CSHEMA - Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association

In a successful safety and health program, the leadership team plays a significant role regarding employee safety and health; it is considered an essential part of the organization. Commitment to safety and health protection must be part of the organizational structure by allocating sufficient human and financial resources for the program to be successful.

This short course is designed for early career health and safety professionals in higher education. Participants will learn practical information and develop skills to improve their effectiveness as safety advisors. Drawing from more than thirty years of experience in higher education, the presenter will share the lessons he learned and practical strategies to be more successful and (hopefully) professionally satisfied.

Individual and small group activities will supplement the individual presentations. When finished, participants will be better able to define their strengths and weaknesses as health and safety professionals and perhaps gain a better idea of their career goals.

This presentation will focus on the strategic leadership and community engagement crucial to FINS’s adoption. It will cover how UNLV’s technology team transformed a compliance mandate into an operational asset, integrating technological innovation with practical application. The session will also delve into the effective strategies for gaining community and leadership buy-in, underscoring the importance of transparent communication in implementing new safety systems. Attendees will learn valuable insights into balancing technological advancement with community needs, providing a blueprint for similar safety initiatives in academic settings.

This captivating session delves into the heart of this challenge, offering a roadmap for harnessing the potential of EHS data to drive meaningful change. We will navigate beyond mere data collection methodologies and embark on a journey toward unlocking actionable insights that can revolutionize organizational strategies. Our objective is to clarify how EHS practitioners can develop a robust strategy tailored to your organization's unique needs, ensuring that EHS data becomes a catalyst for tangible improvements.

By the session's conclusion, attendees will emerge equipped with the knowledge and tools to embark on a transformative journey, where EHS data becomes not just a repository of information but a driver of proactive change. Join us as we unravel the untapped potential within your organization's data, igniting a new era of excellence in EHS management.

This presentation will provide a birds-eye view of our experience in establishing the connections with local and federal authorities, and campus stakeholders that were necessary to the creation of clear and actionable guidelines, and best practices.

We will also discuss the resources that were created primarily for our College community and give examples of how these have led to streamlining rocket launches, drone flights, and weather balloon launches over campus, as a whole.

Process maps and job aids are powerful, user-centric planning and training tools that enable different stakeholders to swiftly come to a shared understanding of a given process. They provide clarity of activities, roles, responsibilities, and outcomes which can be essential in resolving organizational conflicts regarding shared workflows. In action, they have helped Stanford EH&S map out future state solutions that improve the services we provide to our campus stakeholders.

Both new and existing processes can benefit from the use of process maps and job aids. They can be used across EH&S program areas from laboratory inspections and incident follow-up to construction plan reviews and data workflows. Collaborating on these tools is creative, fun, and sparks important problem-solving conversations. Using examples from Stanford EH&S, we will cover why they are such effective tools and offer some guidance on how to start implementing them.

The American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) is the standards setting organization for Research SCUBA diving, and they and CSHEMA have formed a partnership. We will introduce the liaisons between the two organizations to discuss areas planned for collaboration.

The AAUS offers a peer review audit process and ultimately plans to formalize it into an accreditation. We will discuss the peer reviews, what the accreditation will involve, and the status of the Cal State peer reviews to date.

Most campus buildings in semi-urban, suburban, or rural contexts can generally be low-rise. In dense urban areas, there are often efforts to build high-rise buildings. Large footprint buildings may need smoke-control systems. Signature or iconic buildings might seek to have an atrium or a multi-story communicating stair.  Any of these features (high-rise, smoke-control, atrium, multi-story communicating stair) add to the utility and visual impact of the building, but bring with them very specific and perhaps even difficult building and fire code compliance requirements, both in design and in the long-term operation. Join us to find out more about these complications.

Safety and health management system (SHMS) provide a structured approach to managing the hazards and risks for any school, department or center (SDC) in a university

To encourage schools to adopt a SHMS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore rewards SDC based on the extent of implementation of their SHMS. The extent of the reward is based on how well they fair on an annual assessment conducted by the Office of Health and Safety, NTU. The outcome of the assessment is a score that reflects the effective establishment of the elements of the SHMS. To arrive at the score, auditors will conduct a document review of the SDC safety manuals, physical inspection of their laboratories, workshops and/or studios and interviews with key departmental personnel such as the Director, Chair of the SDC and safety and health committee members. In 2023, over 40 SDC were subjected to this SHMS audit and top performing SDC received awards at the annual NTU safety and health award ceremony.

In May 2023, Duke’s Occupational & Environmental Safety Office (OESO) was notified of the presence of uncoated lead bricks in a public hallway of a laboratory research building.

This presentation will focus on clean-up methods employed and surface limits used to interpret wipe sampling results. This known reproductive hazard is not always recognized as such by lab staff and trainees, many of whom are in their prime reproductive years.

Employees engagement and participation in health and safety initiatives, at all organizational levels, is a vital component of an effective health and safety program. This presentation will detail Kennesaw State University’s initiatives to create and maintain a network of Safety Committees as well as an institutional-level Safety Council.

This presentation will outline the establishment process of the Safety Committees and the Council, the structural framework of the Safety Council, meeting strategies, and will highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with sustaining such a framework within the context of a public university.

