The School of Engineering at Penn State Behrend considers no aspect of its operation or administration more important than the health and safety of its employees, students, and visitors. This is achieved by maintaining safe and healthy working conditions and by fostering a culture of awareness, open communication, safety education & supervision, and safe working methods. Our goal is to have zero work-related injuries and illnesses.
Safety is the responsibility of every individual, and everyone participates in activities to ensure a safe work environment. The Director of the School of Engineering and the Safety Committee are responsible for leadership of the overall safety effort and for providing all resources which are necessary for an effective program of accident prevention. The School of Engineering has a particularly diverse risk set, and a variety of persons who are potentially at risk during activities in the School. As a predominantly undergraduate institution, it is recognized that teaching the identification and evaluation of risk, and determination of applicable safety measures, is an important part of the School mission. Supervisors are responsible for maintaining safe work conditions within their areas and for ensuring that all operations are carried out with the utmost regard for safety. Principal Investigators (PIs) are responsible for the safe operation of their laboratories and for ensuring staff and students under their supervision receive the training needed for the safe use of facilities and equipment. The Faculty is responsible for assuring that students are adequately trained for safe activities in School laboratories. Everyone in the school is responsible for consistently following all established safety procedures, for promptly reporting potential hazards, and for fostering a proactive culture focused on the safe and responsible use of School of Engineering facilities.
Maintaining a safe work environment is a top priority of the School of Engineering and must be a personal goal of every employee. The School of Engineering will work with Environmental Health and Safety, the Office of Physical Plant, and any other pertinent organizations to implement an up-to-date Integrated Safety Plan and achieve its goal of zero work-related injuries and illnesses.