Procedure No.:   44.118

Page No.:        1,2 and 3 of 3

Date Issued:     02/95

Issued By:       Gary North

PURPOSE:

To provide a safe and healthful work place for Ohio University Employees and uniform implementation of the Public Employment Risk Reduction Program (PERRP) as required by Ohio Law. Implementation will consist of program development, training, monitoring, use of engineering controls, enforcement, auditing, and other tasks necessary for the development and continued maintenance of the PERRP program.

BACKGROUND

Enabling Legislation was effective December of 1992, and the Public Employment Risk Reduction Program (PERRP) went into effect. The purpose of this program is to ensure that the public employees in the State of Ohio are provided with a safe and healthful working environment. Public employers are to furnish employees a place of employment free of recognized hazards that may cause death or serious physical harm.

POLICY

It is the intention of Ohio University to provide employees with a work place free of recognized hazards which may cause injury or illness. It is from this intent and recognition that Ohio University must comply with the regulations of PERRP, that this Policy is written. Ohio University has had a history of concern for employee health and safety and the University intends to continue this emphasis through the full implementation of the PERRP. In order to implement these rules effectively, it is important that everyone take responsibility for health and safety.

RESPONSIBILITIES

All Ohio University officers and employees are responsible for the overall implementation of applicable PERRP regulations and are responsible for the occupational health and safety of employees within the total university community within all academic units, within all administrative areas, and within each respective college. In addition, with Ohio University's governance of the college structure the following responsibilities apply:

The department chairs are responsible to the Dean for the implementation of applicable regulations in their departments and are responsible for the occupational health and safety of employees within their departments.

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The directors of administrative units are responsible for the overall implementation of applicable PERRP regulations and are responsible for the occupational health and safety of employees within their units.

Supervisors are responsible for arranging that employees are appropriately trained, implementing applicable PERRP regulations, and are responsible for the occupational health and safety of employees which are under their direction.

The Department of Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for development of University Health and Safety Policy, general occupational health and safety training, assessment of occupational hazards, program auditing, interfacing with PERRP officials, and provision of support to the university in all phases of the university's compliance effort.

The employees of Ohio University have the responsibility to comply with the policies and programs of the University and the requirements of PERRP regulations. Officers and employees of Ohio University will be indemnified and insured in accordance with Ohio law for the good faith performance of their responsibility under PERRP.

COMPLIANCE

Health and safety of Ohio University is, to a great degree, handled by individual departments. In order to conduct business as efficiently as possible, certain tasks may be handled more effectively centrally. Tasks which may be centralized through Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) include but are not limited to: general training, accident investigation (for accidents involving medical treatment, loss of consciousness, restricted work, lost day(s), death), workers' compensation, injury illness recordkeeping, industrial hygiene monitoring activities (such as fume hood certification, dilution tanks, and auditing activities). Other areas which may be centralized include but are not limited to: policy development, purchase of "high use" personal protective equipment, medical services, sample analysis services, and some contracted environmental projects such as asbestos abatement. Due to decentralization each department may, within the confines of PERRP and university policy, develop their own programs to fit their unique needs and methods of conducting business within the general structure established by EHS for the University as a whole. EHS shall provide support in the form of interpretation of the standards, model (example) programming, training, auditing and supply of compliance related information. Therefore, departments implementing their own programs must coordinate through the EHS department.

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Not all departments will have to implement the same programming to comply with PERRP. Some regulations have training requirements, medical requirements, and sampling requirements. Some have requirements which may make it necessary to modify work stations or make changes in the work place. It is because of these many and varied requirements that each department make a preliminary assessment to determine which standards are applicable from the programming and training made available to them by the EHS Department. EHS is available for assistance in making this determination and compliance auditing.

CORRESPONDENCE AND INTERACTION WITH PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM (PERRP) OFFICIALS

RECEIPT OF NOTICE OF COMPLAINT:

If a complaint letter is received by anyone at Ohio University, EHS shall immediately be notified. Any response to PERRP correspondence or other inquiries shall be made through the EHS office, with the concurrence of the Office of Legal Affairs. This is done in order to help insure that an adequate response is made to PERRP. It is the responsibility of the EHS Department to ensure that an adequate response to the complaint allegations has been returned to PERRP within 30 days of the universities receipt of the notice of complaint. EHS shall negotiate any further actions with PERRP.

PERRP INSPECTOR ARRIVAL AT OHIO UNIVERSITY:

If a PERRP inspector arrives at the University he/she shall be directed to the EHS Director located in Hudson Health Center.

EMPLOYEE REFUSAL TO WORK:

A formal employee refusal to work statement shall be based on that employee's allegation that he/she is exposed to an eminent danger of death or serious physical harm. Such refusals shall be immediately brought to the attention of proper supervisors and EHS for investigation. EHS will work with the employee, employee representative, and supervision to evaluate the condition and recommend an acceptable solution.

VOLUNTARY REQUESTS FOR INSPECTION:

If a department wishes to voluntarily request a PERRP inspection, the department shall first discuss the request with the EHS Department. No individual employee may request a PERRP on site inspection on behalf of the Ohio University without permission of their supervisor and the EHS Department.

Dick Piccard revised this file (https://www.ohio.edu/policy/44-118.html) on March 23, 2016.

Please E-mail any comments or suggestions to "policy@ohio.edu".