BUILDING &OFFICE & SAFETY

BUILDING &OFFICE & SAFETY Trig Trigiano UAA Environmental Health & Safety And Risk Management Support

OBJECTIVES • Familiarization and Awareness of Common Safety Concerns at UAA • Provide Resources and Reference Material for Building and Safety Coordinators

What Can Happen In An Unsafe Work Area? • Injuries & Illnesses • physical • psychological • diseases • Which Can Lead To: • absences • conflicts • decreased morale • decreased productivity • crabbiness

Policies & Procedures and Lots of Other Safety Resources http://ehsrms.uaa.alaska.edu

Workplace Specific Hazards & Risks? • Slips, Trips & Falls • Manual Handling & Ergonomics • Chemical & Biological Hazards • Physical Hazards • Psychological Hazards • Aggression & Violence

Slips, Trips & Falls • Icy Conditions (sand & Spikies) • Not Paying Attention • General Housekeeping • Cords, Cables & Wires • Cupboards, Cabinets, Drawers & Carpets • Personal Belongings • Furniture (44” clearance) • Fluid Spills & Floor Surfaces • Chewing Gum and Walking At the Same Time 

Manual Handling Techniques “To Do or Not To Do” • Twisting & Bending • Pushing vs. Pulling • Center of Gravity • Frequency • Walking • Teamwork Lifting & Moving • Mechanical Aids

Ergonomics: Evolution or Devolution?

What is Ergonomics? According to Webster: “Ergonomics is the study of equipment design in order to reduce operator fatigue and discomfort.” According to Trig: “Making the equipment work for the worker rather than the worker working for the equipment.”

Office Ergonomics • Office Equipment & Placement: workstations, chairs, keyboards • Worker Posture: height & distance of equipment periods of sitting & standing • Breaks & Exercises: 5 – 10 minutes per hour suggested • Web Ergonomic Self Evaluation training button at the EHS/RMS Website if problems are detected, call EHS at 786-1351 • UAA EHS/RMS Ergonomics Policy 24

Office Hazardous Material • Toners, Developers & Inks • Cleaning Agents • Solvents • Paints • Air

Material Safety Data Sheets • MSDSs are required for all hazmats • Should be available near or at the worksite during or before the shift when the associated material is to be used • Provide detailed chemical, health, and safety information • Often need an interpretation by a chemical professional • “Grain of Salt”

Contaminated Air or Indoor Air Quality • Stale air (lack of fresh air) • Carbon dioxide (CO2) vs. Carbon Monoxide (CO) • Temperature • Humidity • Cigarette Smoke • Micro-organisms (molds, mildews, bacteria, viruses) • Ozone • Miscellaneous odors and episodic contaminates • Neighbors • Measurements

Office Machinery • Electricity • cords, cables & electrical hazards • faulty or arcing switches • Photocopiers • toner, developer/toner, noise, ozone, light • Printers • noise, inks, ozone (laser) • Computers - VDUs • Eyestrain and ergonomics • computer games • Typewriters • repetitive motion strain

Electrical Safety Problems • Lock-out or Secure the Problem Area • Notify Your Co-workers and Supervisor • Call Maintenance at786-6980

Noise - In Here - Pardon? • What is noise? • Legal limits: 85dB(Action Level) • How it’s measured • Control strategies • Elimination & Hearing Protection • Engineering • separating • enclosing • absorbing and diffusing • Administration • staff rotation, shift duration timings

Lighting & Glare • How do you Know? • headache? • fatigue? • eyestrain? • nausea? • can usually see it • Benefits of Eliminating Glare • reduced absenteeism • reduced illnesses

Fire Safety in the Office • Call these numbers for all fire and medical emergencies: UPD 786-1120 & EMS 911 • Know two ways to get out! • Know how to trigger the building alarm • Appropriate Equipment? • alarms, extinguishers, hoses, detectors • Training? Evacuations, Fire Extinguishers • Visitors, Clients, Public? • Should I put the fire out?

Housekeeping • What is Housekeeping? • cleanliness, tidiness, maintenance • taking care of your work area • good housekeeping calls for constant care • Good Housekeeping Benefits • safer, easier, better, more fun • less tiring, more work and play space, less aggravating, more business-like • Part ofYOUR Job

Corridors or Exit Systems • What is a Corridor? • Means to get out of a building • Suite corridors vs. main or public • Doors in corridors • Common Deficiencies • Excessive storage (includes furniture, surplus material, free standing displays, etc.) • Obstructions to smooth traffic flow • Open and blocked doors • Requires constant vigilance

Excessive Storage • Fire loading • 18” Sprinkler head rule • Flammable storage restrictions • Requires constant vigilance

Room Capacity • 50 or more people requires two widely separated exits • Fixed seating rooms are limited to the number of fixed chairs and few additional. • Labs are limited to the number of workstations plus a few additional • Standing room only is used some on buses • We aren’t the airlines and cannot overbook rooms with the expectation that enrollment will drop after a few weeks. • Requires constant vigilance

Stress • Statistically increasing • Costs • Causes • Effects • Personal • Social • Organizational

Stress – Things You Can Do • Talk with a co-worker, friend, your S.O. , or your supervisor in private • Analyze the situation & consider constructive approaches to address the problem • Talk with an HRS consultant • Use your EAP benefits • Pick your battles

Go Fishing … A Great Stress Reliever

What is Workplace Violence? • Any physical assault, threatening behavior, or verbal abuse occurring in the workplace. • The workplace may be any location either permanent or temporary where an employee performs any work-related duty.

Occupational Aggression & Violence • Laws & Policies • Types of Violence • Physical & psychological • Control Measures • Procedures • Reporting system • Infrastructure & training • Call UPD at 786-1120 • When less severe, call HRS, Diversity & Compliance or Dean of Students depending on the nature of the event

Resource: EHS/RMS • Most environmental and occupational health and safety issues to include: • EHS training and education • hazardous materials and waste management • ergonomic evaluations (temporarily discontinued) • fire code compliance • accident investigation and prevention • safety audits • indoor air quality (with FMS 786-6980) • specific safety code consultations • safety program development assistance • risk analysis • whole bunch of other stuff

Resource:University Police Department • Commissioned police officers (real cops) • Most public safety and security matters • Campus violence situations • Criminal and traffic law enforcement • Criminal investigations • Non-employee accident reporting • Crime statistics and reporting • Safety and security training, evaluations, and consultations • After hours safety escorts and unlocks • Emergency campus phone system • www.uaa.alaska.edu/upd • 786-1120

Resource: Facilities Maintenance Services • Most grounds and building maintenance issues • Along with EHS, indoor air quality investigation and amelioration • Electrical, mechanical, carpentry, and plumbing concerns • www.uaa.alaska.edu/fcs/maintenanceoperations/index.cfm • 786-6980

Reporting • UPD 786-1120: crimes, personal and auto accidents, thefts, personal injuries, overly aggressive behavior, misconduct, suspicious persons or activities, moose, free donuts and free food • EHS/RMS 786-1351: unsafe conditions, hazmats and hazwastes, regulatory contacts, IAQ problems, ergonomics, food safety, permits, fire safety, insurance claims, a whole bunch of other stuff • Parking 786-1119: parking lot problems • Maintenance 786-6980: plumbing, electrical, mechanical, carpentry, locks, grounds, IAQ problems (with EHS/RMS) • Custodial 786-4762: janitorial concerns and general sanitation • SORS 786-7755: Workers Compensation, liability and major loss claims

FEED TRIG PIZZA AND NOBODY GETS HURT

BUILDING &OFFICE & SAFETY