Managing a Small EHS Office

1. Managing a Small EHS Office Karen Misbach Suzanne Howard Bruce McDougal Director, EH&S Director, EH&S Director, EH&S Trinity College Wellesley College Colby College

2. Introduction to Trinity College • Liberal Arts • 2100 Undergraduate students; 150 graduate • 80 Buildings on 100 acres • 27 Residence halls • 14 Teaching/ 23 research labs • Studio Arts facilities • Engineering labs CSHEMA 2007

3. EH&S at Trinity • Created January 2000 from EPA initiative • 3 FTE: manager, technician, fire systems specialist • Report to Director of Facilities • Asbestos, CHO, waste mgmt, RCRA, TSCA, air, wastewater, SPCC, Tanks, OSHA, reporting/recordkeeping, training, construction safety, fire systems, IAQ, emergency response, safety committee, etc. CSHEMA 2007

4. Prioritizing and Perspective • Develop key relationships • Let your presence be known • Self promotion • CYA • Use resources • Manipulation • Timing • Smile and repeat mantra CSHEMA 2007

5. How to Prioritize • Eliminate the hazard • Address non-compliance • Fix the easy to fix first • Target big ticket items • Minor tasks vs. Big projects • Inadequate is better than nothing • Direct efforts purposefully • Proactive vs. Reactive CSHEMA 2007

6. Communication • No one really knows what the heck I do • My boss = Asbestos & lead (budget killer) • Campus Safety = Emergency management & chemical spills • Custodial = Bloodborne pathogens • Faculty = Chemicals and waste mgmt • IT = Universal waste disposal • Admin. Assts.= IAQ & ergonomics • Students = Mold, bugs, & bad smells CSHEMA 2007

7. All Women’s College with 2200 Students Founded in 1875 in Wellesley, MA 2.5 Million GSF Approx 65 Buildings on over 500 acres 20 Residence Halls Science Center has 285,300 sq feet of labs, offices and support space Introduction to Wellesley CSHEMA 2007

8. CSHEMA 2007

9. EHS at Wellesley College • Manage the full range of typical (and atypical) EHS programs • Labs are more general oversight – not directly involved in the day-to-day. CHO has separate reporting-line up to the Dean. • EHS Staff includes: • EHS Director – 1 FTE • Consultant – 0.8 FTE • Students – 0.5 FTE • Admin Assistant – 0.05 FTE CSHEMA 2007

10. How to Get Things Done?! • Plan ahead • Activities for each day and hope to accomplish at least one thing • Six months to one year out • Commit to not allowing something to sit on your desk for xxx amount of time • Develop & maintain professional relationships on campus • Respond in person sometimes, not email • EH&S trainings • Custodial Services are important allies! CSHEMA 2007

11. How to Get Things Done?! • Develop & maintain professional relationships off-campus • Colleagues at other institutions • Regional Professional Organizations • National Professional Organizations • Benchmark with other similar institutions • COFHE – Consortium on Financing Higher Education – http://web.mit.edu/cofhe CSHEMA 2007

12. How to Get Things Done?! • Keep a running list of priorities • What you MUST get done • Use a “rating system” – base it on risk, financial, compliance, political, others? • Put list on paper, computer, or whiteboard • Document SOPs • Keep them short and simple - no more than two pages – one preferable • Make them easily accessible CSHEMA 2007

13. EXAMPLE SOP Program:DOT Medical Certificates Scope: Involves all employees who 1) drive commercial vehicles over 10K, 2) drive over 15 passengers, or 3) carry haz-mat in their vehicle regardless of size. Procedure: 1. Employee can go to their primary care physician and ask for the certificate, OR 2. Employee can go to xx Hospital and obtain the certificate. 3. If go to the hospital, call the clinic at 617-555-5555. Advise them you would like an appointment for a DOT Medical Certificate. Wellesley College will pay for this visit. 4. Employees to provide copy of certificate to supervisor. 5. Supervisor to provide list of all employees to EHS. 6. If employees fails exam, must report this to supervisor. Supervisor will adjust employee responsibilities. Frequency: Every two years Recordkeeping: Medical Exams on file with physician. List of all employees with certificate on EHS database. References: Medical Report from DOT Website: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/safetyprograms/Medical-Report.pdf Date: April 11, 2007 CSHEMA 2007

14. How to Get Things Done?! • Use technology • Stay current with what is available • We use Microsoft Sharepoint Software • On-line training • Develop & maintain a good filing system • On the computer • Paper Files • Keep up with it! CSHEMA 2007

15. CSHEMA 2007

16. Introduction to Colby • 1,800 Students, 667 Faculty & Staff • Founded in 1813, Waterville, Maine • 750 Acres, rural setting • 64 Buildings, 1.6 million sq. feet and growing • 31 labs, LQG, DEP Inspected 2006 • 1.5 FTE’s for Safety • Safety Director since 1993 CSHEMA 2007

17. EH&S at Colby College • Director manages full program • Chemistry Liaison: student safety training, inventory and SAA management, CHP • RSO, CHO, LSO, Fire & Life Safety, Training, Ergonomics, Emergency Response, RCRA, OSHA, Secretary, Clerk, Bottlewasher, etc. • DEP RCRA Inspection 2006 • Still Employed! CSHEMA 2007

18. YA GOTTA BELONG!!! • Benefits – • Shoulders to cry on • Brains to pick • Programs to “steal” • Info to share • Free/low cost training • FUN!!! • Costs – • Membership fee • Conference reg. • Time CSHEMA 2007

19. WHERE TO BELONG • CSHEMA (www.cshema.org) • C2E2 (www.c2e2.org/) • ACS (http://membership.acs.org/c/ccs/ ) • ASSE (www.ASSE.org ) • Regional/State Groups • NESCESA • MECUSEA • Every region has one • NSC (www.nsc.org ), and more!!!! CSHEMA 2007

20. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • GET CERTIFIED! • CSP • CIH • OHST • CHMM • HAZWOPER • More • Conferences • Insurance company • State • OSHA/EPA CSHEMA 2007

21. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CONT’D) • Go back to school • On-line information • Listservs • CSHEMA • SAFETY • EPPNET • Visit/tour other institutions • Query the experts CSHEMA 2007

22. Questions? or Comments CSHEMA 2007