Chapter 13 – Hazard Notification

A. References

  1. SPPM: 10, General Workplace Safety – Accident Prevention Responsibility
  2. SPPM: 52 General Workplace Safety – Hazard Notification
  3. SPPM: Hazard Notification Form
  4. WSU BPPM 90.01, Records Retention Schedule
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B. Purpose and Scope

This chapter establishes responsibilities and procedures for reporting workplace safety hazards identified by CAS employees. Procedures for reporting safety hazards that may impact students or campus visitors are also included.

WA State Department of Labor and Industries web site provides Hazard Alerts that highlight emerging or newly recognized safety or health hazards in the workplace that can cause death, serious injury or illness.

C. Responsibilities

CAS employees observing serious safety concerns affecting or potentially affecting University employees, students or the public are to immediately contact their supervisor and the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Director.

Hazards that can be addressed immediately and the corrective action is within the employee’s ability, job description and training shall be resolved and reported by the employee. Hazards that cannot be immediately address shall be appropriately isolated and/or demarcated to prevent employees, students or the public contacting the hazard.

Employees are to report all safety hazards to the EHS OHS Director and safety committee, using the Hazard Notification form. For hazards requiring resolution by Facilities as a maintenance request, the OHS Director or their designee (e.g. via assignment or backup while away from work or working out of office) completes a myFacilities request for maintenance and communicates the appropriate urgency. Hazards requiring new equipment or furniture, or new construction will be added to the Minor Capital Safety requirement list and prioritized accordingly.

The unit responsible to address the safety hazard completes “Corrective Action” portion of the Hazard Notification form.

D. Reporting Process

Workplace Hazards
Employees observing serious safety concerns affecting or potentially affecting the safety of themselves or other employees are to:

  • Immediately inform the work-unit supervisor and/or manager/director;
  • Submit an incident report per the Safety Policies and Procedures Manual 20 should the hazard result in an accidental injury, work related illness OR a significant near miss;
  • Document the workplace hazard using the Hazard Notification form upon the supervisor’s determination that corrective action cannot be implemented by the supervisor’s work unit;
  • Notify the work unit Safety Committee of the hazard for evaluation;
  • Supervisor should report the concern to the OHS Director.

Public Hazards
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is responsible for investigating and initiating and/or coordinating corrective action for all reported public hazards.

Employees observing serious safety concerns affecting or potentially affecting the safety of the general public using University facilities shall:

Contractor Caused Hazards
Employees observing serious safety concerns that may affect University employees created by building or construction contractors should report the concern to Environmental Health and Safety; telephone 335-3041 and to their work-unit supervisor and/or manager/director.