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Purdue University Policies
 

Facilities and Safety

Environmental Health and Safety Compliance (IV.A.4)

Volume IV: Facilities and Safety
Chapter A: Safety
Responsible Executive: Executive Vice President for Business and Finance, Treasurer and Chancellors
Responsible Office: Environmental Health and Public Safety
Date Issued: May 1, 2011
Date Last Revised: November 18, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statement of Policy
Reason for This Policy
Individuals and Entities Affected by This Policy
Who Should Know This Policy
Exclusions
Website Address for This Policy
Contacts
Definitions
Responsibilities
Procedures
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
History and Updates
Appendix

STATEMENT OF POLICY

Purdue University faculty, staff, students, contractors and, on the Fort Wayne campus, Indiana University faculty are required to comply with environmental, health, safety and preparedness laws and regulations issued by federal, state and local agencies, including but not limited to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Indiana State Department of Health. Faculty, staff and students also must comply with related university policies, procedures and instructions.

This policy further requires the formation of safety and emergency preparedness committees to provide a mechanism for indemnification from regulatory fines.

REASON FOR THIS POLICY

Purdue University is a complex public organization, including a variety of facilities and services. Compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as university policies, is essential to the ongoing success of the University. This policy identifies the mechanism to provide an infrastructure for emergency preparedness, as well as environmental health and safety compliance with such laws as the federal OSH Act, the IOSH Act and those issued by Other Regulatory Agencies.

INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

All units, students, faculty and staff of Purdue University, including Indiana University faculty on the Fort Wayne campus.

WHO SHOULD KNOW THIS POLICY

President
Chancellors
Vice Presidents
Vice Chancellors
Deans Directors
Department Heads/Chairs
Principal Investigators
Faculty
Staff
Students
Contractors
Indiana University faculty on the Fort Wayne campus

EXCLUSIONS

There are no exclusions to this policy.

WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THIS POLICY

www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva4.html

CONTACTS

Subject Contact Telephone E-mail/Web Address
Policy Clarification Senior Director, Environmental Health and Public Safety 765-494-7504 ehps@purdue.edu

DEFINITIONS

IOSH Act
The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1971 (IC 22-8-1.1-1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, which applies the federal OSH Act and companion standards and regulations to agencies and instrumentalities of the state of Indiana including Purdue University.

IOSHA
The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, created within the Indiana Department of Labor to adopt standards and regulations as promulgated by the federal OSHA and pursuant to a state plan approved by OSHA, which enforces the federal OSH Act and its companion standards and regulations in private and public (non-federal) workplaces in Indiana.

OSH Act
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. Sections 651 et seq.), as amended from time to time, passed by Congress to ensure, so far as possible, safe and healthful working conditions for employees.

OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration created by Congress within the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce the OSH Act, to promulgate companion standards and regulations, and, pursuant to 29 U.S.C. Section 667, to assist states with the implementation and certification of a state plan for approval by the U.S. Secretary of Labor that authorizes the state to enforce the federal OSH Act and its regulations. OSHA granted Indiana final approval of its state plan on September 26, 1986, and the plan has maintained approved status since that date.

OSHA Officer
Purdue’s system-wide environmental health and safety compliance officer. The Vice President for Physical Facilities will serve in this role, which is responsible for and authorized to develop and implement environmental, health, safety and preparedness programs and to coordinate and monitor compliance with such programs and related laws and regulations.

Other Regulatory Agencies
Additional federal, state and local agencies with regulations applicable to environmental health, safety and preparedness, including but not limited to the Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Transportation and Indiana State Department of Health. 

President
Purdue University’s president.

Purdue, University and Purdue University
Any campus, unit, program, association or entity of Purdue University, including but not limited to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Purdue University Calumet, Purdue University North Central, Purdue University West Lafayette, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and Purdue University College of Technology Statewide.

Regional OSHA Officer(s)
The officers at each regional campus who assist the OSHA Officer in carrying out environmental, health, safety and preparedness compliance programs locally.  The Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services (Calumet), the Vice Chancellor for Administration (North Central) and the Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs (Fort Wayne) will serve as Regional OSHA Officers at their respective campuses.

