Safety Committee Meeting

School of Engineering

February 28, 2025

In attendance: Nick Vitelli, Beth Last, Kayla Majewski, Brian Lani, Mark Rubeo, Nancy Study, Steve Nozaki, Brandi Baros (Zoom)

Members Unavailable: Tim Kurzweg, Omar Ashour, Chris Bartlett, Andrew Bartlett, Dave Honard, Adam Gummerson, Fred Nitterright, Azeemuddin Syed

1. Introduction and Roll Call

  • Beth Last opened the meeting at 1:10 p.m., emphasizing the importance of safety and the need for regular updates.
  • Roll call was conducted to identify participants.

2. Safety Door Signs

  • Discussion on updating safety door signs for various labs.
  • Specific labs mentioned include Burke 119, 116, 118, 118B, 117, and 122.
  • Details on the presence of chemicals, physical hazards, engineering controls, and required PPE were reviewed for each lab.

3. Lab Access and Training Documentation

  • Emphasis on the need for accurate lab access request forms and the importance of email addresses for identification.
  • Discussion on the need for a centralized system to track safety training and lab access, with suggestions to use existing systems like iLab.

4. Equipment and Safety Procedures

  • Review of the laboratory shop equipment safety procedures and the need to update and verify the information.
  • Emphasis on the importance of documenting training for specific equipment and ensuring students are properly trained before using lab equipment.

5. Lab Safety Roles and Responsibilities

  • Review of the School of Engineering lab safety roles and the need to update the list of lab coordinators and safety officers.
  • Discussion on the responsibilities of lab coordinators and safety officers, including ensuring safety training and documentation are up to date.

6. Room Reservations and Access

  • Verification of room reservations and access, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to specific labs.
  • Discussion on the need for clear guidelines on lab access hours and ensuring students do not have access to labs outside of designated hours without proper authorization.

7. Monthly Laboratory Risk Assessments

  • Discussion on the continuation of monthly laboratory risk assessments and the importance of documenting any equipment issues or safety concerns.
  • Agreement to continue using the risk assessment forms and to ensure they are completed and reviewed regularly.

8. New Risk Assessment System

  • Introduction of the new Lion Safe Risk Assessment system, which will replace the old unit-specific plans (USPs).
  • Explanation of the new system, which will be implemented in January for volunteers and fully rolled out in July.
  • Emphasis on the need for faculty to complete the new risk assessments and ensure their labs are compliant with safety regulations.

9. Action Items and Next Steps

  • Kayla and Brandi to meet next week to discuss the iLab system and how it can be used to track safety training and lab access.
  • Faculty to review and update the laboratory shop equipment safety procedures and lab safety roles.
  • Continuation of monthly laboratory risk assessments and documentation of any issues or concerns.

 

Meeting concluded at 2:15 p.m. Next meeting is scheduled for March.