UW Facilities Safety Team | UW Facilities Partner Resources

Subject

UW Facilities (UWF) Safety Team (Rev. 08/13)

Purpose

Establish a formal group of employees to communicate Health and Safety information as well as related questions and concerns across the UWF organization. The establishment of this team is not a regulatory requirement but rather a best practices, administrative meeting to discuss relevant safety questions and concerns, disseminate valuable safety information to the shops, make safety recommendations to the department management, decrease work related injuries, increase safety awareness across UWF and generate safety related cost savings

Practice

The UWF Safety Team consists of employee and management representatives. Representatives may be recommended by their peers but will be appointed by the department director. The department UWF Safety Team representatives list will be reviewed at least once a year and changes may be made as deemed necessary by the department director or by the UWF Safety Director.

UWF Safety Team representatives must:

Be in good standing with the UWF organization and the University of Washington, i.e., no formal or final corrective actions within the past 12 months from date of appointment by department director.
Have the ability to follow through with UWF Safety Team commitments including attendance at the UWF Safety Team meeting every month (or on an exception basis, send a representative in their absence). If the UWF Safety Team representative misses three meetings within a rolling 12 months, a recommendation will be made to the department director to seek a replacement.
Represents a positive, enthusiastic interest in UWF safety matters, including the ability to collaborate and resolve safety problems at the lowest level.

It is recommended that the shop’s UWF Safety Team representative be rotated for each annual appointment to provide vitality and diversity to the UWF Safety Team and strengthen each shop’s safety program. View the current UWF Safety Team roster (pdf).

The UWF Safety Director oversees the UWF Safety Team, serves as point person and provides staff support for preparation and distribution of agendas, minutes, and other committee correspondence.

The Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S) and the University Police Department (UWPD) are encouraged to designate representatives to the UWF Safety Team to enhance communication and problem-solving on campus-wide issues of mutual concern.

UWF Safety Team operation: the UWF Safety Team shall elect from appointed representatives, a UWF Safety Team Facilitator for each calendar year.

The UWF Safety Team shall meet once a month at a date, time, and location established by the facilitator. UWF Safety Team members are expected to attend all meetings or, in consultation with the shop supervisor, arrange for a substitute. Attendance will be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Safety related questions, concerns and/or general discussion may be brought up at the UWF Safety Team meeting. However, it is expected that anything that can be taken care of at the individual or shop level, by talking to a supervisor or calling in a work order, should be resolved at the lowest possible level.

Any employee may call Customer Care to have orders issued to repair broken windows, missing stair treads, lights out, holes in asphalt, tripping hazards, overgrown shrubbery, and other minor safety problems. When calling into Customer Care, it is important to indicate the urgency of the needed repair and that it is a safety issue. Additionally, it is helpful to report to the UWF Safety Team after action has been taken to solve a problem in order to inform others who may have a similar problem or concern.

Broader procedural or philosophical safety issues may be placed on a meeting agenda by discussing in advance with the UWF Safety Team Facilitator. Staff from UW Facilities or the University campus may also be invited as necessary to provide additional information or presentations.

Resources

As questions and problems are brought up at a meeting, the UWF Safety Team Representative from the corresponding shop may be assigned by the UWF Safety Team Facilitator to follow up on the issue and report back to the Safety Team. These assignments will be listed under “Action Items” on the agenda for the next meeting.

Roles and responsibility

Role	Responsibility
All UWF Employees	May recommend unit UWF Safety Team Representative to director Complies with safety and health regulations, and follows safe work practices Calls in work orders for minor safety-related repairs Reports safety concerns or matters to supervisor or department and/or UWF Safety Team representative
Supervisor	Schedules and facilitates shop meetings at least monthly Ensures that the UWF Safety Team Representative has been identified and appointed by director Ensures that the UWF Safety Team Representative is attending all UWF Safety Team Meetings Follows up on safety items not requiring UWF Safety Team action Posts UWF Safety Team meeting minutes in shop Reviews shop accident reports with UWF Safety Team Representative and implements preventative action to avoid future problems
UWF Safety Team representative	Keeps shop Safety Manual up to date Reviews and reports on UWF Safety Team minutes at shop or department meetings Files agendas/minutes Passes on UWF Safety Team files to successor Attends all UWF Safety Team meetings Brings safety and health concerns to the UWF Safety Team Meeting that can’t be resolved within the shop or that might be relevant to other shops Reports pertinent safety information back to shop Calls in work orders for minor safety-related repairs Review shop accident reports with the supervisor and brings findings to the UWF Safety Team Meeting
UWF Safety Team Facilitator	Is elected from the UWF Safety Team shop representatives Assists Safety Manager in developing monthly meeting agendas Is instrumental in keeping the meeting focused, on schedule and free of disruptions
Safety Director	The UWF Safety Director will assist the UWF Safety Team Facilitator to develop the agenda for each meeting and will ensure that minutes are recorded, distributed to members and administrative units as necessary, and retained in official files for the UWF Safety Team for a minimum of one year. The minutes shall identify items discussed, action taken or to be taken, and the designee responsible for each action item. The Safety Director will facilitate action on items requiring administrative or budgetary support and work with other unit managers to resolve action items. The Safety Manager will also: Oversee agenda and minutes for the UWF Safety Team. Follow up on action items requiring administrative/budgetary support. Advise Safety Team on new safety practices or regulatory requirements. Maintain the online Safety Manual.