Discover the transformative path our higher education institution has taken to reinvigorate its respiratory protection program, aspiring to set the gold standard for colleges and universities. This presentation outlines the meticulous development process, beginning with a thorough assessment of existing protocols, identifying gaps, and strategically prioritizing efficacy and adaptability. Drawing from industry best practices and regulatory guidelines, our approach ensures a holistic and proactive model for safeguarding our campus community.

Join us to explore the lessons learned, the transformative impact on campus safety culture, and the strategic partnerships that propelled our institution towards becoming the gold standard for respiratory protection in higher education.

Join us for an overview of how institutions are leveraging the CampusOptics Mobile Application to enhance a wide array of EH&S functions including Inspections, Issue Remediation, Asset Tracking, Chemical Inventory, Hazardous Waste Pick-Ups, Incident Investigations, Environmental, Occupational Safety, and Emergency Response. We hope you can attend!

The on-site coordinators performed real-time safety and health assessments in a dynamic and fast-paced setting to identify potential hazards, mitigate them, and prevent workplace injury and illness incidents. Some hazards were mitigated on the spot, while others required further evaluation. Issues included, but were not limited to, fall protection, working near water, pedestrian safety, traffic safety, industrial hygiene exposure analyses near the spill, confined spaces, lifting and material handling hazards, slips/trips/falls, impalement hazards, and heat stress. Professionals with varying areas of expertise were consulted for hazard recognition, evaluation, and control. Industrial hygiene, safety, and environmental professionals in OESO, the Facilities Management Department, Emergency Management and Business Continuity, the Duke University Police Department, and other groups were consulted to help mitigate hazards over the four days of the initial response efforts. With successful control of hazards on site, no recordable injuries or illnesses were sustained, and no adverse campus incidents were reported.

The Chemical Safety Level is not a new concept, but existing literature does not provide clear guidance on the application of a CSL system and how to correlate risk within the laboratory level. The Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories guide, published by the CDC, provides comparable guidance for working only with biological hazards and agents. When working with chemicals in the lab we need to take into consideration factors like quantities, process, and frequency.

Our intention is to assign Chemical Safety Levels to a laboratory space based upon the intended use, quantities, and hazards associated with the chemicals housed inside the space. Individual chemical hazards are already identified in the Safety Data Sheets for each chemical via the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals and serve as the starting point for the risk assessment in conjunction with quantities and intended use.
By assigning a CSL to each laboratory, we can quickly communicate to laboratory workers and visitors what minimum precautions should be exercised and what engineering controls can be expected inside of the laboratory. In addition, the CSL can provide first responders and emergency response personnel, a straightforward estimation of the overall hazard presents within a space. This framework will layout the path to assess and improve safety and compliance by ranking similar chemical labs on campus.

We will discuss the lessons learned including successes, processes, and future goals of the UF Chemical Safety Level risk ranking program.

From December 23 – 25, Winter Storm Elliot brought strong winds and extremely cold
temperatures to the Pittsburgh region during the winter holiday. Impacts from this storm were
felt across Carnegie Mellon University and resulted in extensive damage to facilities and equipment.  Following this event, an initiative to inventory high-valued equipment and loss prevention measures were developed and implemented.  Come join us as we take you through our journey to build a bridge between EHS and Business Continuity.  

In January, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FBI issued cybersecurity guidance regarding Chinese-manufactured drones and potential risk to critical infrastructure and security. What does this mean for your researchers and instructors using drones in teaching and research, or contractors hired to fly drones over your buildings and infrastructure? Hear directly from FBI in this facilitated discussion and Q&A session.

https://www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2024/240118.pdf Guidance Document

Most EHS training is in 1-hour courses which are a challenge to create, update, access, and engage with. But imagine that there was an approach that created brief, single-topic learning, with a focused learning outcome, were easily updated, gave your program fantastic flexibility, and were very accessible, digestible, and engaging. Plus, you could use them across several courses. Well, there is such an approach – it’s called microlearning, it works quite well for all learners, and often appeals to younger learners. Microlearning modules are typically brief, single topic learning that can be taken quickly, often just 3-9 minutes long. In this engaging session we’ll demonstrate microlearning, show you how to create them, and illustrate how they can be used across a multi-course matrix. Come, listen, engage, and leave with your own starting plan on how to create microlearning modules and a learning matrix of modules and courses.

In today's rapidly evolving work environment, ensuring the safety and well-being of employees at all levels within an organization is paramount. This abstract proposes a presentation focused on building a safety-centric culture through effective communication and collaboration within the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) department.

Our presentation will delve into the essential strategies and tactics necessary to foster a culture where safety is not just a priority, but a core value embraced by all members of the organization. We will explore how to structure communication within the EHS department to facilitate the seamless sharing and balancing of authority and information. This proactive approach aims to prevent accidents and incidents by ensuring that safety protocols and best practices are communicated effectively and consistently across all levels of the organization.

What do you do when the DEA comes to one of your Clinics? Many of us who manage controlled substances draw the line of oversight at Research labs. Clinics and Pharmacies have different regulations and agency oversight and often we don’t have the knowledge, time, and leadership support to cover these areas. But does the DEA draw these same lines, or do they see these areas as an extension of the University and therefore their oversight as your job? My talk will illustrate what happened when the DEA and Board of Pharmacy uncovered that our Veterinary Pharmacy did not have the correct registration. I will talk about how we got there, what it meant for our large Veterinary Clinic, and how we worked with the external regulatory agencies to resolve the issues. The talk will conclude with lessons learned and how I applied those to other groups that were not previously covered under our controlled substances program.