ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University's Department of Environmental Health and Safety recently received two awards at the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Management Association Conference held this summer in Toronto, Canada.

The department received the highest Award of Honor for its entry in the National Safety Council's Complete Environmental Health and Safety Program. The office won the award for the overall quality of its operating procedures. In fact, the program was impressive enough to become the first ever to have its University Total Awards Program included in the National Safety Council's library.

Ohio University's Environmental Health and Safety also became just the sixth school since 1989 to be awarded the prestigious Award of Distinction for its entry into the Unique or Innovative Program competition. The office received recognition for its emergency radio distribution program, which places an emergency radio in every department on campus in case of emergencies. The program, which was created and is managed by Ohio University Hazardous Materials Manager Lee Scribner, was displayed at the conference.

Ohio University became the first school to receive recognition for these two awards in the same year.

"It's a tremendous accomplishment to be recognized for these two awards and I am very proud of Ohio University for making it possible," said Ohio University Director of Environmental Health and Safety Jimmy Matthews. "Ohio University is excited to receive these awards and shares the honor with all University health and safety programs. It is recognized that without a total university effort it would not have been possible."