Safety Coordination Committee
A standing committee chaired by the Executive Vice President for Business and Finance, Treasurer, tasked with establishing system-wide philosophy and goals for risk and environmental health and safety and reviewing progress against system goals. Its membership is made up of the Chancellor from each regional campus, representatives from each area reporting to the President and additional members as determined necessary by the President or committee chair.

RESPONSIBILITIES

OSHA Officer
Develop and implement legally compliant environmental, health, safety and preparedness programs for Purdue University.

Coordinate and monitor compliance with environmental, health, safety and preparedness laws and regulations.

Safety Coordination Committee
Establish system-wide philosophy and goals for risk and environmental health and safety.

Review progress against system goals.

Senior Director, Environmental Health and Public Safety
Administer this policy. 

Maintain a Safety Committee Structure and Organizational Chart.

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services (Calumet), Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs (Fort Wayne) and Vice Chancellor for Administration (North Central)
Serve as the Regional OSHA Officer for their respective campuses.

PROCEDURES

  1. Compliance with the OSH and IOSH Acts and Other Regulatory Agencies
    Chancellors, vice presidents, Regional OSHA Officers, deans, directors and heads of colleges, schools, divisions, departments and offices will cooperate with the OSHA Officer to create, promote and maintain a safe, healthful and prepared campus environment as required by the OSH and IOSH Acts, as well as relevant federal, state and local regulations, policies, laws and ordinances. They will take such action as may be necessary to ensure that their units comply with all environmental, health, safety and preparedness regulations and related university policies, procedures and instructions.

    Department-related compliance costs will be borne by individual departments. Requests for funds to correct major deficiencies may be submitted through established channels. General fund departments at the West Lafayette campus and university farms may request access to centrally funded OSH Act compliance funds administered by the director of the Department of Radiological and Environmental Management (REM).
  2. Environmental Health and Safety and Preparedness Programs
    With the concurrence of the appropriate Chancellor, vice president or dean, the OSHA Officer is authorized to assign environmental, health, safety and preparedness program responsibilities to units outside Physical Facilities (e.g., Human Resources, Risk Management, Student Health Services, business offices, academic departments, etc.).

    The Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services (Calumet), the Vice Chancellor for Administration (North Central) and the Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs (Fort Wayne) will serve as Regional OSHA Officers at their respective campuses to assist the OSHA Officer in carrying out environmental, health, safety and preparedness compliance programs locally.
  3. Committees
    The Safety Coordination Committee will meet quarterly, or as needed, to establish system-wide philosophy and goals for risk and environmental health and safety and to review progress against system goals. Each regional campus will appoint a committee to meet as needed to establish campus safety goals and review progress. Two oversight committees, one for research hazards and the other for non-research hazards, will meet semi-annually to communicate and discuss strategy for implementation of the system-wide risk and environmental health and safety philosophies in their areas. On an as-needed basis, a statewide safety committee will meet to review progress against safety goals for Purdue farms, extension offices and College of Technology Statewide. Colleges, schools, divisions and departments will appoint unit safety and preparedness committees to assist in carrying out environmental, health, safety and preparedness programs at the department level.

    The senior director for Environmental Health and Public Safety will maintain a Safety Committee Structure and Organizational Chart, which outlines the membership, responsibilities and decision-making authority for each of the above committees.

RELATED DOCUMENTS, FORMS AND TOOLS

Regulatory Agencies:

OSH Act: www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=OSHACT&p_toc_level=0&p_keyvalue=

Safety Committee Structure and Organizational Chart

HISTORY AND UPDATES

November 18, 2011: Policy number changed to IV.A.4 (formerly I.2.4) and website address updated.

May 1, 2011: This policy supersedes the Revised Environmental Health and Safety Compliance Policy (Executive Memorandum No. C-36) dated May 20, 1999.

APPENDIX

There are no appendices to this policy.