Chapter 2 – Accident Prevention Program General Guidance and Instructions

A. References

  1. SPPM 2.16, Safety Orientation
  2. WSU Executive Policy 20 Alcohol and Drug Policy
  3. WSU Alerts sign-upBPPM 50.39, Emergency Planning and Preparedness
  4. College of Arts and Sciences Accident Prevention Program
  5. College of Arts and Sciences safety training requirements
  6. Safety Orientation Checklist
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B. Purpose

This Accident Prevention Program (APP) provides guidance and establishes Department or Unit safety policies and procedures. This APP incorporates requirements established in the Washington State Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) rules and in the WSU Safety Policy and Procedures Manual (SPPM).

Department or Unit supervisors are expected to integrate procedures into relevant and applicable work activities, and employees are expected to apply them on the job. Sample procedural forms are referenced in individual APP chapters and are to be used when they apply.

C. Responsibilities

DOSH rules identify employer responsibilities for employee safety. The WSU SPPM is similarly structured, identifying the unit-level authorities as the individuals responsible for employee safety. General supervisor and employee safety responsibilities are presented in Chapter 3. Subsequent APP chapters identify specific departmental, supervisor and employee responsibilities, referencing DOSH rules and WSU’s SPPM where necessary.

D. New-Hire Safety Orientation

Every new College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) employee will be provided a safety orientation per SPPM 2.16, and the employee’s supervisor will complete the Safety Orientation Checklist (see the link to the Safety Orientation Checklist above, under Section A, References). Workday initiates a Safety Orientation Checklist task for new and transfer employees. The completed Checklist is submitted to the appropriate unit-level office administrator and added to the employee file.

Rehires or cyclical workers returning to work within six months and who will be performing work substantially like work previously performed need not be considered new hires except at the start of their initial cycle. If a rehire is assigned to a substantially different position or is assigned new tasks, then a new safety orientation should be conducted.

Each employee will be briefed on the contents of this Accident Prevention Plan and will be instructed to read selected safety materials directly pertaining to their assigned duties before beginning work. Before new employees are released to perform duties without direct supervision of a properly trained supervisor or co-worker, they must satisfactorily complete required safety training. College, unit, and position-level safety training is in addition to, and separate from, the Safety Orientation Checklist. Minimally, all CAS employees are required to take the following safety courses (see the link to the CAS required training page above, under Section A, References):

  1. Asbestos Awareness
  2. Back Safety and Injury Prevention
  3. Emergency and Fire Preparedness
  4. Office Ergonomics
  5. Portable Fire Extinguisher Safety
  6. Slips, Trips, and Falls

In addition to the six, mandatory safety training requirements, each position in the College may require additional safety training that is unique to the employing unit and/or the individual position. Supervisors determine the need for additional training or the need for repeat training.

New employees will also be instructed that:

  1. They are to report any unsafe conditions or practices immediately to their supervisor for
  2. They have authority to stop work if any unsafe conditions or practices are present until such time as they are
  3. That nothing we do is so important as to necessitate the violation of standing safety practices.
  4. They are not to engage in work activities without having appropriately documented qualifications and training, including (but not limited to):
  • Analyzing Chemical Hazards
  • Autoclave Safety
  • Scaffold Safety
  • Ladder Safety
  • Personal Protective Equipment Fundamentals
  • Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Aerial and Scissor Lift Safety
  • Confined Spaces
  • Spill Response
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Hand and Power Tool Safety
  • Coaching the Van Driver
  1. Employees failing to comply with safety policies and procedures will be subject to timely and corrective disciplinary action.

Required training are available through either Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) or via the Human Resource Services (HRS) training portal, Percipio. Reference CAS Accident Prevention Plan Chapter 29, Safety and Health Training, for additional information on accessing training. References below.

Supervisors can access employee training records via the Management Authorization Request-Learning Administrator Form submitted to HRS. References below.

Once HRS approves your Learning Administrator request, supervisors can request to be added to the Teams channel for Learning Administrators, which is administered by HRS. Email HRS at hrstraining@wsu.edu with your request.

E. WSU Drug and Alcohol Policy

Employees are expected to read and comply with WSU Executive Policy #20, Alcohol and Drug Policy. See link under A. References, above.

F. Job Class Requirements

Each classified position description includes physical and mental requirements necessary for the position. Classified position descriptions also describe typical working conditions that outline what employees can expect. This includes the identification of position-specific personal protective equipment and associated medical surveillance or monitoring requirements. Employees must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to fulfill position-description requirements and apply safety rules and procedures.

G. Emergency Preparedness

  1. Building emergency. Employees will receive instructions on what to do during a building evacuation Each building has a gathering location where, upon activation of emergency alarms, employees should gather and wait for further instructions from the person identified in charge. An evacuation map for each building and floor is posted and shows locations of exits, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and gathering locations outside.

In addition to the above, Facilities Operations’ event notifications for individual buildings alerts occupants via email of both planned and emergency events. All building occupants are encouraged to sign up for events for the buildings in which they work and teach. To sign up for building event notifications, go to:

  • https://myfacilities.wsu.edu
  • In the vertical column on the left side of the page, select Event Notifications, then Notice Subscriptions. Log-in with your network ID.
  • Select the Signup tab at the top and follow instructions.
  1. General campus emergency. In the event of a general emergency campus-wide, employees will receive notification and general instructions via the campus emergency public address system or the WSU Alert network communication CAS employees are encouraged to sign up for WSU Alerts and can do so at the below link Employees may select whether to receive alerts via landline, mobile phone, text, electronic mail, or any combination thereof.
  2. A current copy of each unit’s Emergency Plan is to be made available upon employee request.

H. Fire Safety

All CAS employees are required to evacuate the building when a fire alarm is activated and shall not attempt to extinguish any fire unless they have taken online fire extinguisher training. See the link to the CAS required training page above, under Section A, References.

Upon discovering a fire:

  1. Immediately notify other persons in the area and call 911 or instruct someone to call 911.
  2. If the fire is small (such as a wastebasket fire) and there is minimal smoke, fire-extinguisher-trained employees may attempt to put the fire out with an appropriate fire If the fire grows and/or there is thick smoke, do not continue to fight the fire and immediately evacuate the building.
  3. Non-designated personnel are to immediately evacuate and go to the designated gathering area.
  4. Notify your supervisor that you have evacuated and are

Supervisors notified of a fire are to:

  1. Instruct employees to evacuate to the designated gathering area for your building.
  2. Insure all employees have been evacuated and are accounted for.
  3. Verify 911 has been called.
  4. Determine if the fire has been extinguished. If fire has grown or there is thick smoke, evacuate any employees attempting to fight the fire.
  5. Go to the designated gathering area and verify that all employees are accounted for. If an employee is missing, no one will be permitted to re-enter the building.
  6. Notify responding firefighting personnel when an employee is missing and may be in the building.