Colby recognizes a basic responsibility to make the safety of students, employees, and visitors a primary concern. This responsibility can only be realized when everyone works continuously to promote safe operating practices among all employees and to maintain equipment and property in safe condition. The College provides training and instruction, corrects hazards, issues safety warnings, and encourages safe practices. At the same time, any safety program relies primarily upon concerned individuals acting wisely and responsibly at all times. The College encourages employees to report to supervisors or the College Safety Director any and all unsafe conditions.

The College is committed to the development and maintenance of a successful safety program as an organizational priority. The goal of the Colby safety program is to reduce and, ultimately, to eliminate work-related injuries.

Colby has established hazard identification and safety training programs in compliance with federal and state occupational safety regulations. Employees receive general safety training during orientation and, where appropriate, job-specific training prior to starting work. Colby also provides refresher training programs on a regular basis as required and will provide more frequent training upon request. Employees should contact their supervisor or the Director of Safety for additional information or questions regarding safety procedures, policies, or training.

JOB-RELATED INJURIES AND ILLNESSES

All work-related injuries and illnesses must be reported to your supervisor and the Office of Personnel Services immediately. Supervisors are required to file a completed Supervisor's First Report of Injury with Personnel Services within 24 hours of any work injury or illness, identify the cause of an injury or illness, and take preventive measures to avoid future occurrences.

For work-related and non-work-related injuries or illnesses, the College has established procedures to assist injured employees, coordinate necessary medical care, and provide early return to work opportunities whenever possible. The College reserves the right to request a physical examination, at the expense of the College, to determine whether the health or physical condition of an employee might interfere with job performance or personal safety.

WORKSTATION EVALUATIONS

The Safety Director and other designated staff are available to perform workstation evaluations to ensure work area design meets appropriate ergonomic standards. Staff should contact the Safety Director for more information or to request an evaluation.

WORKPLACE SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The College has established an advisory committee of faculty and staff to assist in the development and implementation of an effective safety program on campus. The committee reviews safety programs, incident reports, loss analysis, and government regulations. Committee members assist the Safety Director in developing and implementing safety education programs and in conducting safety inspections.

HAZARD COMMUNICATION

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) hazard communication standard defines certain chemicals/agents/solutions as potential hazards if not used correctly. It stipulates an employer must inform and train all employees who may be exposed to these hazards under normal operating conditions or in foreseeable emergencies.

In practice, this means that all employees who may be exposed to these hazards must be given initial information and training. Thereafter, employees must be informed and trained when these new hazards are introduced into their work area. An employee who is transferred to a new work area must be informed and trained upon assignment. New employees must be informed about hazard communication and trained before starting to work in an area where they may be exposed to these hazards.

The standard clearly states that employees must be informed of: the requirements of the hazard communication standard; any operations in their work area where chemical/agents/solutions are located; the location and availability of the written hazard communication program, the master chemical list, and the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the chemical agents or solutions with which they work or to which they may be exposed.

Department directors and supervisors are responsible for both the initial orientation of new employees and for making sure that current employees are aware of and practice proper safety precautions as they relate to hazards in their respective areas.

"Chemicals" include not only hazardous products but also raw materials, intermediate chemicals, by-products, wastes, maintenance supplies, and other chemicals that are in the workplace. These include: copier toner, typewriter cleaner, rubber cement, carpet tile adhesives, paint and wax stripper, insecticides and fungicides that may be sprayed in the workplace or office, fluorescent lamp coatings, bleach, ammonia, caulking materials and sealants, copper and aluminum cleaners, dry cleaning fluids, and pre-molded urethane insulation, to name a few.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on all chemicals/agents/solutions are located in the Safety Director's office or on-line: the Cornell Chemical Web Site Department-specific MSDS are located in each department. These Material Safety Data Sheets will outline the correct strategy to use when working with or near chemicals/agents/solutions. In addition, the College will conduct periodic education and training sessions related to proper safety procedures. All chemicals/agents/solutions containers must be labeled, tagged, or marked with appropriate hazard warnings. If the container is not marked DO NOT USE IT. Report it to your supervisor immediately.

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILLS

Spills of chemicals, bio-medical waste, blood, or other potentially hazardous materials are best handled by experts. Some situations can be appropriately handled by trained College employees while others require more specialized knowledge. The College has two individuals so trained, as well as membership in the Kennebec Valley Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team, to meet these situations.

Spills should be reported to the Physical Plant Department during regular business hours (extension 5000) or to Security (extension 5530) if PPD is unavailable. Do NOT attempt to clean up the spill unless you have received appropriate training.