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Workplace Safety

Workplace safety instructionThe mission of EHS is to provide education through training and consultation to prevent potential injury and illness to employees in the workplace. One way to prevent injuries is through the identification of potential hazards for a job task by completing OSHA’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) hazard assessment. PPE is specialized protective equipment, such as steel toe shoes and work gloves, that is worn by an employee for protection against a hazard. By using the appropriate PPE an employee can eliminate or significantly reduce potential exposures. Nevertheless, many employees elect not to use their PPE due to inconvenience, discomfort and lack of style.

EHS needed to reevaluate its traditional approach, which generally was to identify, acquire, and provide PPE samples for various tasks in order to promote PPE use. The question EHS sought to answer now was: How can EHS change its practice regarding PPE and make the most significant impact? Conclusion: By exemplifying the change that is needed.

To gain the most return on this initiative, EHS decided to research the everyday wear of fire resistive (FR) apparel. FR apparel is designed to provide protection to an employee against possible arcs and/or flames that may result from electrical work and chemicals. Many employees choose not to wear FR clothing claiming it is bulky and heavy. However, today’s FR apparel is made using lighter weight fabrics, is more comfortable and is designed to look more like everyday clothing. Now when EHS staff conducts an inspection, they see more employees wearing FR clothing along with steel toe shoes, safety glasses, and, depending on location, hard hats. Now the questions EHS staff get when they are conducting inspections are: “Is that really FR clothing?” and, “How can I get that?” This new effort dramatically improves the relationships between EHS staff and employees and helps in our daily effort to build a safety culture that makes our employees safer.

New methods of physical rehabilitation were introduced to the football and basketball team in the form of whole body cryotherapy. The head athletic trainer of UNC Football, and EHS Workplace Safety collaborated on the process which took several months to accomplish.

The steps included in-depth research on the safety of the unit, design and installation, and operational certification training as well as development of Job Safety Analysis. The time our student athletes spend in the Cryo Chamber has been reduced from a 60-minute ice bath to a two-minute bath.

Performance measurement is a critical part of the EHS management system. Education, customer service and internal processes are the three most essential components of our work. The chart below indicates the performance in these areas over a five-year period with Level Four representing optimum performance. The adjacent tab shows the specific performance activities and the level of that performance for 2016.

Components, Years and Level Completed
Education Customer Service Internal Processes
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 3 3 3

Education

  • Trained/Number of Employees: Respiratory Protection/1834; EHS Office, Clinic, IMAC, SS, Student Affairs/6781; Joint Commission/4599; Clinical Tuberculosis Infection Control/6631; Clinical Bloodborne Pathogens/6262; Ergonomic Self-Evaluations: 70. (Level Four)
  • Provided the following training: Compressed Gas Safety; Tractor Safety; Electrical Safety; On-line HMP; Fall Protection Awareness; and Trench Safety. (Level Three)
  • Provided Manual Propelled Lift training for 50 “For The Kids” Dance Marathon Operations student fundraising. (Level Three)
  • Provided workers’ compensation training for Kenan School of Business, Athletics, HR Council, College of Arts and Science, Laboratory Safety Committee, and OVCR HR. (Level Three)
  • Developed and Provided SCBA Fire Tower drills for EHS Emergency Core Team – 25. (Level Two)
  • Created the following JSAs: Insect Safety for Employees Working Outdoors; Inspection of Fall Protection Equipment; PM of Bell Tower; Backhoe; Hard Hat Inspection; and Fall Protection. (Level Two)
  • Provided healthcare compliance training to Allied Health, Ob/Gyn, Dermatology, School of Nursing, Orthopedics, and Injury Prevention. (Level Two)
  • Provided instructional and hands-on scissor lift training for 25 Football Video staff. (Level One)
  • Provided on-line HMP and general safety training needs for UNC TV. (Level One)
  • Assisted with securing training for IT Services on Powered Industrial Truck. (Level One)

Customer Service

  • Processed and managed 414 workers’ compensation claims with medical treatment, return to work, hearings/mediations, and monthly expenditures. (Level Four)
  • Assisted the State of North Carolina with the WC Consolidation Project. (Level Four)
  • Conducted on-site inspections of 224 Hazards Management Plan (HMP) for numerous campus units and entered HMPs for work unit in the on-line HMP system. (Level Four)
  • Evaluated and Reviewed the following construction projects: Cheek Clark; Phillips Hall; Hanes Art Center; Steel Building; Manning Bridge; Woollen Gym; Bell Tower; Lenoir/Davis Library; Med Wings E and F; Knapp Saunders; Carr; Fetzer; Kenan Business School; MEJ; Bowman Gray pool; and Howell Hall. (Level Three)
  • Evaluated the Campus Rec/Exercise & Sports Science regarding the climbing wall orientations. (Level Three)
  • Assisted Energy Services with the joint Graduate Research Project with NCSU on Davie Hall roof. (Level Three)
  • Provided consultative services regarding the following projects/events: Trench safety at Eddie Smith Fieldhouse; Athletic event at Kenan Stadium; traffic mirrors at the Bingham Facility; and Cheek Clark life safety inspections. (Level Two)
  • Investigated the following Hazard Heroes: Location of panel box on utility pole at corner of Columbia and McCauley; and the Memorial Hall auditorium ladder. (Level Two)
  • Prepared and distributed various safety alerts from Healthcare gloves to 3M1870. (Level Two)
  • Assisted Ackland Art employees with the development of a Safety Shoe/Foot protection program. (Level One)
  • Assisted payroll with out of State Workers’ Compensation coverage. (Level One)
  • Assisted Facilities Services with the development of their internal procedures regarding Hard Hats. (Level One)

Internal Processes

  • Investigated twenty-six incidents: electrical; falls; equipment; PPE; materials handling; strains; and stuck in/between objects. (Level Three)
  • Consulted with UNC Hospital, Pharmacy, and UNC P&A concerning the implementation of workers’ compensation electronic billing in accordance with NC statutes. (Level Two)
  • Implemented modifications to employment demographic made to HASMIS for the UNC TV project. (Level Two)
  • Consulted with UNC General Administration regarding workers’ compensation and safety questions. (Level Two)
  • Prepared a state map to identify flood zones to assist with identify campus location that could be impacted by adverse weather. (Level One)
  • Consulted with UNC Healthcare LMS course designer regarding content of courses that affect SOM employees, requirements, and limiting access, to improve customer services. (Level One)
  • Prepared and submitted OSHA 300A and other various OSHA random surveys. (Level One)
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