Campus Public Safety

CAMPUS PUBLIC SAFETY

WOUAlert: EMERGENCY NOTICE

Clery Compliance & Fire Safety Reporting Campus Community Safety Guide

CONTACT

Safety Committee

Safety Committee Members:

Safety Committee minutes

• Safety Committee scribe minutes from monthly meetings

Energy/safety committee policy statement

Introduction:

Western Oregon University is committed to promoting energy conservation, protecting the health and safety of its employees, students and visitors to the university and provide a safe working and education environment. One of the means by which this is to be accomplished is by the establishment of a joint employee/management energy/safety committee.

Purpose:

The purpose of the committee is to bring faculty, staff, and administration together in a non-adversarial, cooperative effort to promote energy conversation, safety and health in the university environment. This is accomplished by reviewing energy concerns and complaints, cost saving ideas for conservation, safety needs as submitted by the safety officer and other interested staff; reviewing reports of safety hazards, accidents, and safety investigations conducted by the safety officer or public safety officers; make recommendations as necessary to the appropriate persons in charge; and provide input and advice in the resolution of safety issues.

Organization:

There shall be at least four (4) classified and four (4) management representatives. Classified representatives shall be volunteers or elected by their peers with the names submitted to the president for appointment. Management representatives may volunteer or be recommended by their vice president with the names submitted to the president for appointment. Safety committee members will serve a continuous term of at least one year. Length of membership will be staggered so that at least one experienced member is always serving on the committee. The university safety officer will be an ex-officio member of the committee.

Extent of authority:

The safety/energy conservation committee advises the safety officer, director of physical plant and facilities operations, director of human resources, supervisors and the vice president for student affairs and enrollment management on issues that improve energy conservation, address energy concerns, and safety and health in the work place. Written reports regarding the need to implement safety procedures or correct unsafe conditions will be submitted to the safety officer and involved supervisor within ten (10) working days following the committee’s meeting and recommendation (if applicable). The decision to file a recommendation with administration will be by a majority vote of the committee. The responsibility to write the report will be assigned to the safety officer during the committee meeting. The safety officer and supervisor will give serious consideration to the recommendations submitted and will respond in writing to the committee within ten (10) working days after receiving the report.

The committee shall provide minutes of their meetings to the safety officer and supervisor designated on a mailing list. The office of human resources will post a copy of the minutes in the administration building.

Functions:

Energy conservation/suggestions/concerns: human resources director, director of physical plant and facilities operations

• Follow established procedures for review of energy conversation plans so that recommendations can be made for appropriate corrective action.
• Review energy safety related concerns or energy savings ideas. Forward these recommended ideas for consideration.
• Forward recommendations to the director of human resources and director of physical plant and facilities operations, to co-work energy conservation issues together.
• Request feedback on forwarded recommendations by the next scheduled safety/energy conservation meeting.

Safety/injury meeting:

Human Resources Director, Safety Officer, and Director of Campus Public Safety

• Follow established procedures for review and advise on safety / health / hazard incidents and accidents so that recommendations can be made for appropriate corrective action to prevent recurrence.
• Recommend to the Safety Officer, Director of Campus Public Safety, supervisors and the Director of Human Resources that safety/health training be provided as needed.
• Establish procedures for reviewing quarterly fire and life safety inspections to identify hazards.
• Review corrective action taken by the supervisors.
• Include in the meeting minutes all recommendations.
• Keep meeting minutes for three (3) years to be made available for inspection by OR-OSHA, OPEU, etc.

Procedures:

• Meet monthly at agreed and publicized time and location.
• Elect chair and co-chair by majority vote.
• Formulate and distribute a copy of a written agenda for each meeting to all committee members, the university safety officer, director of campus public, director of human resources, director of physical plant and facilities operations, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, and president of the university.
• Keep minutes, investigation notes and other pertinent records.
• Duties of each member:
  • Report energy conservation concerns.
  • Report energy conservation ideas.
  • Recommend ideas for improving energy conservation plans.
  • Report unsafe conditions and practices to the safety officer.
  • Attend all energy/safety committee meetings.
  • Review reports of all accidents, near-misses and hazards.
  • Recommend ideas for improving safety and health.
  • Conserve energy and work in a safe and healthful manner: set an example.
  • Observe how safety and health are practiced in the work place.
  • Complete assignments given to them by the chair.
  • Act as a work area representative in matters pertaining to energy conversation, health, occupational and environmental safety.

Injury review process:

Each injury and near miss reported to the safety/energy committee will be investigated fully to anticipate, train and plan so no further injuries of a similar nature arise. The following process will be used for each injury or near miss:

1. The safety officer will collect all needed information about the accident prior to bringing it forward to the committee. This will include all facts, pictures, and statements involved.
2. The committee will hear all of the presented information and look for both the surface and root causes in all cases.
3. After hearing all the information, the committee will have an open discussion on the individual injury or near miss. They will make recommendations on the committees findings. These can include no action, supervisor contact, seeking additional information, or forwarding recommendations to supervisor. The recommendations that need any follow up will be assigned to the safety officer to complete and report back to the committee.
4. The recommendations sent forward will ask for feedback from the supervisor if any further information is being requested. The safety officer will be responsible for gaining this information and reporting it back to the committee. If no further information is being requested, this will end the injury review process.
5. If the committee feels the injury or near miss were of a serious nature that needs immediate attention, the recommendation then goes to the appropriate department through the safety officer (director of auxiliary services, director of human resources, or director of campus public safety).

Summary:

A safety and energy conscious university community benefits all employees. The safety/energy committee and the administration of western oregon university shall work together to achieve a sustained commitment to provide a safe and energy conscious environment for all employees, students, and visitors to the university.

Contact

Office of Public Safety 503-838-8481 | or e-mail: safety@wou.edu

Parking Services 503-838-8267 | or e-mail: parking@wou.edu
Hours: 8am-5pm