Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling of chemicals.
    5. 2. Make the written hazard communication program available, upon request, to employees and others in accordance with state and federal regulations. 

 

Hazardous materials training will be made available to appropriate staff as needed.