Minutes

University of Washington, Tacoma

Health and Safety Committee

Meeting of July 11, 2002

Committee chair Lia Wetzstein called the meeting to order.

John St. Clare, safety coordinator for Lease Crutcher Lewis, the contractor for Phase 2B, was introduced. He noted that Lease Crutcher Lewis has the state’s highest safety rating and lowest Labor and Industries premium rate for a contractor. He explained that maintaining the safety of its workers is a high priority for the company, so as work is done in areas that could put construction workers at risk from exposure to chemicals, we will have the possibility of seeing workers wearing protective suits.

Internet address for the contractor’s Web site is:

http://www.lcl.com/home.htm

* Minutes from June 13, 2002 were approved with correction in list of those attending.

* Web subcommittee report: Safety page is up. It was decided to put minutes, but not agendas, up on the Web page. Minutes from the last several months will be added to the page. The campus will be reminded about the new Web page with a half-page printed flier to be distributed through campus mail. Reminders may go out quarterly.

* Training subcommittee report:

A recent CPR training session was successful and another will be scheduled.
UW Seattle’s Environmental Health and Safety department is willing to send instructors to UWT for classes that have at least 10 people signed up.
The Washington Administrative Code requires regular training for workers who are engaged in certain activities. Those whose jobs call for them to lift over 20 pounds, for example, are required to take a class on lifting safety. Most required training must be repeated according to a set schedule (some refreshers are annual, some every two or three years).
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that those who report to them are trained according to WAC requirements.
The UWT Health and Safety Committee should see that supervisors are made aware of these requirements. This training should be part of the safety plans for individual departments.

Announcements

On July 25 an areawide task force meeting on lead and arsenic will be held at the Ramada Inn from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. $1.2 million in state funding has been allocated to this project.

On Saturday, July 27 a controlled burn will be held to demolish a structure up the hill from the occupied part of the campus. The burn will be a training exercise for firefighters.

Alternate rep for University-wide Health and Safety Committee

The UW Health and Safety Committee, with representation from all three campuses, meets monthly. As chair of the UWT Health and Safety Committee, Lia usually attends, but an alternate is needed in case she cannot attend. Heather Normand will serve as alternate. The budget for Campus Security will absorb travel and parking costs.

Building warden for GWP

Another building warden for GWP is needed. Lia will contact someone who is a full-time employee and whose job does not routinely take them out of the building.

New business

Members of the committee brought up items submitted by colleagues in their work areas.

Discussion took place on whether ergonomic accommodations should trigger accident/incident reports. It was agreed that in a case where medical treatment has occurred and an ergonomic accommodation has resulted, an incident report should be completed, if only to provide a record of the University’s response.

Keith Ward will spearhead getting exit routes posted in every room.

James Woods will have building management staff at the Harmon Building contact Lia to share safety information. (UWT has employees in space we are leasing from the Harmon.)

Date on Emergency and Disaster Plan. May 2002 is the date of the plan, but it does not appear on the printed version. Those with copies of the plan will be asked to write a date on it. Future versions will be dated.

It was suggested that the Admin Junque group, which usually meets monthly, include safety as a routine agenda item.

The Safety committee’s Nursing representative will ask Janet Promomo, chair of the Faculty Assembly, about having a safety committee representative come to one of its meetings.

Discussion was held about a staff member’s concerns about lighting in the Science Building. During power outages, emergency lighting is available in hallways, but not in classrooms. Rooms without windows are pitch black. This matter was referred to Facilities.

Attendees: