The company views the safety and welfare of employees, interns, contractors, customers and visitors as integral to carrying out the mission of the company. The company will comply with federal, state and local safety regulations and will develop documented comprehensive plans, regulations, procedures and programs to ensure the continuing safety of the company community.

Administrative and supervisory personnel shall be responsible for the incorporation of safety principles and procedures in their employee orientation program and in their daily operating function, and they shall coordinate their activities with the VP, COO and Director of Environmental Health & Safety. Each member of the company is responsible for carrying out the safety program to insure the prevention of accidents and injuries.

Emergency Procedures

The President, COO and Director of Environmental Health & Safety, as the designated Emergency Management Coordinators for the company; shall develop and coordinate with each department emergency procedures regarding weather-related emergencies, bomb threats, major civil disturbances, catastrophic events such as fires or explosions, and hazardous conditions such as chemical spills.

Hazardous Materials Management

Policy: The company, in accordance with its overall Environmental Health and Safety Policy, recognizes the significant safety concerns posed by the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials. The company requires each department to comply with federal, state, and local safety laws and regulations, in addition to generally accepted safety procedures and practices. Departmental safety procedures and programs are subject to review, coordination, and inspection by Environmental Health and Safety and/or federal and state agencies.

Hazardous Materials Defined: A hazardous material, as defined IHMM (Institute of Hazardous Materials Management) is any item or agent (biological, chemical, radiological, and/or physical), which has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors. In addition, the company shall follow generally accepted standards established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in its annual publication Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indexes.

Injury Illness Reporting Policies and Procedures

Worker's Compensation: Steps to Follow in the Event of a Work-related Injury or Illness. If an employee is injured or becomes ill as a result of his/her normal work duties, the following steps should be taken:

A: The employee must report any injury/illness, no matter how minor, to the supervisor as soon as possible. Any delay may jeopardize the employee's right to worker's compensation.

B: The supervisor should send the employee to nearest Health Services for the injury/illness as soon as possible

C: The supervisor will document the visit in the employee's file and prepare a state report (TWCC-1). The TWCC-1 is forwarded to Risk Management and Insurance and a report of the injury is called into our workers' compensation insurance carrier by Risk Management. If the employee is referred for off-campus medical treatment and does not agree to go, but decides to at a late date, it should be reported immediately to the Office of Risk Management.

D: Within 24 hours or first working day after the injury/illness, the employee and his/her supervisor must complete a Supervisor's First Report of Employee Injury form. Each supervisor should have this blank form. The forms may be printed off of this web site. It should be returned to Human Resources Environmental Health and Safety for record keeping and investigation. The victim must make a statement, if at all possible, and attach to this report. The victim's statement needs to state how the injury/illness occurred, where, time, and what they were doing when the incident happened. Please be sure that no medical records are attached to this Supervisor's First Report of Employee Injury Report. All medical documents go to the Human Resources Office of Risk Management.

E: If the employee misses work for 24 hours or longer as a result of the injury/illness, it should be documented and reported to Human Resources immediately. The first seven days of time missed may be charged against the employee's sick leave balance. If not enough sick leave exists, vacation leave may be used, or leave without pay. The employee will automatically be place on Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

F: After seven actual days of time missed, the workers' compensation insurance carrier will begin mailing check to the employee's home to cover approximately 70% of his/her regular salary. If the employee has a leave (VL or SL) balance, payroll will draw just enough from it each day to make up the other approximate 30% of the employee's regular salary.

G: If an employee is unable to return to work after all vacation and sick leave is exhausted, he/she will be placed in a Leave Without Pay status and will be responsible for paying the university to continue any medical, dental, life, vision, disability insurance, etc. that has been in effect. The employee, however, will still be drawing the 70% of regular salary directly from the insurance carrier.

H: It is important to remember that through every phase of a workers' compensation case, the employee and his/her supervisor should stay in contact with the Office of Human Resources. The Office of Human Resources should be provided with the employee's work status reports and any other information that the employee or supervisor has regarding the employee's injury, ability to return to work, etc. The Office of Human Resources will be informed immediately when an employee returns to work after an injury, (Employee must have a doctor's release to return to work) is unable to continue working because of a reported injury or dies as the result of an injury.

Safe Working Areas

Ergonomics: All office areas and work space shall be designed with ergonomic factors taken into consideration.

Safety Awareness Program: Environmental Health and Safety, in conjunction with the Safety Committee, will coordinate the publicity of company safety programs and objective.

Safety Records System: In order to comply with federal, state and local requirements, and to identify and correct hazardous conditions and practices, the following reports and records are to be maintained.

Safety Training: Each department, in conjunction with Environmental Health and Safety and the Office of Human Resources, shall incorporate Environmental Health and Safety principles in their employee orientation program. The Office of Human Resources shall orient new employees concerning working conditions and general safety policies in effect. Environmental Health and Safety will orient new employees during their six-month probationary period on procedures for reporting emergencies, accidents and injuries. Department supervisors will orient new employees regarding site-specific safety practices. Supervisors are to advise those employees exposed to hazardous materials of their rights under the Texas and OSHA Hazardous Communication Standards. The department supervisor will provide written guidelines that the employee is to follow. The department supervisor will advise employees of the location of SDSs relevant to an employee's work area. The department supervisor will complete a New Employee Orientation Checklist.

Supervisory In-Service Training Awareness : Each department, as appropriate, shall provide specialized safety training awareness for its employees. Environmental Health and Safety and the Office of Human Resources will provide a general safety orientation program for employees. Departments are to train employees each time a new hazard is introduced into a work area. This training is to be documented.

Safety Awareness Program

Safety Awareness Program: Environmental Safety, in conjunction with the Safety, Security and Health Committee, will coordinate the publicity of company safety programs and objective.

Safety Awareness Activities: Activities - Promotion of Safety Information, Safety literature, Safety seminars

Maintaining Interest: Provide for Special Training to Staff CPR and first aid, Fire safety, Accident prevention

Participation in the Employee Orientation Program

Record Keeping - Central Injury Reports by Category

Injury Illness Reports: By Environmental Safety to company Health Services, the Office of Human Resources, the Risk Manager, and the department head

Analysis of Central Injury Reporting Records: By Environmental Safety to the Office of Human Resources and the Safety, Security and Health Committee.

Safety Training

Training: New Employee Orientation: Each department, in conjunction with Environmental Safety and the Office of Human Resources, shall incorporate safety principle in their employee orientation program.

Supervisory In-Service Training Awareness: Each department, as appropiate, shall provide specialized safety training awareness for its employees. Environmental Safety and the Office of Human Resources will provide a general safety orientation program for employees. Departments are to train employees each time a new hazard is introduced into a work area. This training is to be documented.