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 UNIVERSITY SAFETY COMMITTEEMeeting Minutes | ||
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UNIVERSITY SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Katrina Doolittle, David Shearer, Jose Gamon, Lori McKee, Doug Parten, Jaime Marrujo, Linda Perez, and Richard Long Quests: Jeanne Curry, Dinus Briggs, Patti Havistad, Terri (for Kathy Reddington) Katrina Doolittle, Chair, asked for everyone to introduce themselves and to state what department they were from. The regular Safety Committee Meeting held in Zuhl Library was called to order at 3:00 pm. Minutes were unanimously approved. Katrina informed everyone that the Safety Committee and the Communicable Disease Prevention Committee minutes are posted on the EH&S website. Katrina mentioned that the CDPC were hosting a Table Top Exercise and invited everyone to attend. The exercise which involves animal diseases is tentatively scheduled for August 26, 2008. To attend this exercise, please contact Katrina Doolittle. Old Business: 1. Membership replacement for non-active safety committee members a. Katrina stated that Darrell Smith and Robert Rhodes are listed as safety committee members but have not attended a meeting in over a year. She stated that there are no by-laws on how to add or remove members. b. Katrina asked the committee if they were in agreement to remove members that have not attended nor have sent an alternate to meetings for the period of one year. All members present unanimously voted to remove members for not attending meetings or sending a replacement for the term of one year. Robert Rhodes from Education was unanimously removed as members of the safety committee. 2. New Members a. David Shearer encouraged Patti Havstad, EPPWS, Jeanne Curry, PES, and Kathy Reddington, DACC to attend the meeting because of their position with NMSU and invited them to become members. It has been noted that there is no representation from some departments with high safety responsibilities. b. Katrina stated that the safety committee meetings are open to anyone wanting to attend, they are not only for active members. Stating that approximately one year ago the safety committee started adding new members that were liaisons with safety factors such as; safety coordinator, chemical hygiene officers, etc. c. Katrina opened the floor for nominations to anyone interested in becoming a safety committee member. Patti Havstad and Jeannie Curry nominated themselves and David Shearer nominated Kathy Reddington. They were unanimously voted as new members into the safety committee. Katrina stated that members can be added on a regular basis to represent a cross section of areas with safety risks. d. Membership by Police and Fire was discussed and it was stated that these units should be present at the meetings because of the role they play on campus. David stated that as members they form a part of the member count and when a quorum is not assembled, issues for the meeting have to be tabled. Richard Long suggested a memo/letter be sent to their prospective supervisor with cause as to why they should be required to attend meetings. A motioned was made and carried that Police and Fire should be required to attend the safety committee meetings quarterly. Katrina will write a memo to VP Ben Woods, from the committee, if it is needed, asking for his assistance in asking the Police and Fire departments get involved and attend the meetings on a regular quarterly basis. 3. Selection of New Committee Chair a. Katrina opened the floor for nominations of a new chair. She stated that it is always good to have a different person with diverse options and commented that it revitalizes a committee. b. Lori McKee nominated David Shearer and stated that the committee should be directed by EH&S. A motion was made and seconded that David Shearer to become the Safety Committee Chair beginning the next safety committee meeting. c. It was suggested that a new chair would be voted on annually. A motion was made and seconded to review annually the chair position, consideration of the chair’s desire to continue and the membership’s agreement that the chair’s performance was acceptable. New Business: 1. Injury/Illness Report for January – June 2008 a. Katrina distributed the NMSU Work Related Injuries & Illnesses and the NMSU OSHA 300A Work Related Accidents Rates reports and explained how percentages compared from year to year. She stated that the numbers have decreased significantly. She also distributed the detailed NMSU Quarterly Incident and stated this was categorized by departments. She commended David Carbajal for doing a great job in helping lower the workers compensation claims and days reported as lost time. b. It was stated that the cause of the reduction in injury and illness is due in part to the new way of maintaining data. David Carbajal handles all the paper work, monitors the employee that was injured, makes sure that the injured employee is satisfying the obligation of continuing the required treatment(s). He also explores the possibility of putting the employee on light duty to reduce days away from work. Another reason may be that supervisors have been more aware of the importance of training for their employees. c. Katrina reported that the injury rate report is important to the research areas such as Grants Contracts because as a university it has to meet a certain standard set by LANL. She stated that LANL wanted 3 years of statistics and NMSU was above the max that is allowed by them for any contracts. Katrina stated that by the current trends in injury & illnesses there is a possibility that the university will meet the standard if they accept a sup-set of data for that particular unit. 2. New Occupational Health & Safety Program for Animal Workers a. Katrina briefed the committee on the new animal worker program. This program entails animal worker safety training; anyone that works with animals in research or otherwise is required to take the training. Research protocol under the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee will no longer be approved until the individual has met the training requirements. A medical surveillance is an additional requirement for animal workers and the University Health Center is working with individuals on this part of the requirement. 3. Annual Vehicle Inspections a. David reported that EH&S is looking into incorporating a general vehicle inspections policy. Linda Perez asked who was going to be in charge of doing these inspections. David stated that he did not know but it would likely be a self inspection with review by EH&S . b. The vehicle inspection discussion was tabled until next meeting. A checklist will be formulated and members will have time to review and make comments. 4. Items from Committee Members a. Katrina reported that there was a recent incident on campus involving liquid nitrogen that was pressurized. Fire Dept and EH&S were called and told that it was breathing off. The cylinder had corroded O-rings. b. David Shearer reported that his area of EH&S has been doing more laboratory inspections. He stated that labs with deficiencies are noted and are given a letter grade. David sends a letter to the PI with results and they are asked to respond to the letter within 30 days. c. Lori reported that the health centers hire an outside entity to do the bio medical inspections and asked if EH&S calibrates & inspects all kinds of equipment. Katrina stated that EH&S inspects only safety equipment. d. Jeanne Curry reported that they share a lab with other occupants that have Biosafety levels 2 that are not being isolated or cultured. Katrina said that she would look into this with more specific information provided after the meeting. e. Patti Havstad asked when the Quick-Flip Guide to Emergencies was going to be released. It was stated that these should already be out and that everyone should have gotten a copy, but Katrina will follow up on this. There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 4:15. |