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Written Workplace Safety Program

Safety and Health Policy Statement

The TMCC Environmental Safety and Health Office's (EHS) mission is to support the Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) teaching and service functions. EHS assists organizational units in meeting their responsibility to protect the environment and to provide a safe and healthful place of employment and learning.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Written Workplace Safety Program (WWSP) is to build a foundational approach for identifying, evaluating, analyzing, and controlling workplace safety and health hazards through the identification of legal and other requirements and the development of systematic policies, procedures, and best management practices fundamental to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment in-line with the TMCC Safety and Health Policy Statement.

The WWSP will serve as the outline to reducing workplace hazards and injuries through the systematic implementation of administrative and engineered controls focused on the continuous improvement of all faculty, staff, and student safety on all TMCC campuses and sites. To achieve this end, it is expected that all TMCC employees adhere to the TMCC WWSP and all associated policy and procedures related to the safety and health program. The intent is to foster a culture of sustainable safety and health best management practices to make TMCC a safe and healthy place to work, learn, and share.

Roles and Responsibilities

The overall safety and health of our faculty, staff, and students is everyone's responsibility. The sustainability of the WWSP, and the culture TMCC wishes to cultivate is based on the premise that we are all in charge of our own safety and health and remaining alert and aware of our surroundings and actions to nurture an environment of safety and health among our peers. Specifically, our:

Chancellor's Office, TMCC President and appointing authorities will:

  • Foster compliance in-line with the Safety and Health Policy Statement;
  • Support an integrated safety and health system;

TMCC deans, directors and managers will:

  • Provide adequate financial and personnel resources to address all safety and health issues; and
  • Support incorporation of safety and health considerations and sustainable injury prevention measures in all aspects of conducting business.

TMCC department chairs and supervisors will:

  • Maintain responsibility and accountability for compliance with all safety and health practices;
  • Institute work and best management practices which comply with regulations, policy, and procedure;
  • Promptly mitigate safety and health compliance deficiencies;
  • Educate and train employees regarding safety and health compliance; and
  • Respond to reports of safety and health incidents in accordance with site-specific procedures.

TMCC Safety and Health Office will:

  • Ensure policy and procedures are implemented to support the WWSP;
  • Provide input and guidance to site management and other employees on safety and health matters;
  • Provide training programs to promote understanding and awareness among all employees and others working on behalf of TMCC;
  • Review all planned and existing facilities and operations to ensure safety and health compliance;
  • Communicate with regulatory agencies and public entities regarding safety and health issues;
  • Report on safety and health matters to senior site and institution management; and
  • Lead responses to safety and health incidents including development of corrective measures.

All faculty and staff working on behalf of TMCC will:

  • Perform their jobs in compliance with safety and health training and prescribed procedures;
  • Report any safety and health incidents in accordance with site-specific procedures; and
  • Cooperate and contribute to the overall success of the site safety and health program.

Identifying, Analyzing and Controlling Hazards

It is the intent of TMCC and the Safety and Health Office to furnish a place of learning and employment free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause harm to its faculty, staff and students. The methods TMCC uses to identify, analyze and control new and existing hazardous conditions are multi-disciplined and include any one or a combination of the following:

  • Formal, informal, planned and unplanned audits and inspections;
  • Job Hazard Analysis (JHA);
  • Federal, state, and local regulatory authority permitting and inspections;
  • Incident management procedures including injury, near-miss, and hazard reporting; and
  • Safety and health related training and awareness to promote continuous improvement.

Employees and supervisors should request information and guidance concerning workplace hazard identification and mitigation. Contact the EHS Office with any concerns or questions.

Safety and Health Training

The EHS Office offers training courses on a variety of topics, many that satisfy federal, state, and local regulations and statutes. For more in-depth, specialized, or continuing education/certification courses, the EHS Office will coordinate with various resources external of the College. However, the employee's immediate supervisor is responsible for identifying training needs and familiarizing each new employee on specific job duties, area hazards, and proper methods to control the hazard.

Contact the EHS Office to learn what types of training is available and/or mandatory.

Accident Investigation and Corrective and Preventative Actions

As an NSHE employee, it is your right to be treated medically and not be retaliated against for reporting work related incidents/injuries. It is also your responsibility to report injuries, illnesses, near misses, and hazardous conditions promptly. Without proper reporting, hazardous conditions may go unchecked and cause more harm to our fellow employees.

Procedures regarding incident reporting and investigation can be found on the BCN Risk Management website or by contacting the EHS Office.

TMCC in conjunction with the services of Business Center North (BCN) Risk Management and Workers Compensation group are responsible for incident management including:

  • Incident investigation and reporting;
  • Medical treatment and coordination;
  • Modified duty and early return to work program;
  • Workers Compensation claims, rights, and responsibilities; and
  • Corrective and preventative actions.

Safety Program Enforcement

TMCC policies related to Environmental Health and Safety are located in the TMCC Policy Manual. Procedures related to specific departments, processes, or tasks can be found below (System Policy, Procedure and Program Reference).

Supervisors are responsible for enforcing the TMCC safety and health policies and procedures, and applying appropriate NSHE approved disciplinary action for failure to follow sanctioned rules.

Safety Committee

Various safety committees have been established at TMCC to facilitate a multi-disciplinary approach to a diverse and ever-expanding organization.

The following committees are standing and help facilitate the flow of information between our College community and the many people who are tasked with ensuring the health and safety of all faculty, staff, students and those visiting TMCC:

  • TMCC Environmental Health and Safety Committee: Reporting to the TMCC Planning Council, the TMCC EHS Committee is comprised of College officials from an array of administrative and academic departments responsible for overseeing and reviewing the implementation and communications plans, protocols, and compliance monitoring of the EHS system.
  • Northern NSHE Integrated EHS Committee: Consisting of representatives from all of the Northern Nevada campuses EHS departments, as well as the BCN Risk management and Workers Compensation group, the NNI EHS Committee is responsible for collaborating and reviewing current trends in EHS related functions including OSHA Logs and injury statistics, regulatory inspections, and continuous improvement.
  • TMCC Science and Arts Safety Committee: Reporting to the TMCC EHS Committee, is responsible for maintaining standards and communication regarding chemical procurement, storage, usage and disposal across the various administrative and academic functions of the College.
  • TMCC Encompassed EHS Committee: Reporting to the EHS Committee, the TMCC Encompassed EHS Committee is tasked with system and field hazard identification within their respective areas/campuses. The Encompassed EHS Committee are the "boots on the ground" pipeline responsible for identifying occupational, safety, and industrial health issues, concerns, and continuous improvement ideas.

System Policy, Procedure and Program References

The following is a list and location (not comprehensive) of applicable policies, procedures, programs and references that support the WWSP:

  • TMCC Written Workplace Safety Program
  • TMCC Emergency Response and Business Continuity Plan(s)
  • TMCC Biohazardous Safety Manual
  • TMCC Bloodborne Pathogen Control Plan
  • TMCC Chemical Hygiene Plan
  • TMCC Hazardous Materials and Waste Preparedness and Prevention Plan
  • TMCC Hazardous Waste Management Plan
  • TMCC HAZCOM Program
  • TMCC Radiation Safety Program
  • TMCC Training Matrix and On-Boarding Program