Minutes
University of Washington, Tacoma
Health and Safety Committee
Meeting of Aug. 8, 2002
Committee chair Lia Wetzstein called the meeting to order.
Minutes from July 11 were reviewed and approved with minor revisions.
SUBCOMMITTEES AND OLD BUSINESS
Web site
A Web site is being maintained by the Health and Safety Committee. It can be found at:
The committee requested usage information for the site. James Woods will report next month on that.
The site will be updated to reflect current building and floor wardens. The Web site address will be included in the student brochure on safety next time it is updated. Safety training information will be added to the site. There was discussion of adding a hyperlink to the site for e-mail suggestions related to health and safety. Concern was expressed about how follow-up would occur on suggestions submitted in that manner.
Exit route signs
Keith Ward reported on the challenges of creating a customized exit route map for every room on campus (except offices). Security will contact the fire marshal for more details on posting requirements for exit routes.
Lifting/back safety training
A training session on lifting and back safety is scheduled for Sept. 5 in BHS 103. Enrollment will be limited to 32. Employees who routinely lift over 20 pounds are required to have this training and then be retrained at specified intervals. Discussion was held about whether any extra seats could be offered to UW retail tenants. This question will be referred to the UW’s Environmental Health and Safety department. The class will be publicized over UWTline.
Harmon
James Woods obtained contact information for the Harmon, and Lia will be following up to discuss safety and emergency procedures for UWT employees working in that building. UWT will continue to occupy the building until December.
Educating UWT employees about safety responsibilities
Lia reported that she met recently with directors and asked them to remind faculty members about their responsibilities in emergency situations. Directors asked that a session explaining employers’ new responsibilities for ergonomics be offered as soon as possible. The committee agreed that ergonomics training, which includes a 30-minute video, would be offered in the fall, ideally the third week of the quarter, and that earthquake preparedness would be offered later in the year.
NEW BUSINESS/CONSTITUENT CONCERNS
Concerns for personal safety of employees in parts of the campus (such as newly completed floors or buildings) that are not fully occupied was brought up. Discussion was held about how employees can identify authorized contractors. The facilities representative noted that UW Capital Projects is responsible for the presence of contractors in buildings. The Lease Crutcher Lewis representative noted that all LCL workers wear hard hats labeled both with their name and with “UWT Phase 2B.”
Actual project work on Phase 2B starts Aug. 12 on C Street.
Attendees were reminded that electrical cords intended for household use should not be overloaded and that caution should be exercised when handling incoming mail that seems suspicious. Such items should not be opened, but should be referred to Security.
Discussion was held about increased foot traffic through the campus due to the opening of the Museum of Glass.
Safety committee will meet the 3rd Thursday in September because chair Lia Wetzstein will not be available on the normally scheduled date.
The Chancellor’s Campus Address is scheduled for the same time as the regularly scheduled October meeting of the UWT Health and Safety Committee, 1 p.m. Oct. 10.
Attendees:
Darren Bailey
Caroline Calvillo
Kim Davenport
Alisha Gregory-Davis
Don Higgins
Linda Kachinsky
Jamie Martin-Almy
Crystal Perrine
John St. Clair (LCL)
Tessa Tanner
Penny Turrentine
Keith Ward
Lia Wetzstein
Kim Wheeler
James Woods