WNCC, through its Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Advisory Committee, is committed to preserving the natural environment and conducting all operations without adverse impact on the surrounding communities, maintaining safe and healthful campus community environments in fulfillment of its mission.

Introduction

Responsibilities

Training Records

Disciplinary Action

Section 1.  Introduction

A.  Statement of Commitment

1.      WNCC is committed to preserving the natural environment and conducting all operations without adverse impact on the surrounding communities, and maintaining safe and healthful campus community environments.

2.      These commitments include adherence to applicable laws, regulations, and standards.

3.      At all WNCC campuses safety is everyone’s responsibility.

4.      Environmental health and safety protection considerations are intrinsic to all work at WNCC and are essential to overall academic and scientific progress, productivity, and cost consequences of all work for which he or she is responsible. 

5.      In addition, everyone has the right and responsibility to remedy or to report (without fear of reprisal) any practice, situation, or action that endangers people or the environment. These tenets are key principles of acceptable behavior and responsible management at WNCC campuses.

6.      Every member of the various WNCC communities shall conduct all activities mindful of these commitments.

B.   Vision

1.      The WNCC endeavors to create a “safe culture” where all faculty, staff, and students:

a.       Exercise “Safe Work Practices” or “Best Management Practices” in their everyday activities consistent with responsible fiscal and environmental stewardship;

b.      Limit occupational illness and injuries by fully participation in safety education;

c.       Consult with EH&S staff regarding compliance with all federal, state and local environmental health and safety laws and regulations;

d.      Consider potential environmental health and safety impact when making decisions, including those involving facilities management and construction projects;

e.       Encourage personal accountability for reasonable environmental and safety behavior at all WNCC campuses;

f.        Use energy efficiently;

g.       Minimize waste generation through efficient and appropriate use of resources;

h.     Reuse or recycle materials when possible consistent wit best management, environmental, and fiscal practices; and

i.       Require those who do business with WNCC to perform their work in a manner that protects the WNCC from environmental and safety risks.

C.  Values

1.   The following core values are established for WNCC employees:

a.       Treat each other with professionalism, sensitivity, and respect;

b.      Encourage open dialogue and communication among peers and supervisors;

c.       Promote trust and honesty through teamwork and mutual support;

d.      Encourage professional and personal growth and integrity; and

e.       Periodically evaluate programmatic activities through review or audit processes and effect change where and when necessary.

D.  Scope

1.   This scope of this policy includes the following:

a.       All federal, state and respective local laws, regulations or ordinances;

b.      All NSHE and WNCC EH&S policies and programs; and

c.       All full-time and part-time employees regardless of administrative reporting lines or funding source(s).

Section 2.  Responsibilities

A.  WNCC Environmental Health and Safety Advisory Committee

1.      The WNCC Environmental Health and Safety Advisory Committee performs in an advisory function to the WNCC Environmental Health and Safety Department in all matters concerning Environmental Health and Safety Policy.

2.      The WNCC Environmental Health and Safety Advisory Committee shall be comprised of the following participants as a minimum:

a.       Vice President of Finance and Administration

b.      Representative from Fallon and Douglas campuses

c.       Faculty Chair Representative

d.      Facilities and Planning Representative

e.       Public Safety Representative

B.   WNCC’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S)  

1.      The WNCC’s EH&S Department, as authorized by the WNCC President, shall develop, implement and monitor the effectiveness of safety programs in compliance will all applicable federal, state and local regulations for their respective locations, and consistent with the commitment, vision and values statements contained herein and with their administration structures.

2.      The WNCC EH&S department shall work with other WNCC departments and divisions in the development and/or implementations of EH&S into all program or projects.

3.      The WNCC EH&S department shall work with Human Resources and supervisors to identify specific training classes for each employee based upon the employee’s job description, responsibilities and duties.

4.  The WNCC EH&S Department shall maintain a website to serve as a  source of information for all college personnel. The website shall  contain pertinent EH&S information including emergency plans and policy information. These policies shall be written to comply with applicable local, state, and Federal requirements and shall be consistent with the Statement of Commitment and the Vision contained here in. The website is located at: www.wnc.edu/ehs/. 

C.  Administrators, Deans, Directors, Department Chairs

1.   Administrators, Deans, Division Chairs, Department Chairs shall ensure that all applicable EH&S Policies and Programs are distributed and implemented in their respective units.

D.  Supervisors

1.   Supervisors, including laboratory supervisors shall:

a.       Meet all safety needs for their departments such as engineering controls, training, personal protective equipment, corrective actions including non-compliance items/issues identified in safety inspections or audits,

b.      Conduct periodic or annual safety performance evaluation of supervised employees according to established policies and procedures in effect at their respective institutions, campuses or system offices,

c.       In cooperation with EH&S and HR staff, identify specific training classes that much be completed for each person under their supervision, based upon the job description, responsibilities and duties assigned to that person, and

d.      Periodically evaluate both programmatic and personal performance of all activities through review or audit processes or annual employment performance evaluations according to current established procedures use for classified staff, academic, and administrative faculty.

2.   Supervisors, including laboratory supervisors are responsible to ensure that all employees and students under their direction:

a.       Obtain and maintain required safety training,

b.      Are provided instruction and training to utilize safe work practices and safe use of tools, equipment and materials, and

c.       Maintain workplaces and equipment that are safe, well-kept, and incompliance with applicable policies or regulations.

E.   Employees

1.   Employees shall include anyone who receives compensation for work or services provided.

2.   All employees are included in this policy regardless of rank, FTE status (full and part time status), job title, accountability, or funding sources.

3.   It is also recognized that student employees are included for purposes of participation in safety training programs.

4.   Employees:

a.       Shall participate in all safety and job specific training programs as identified by their supervisors, Environmental Health and Safety, Human Resources, or any regulatory agency having such authority, and

b.      Shall perform all work assignments utilizing safe work practices and best management practices.

Section 3.  Training Records and Recordkeeping

A.  Maintenance and Storage of Training Records

1.   WNCC shall develop procedure to accurately record the attendance or participation of all training activities.

2.   Training records shall be maintained in a location and in a manner that facilitates the timely retrieval of the records upon request.

3.   Training records shall be preserved in such a way to protect the information from accidental damage or deterioration, to prevent unauthorized access, and for a duration of time consistent with established procedures or regulatory requirements, whichever is longer.

4.   All supervisory and lab supervisory staff should send training records to EH&S to ensure proper records retention. 

B.   Access to Training Records

1.   WNCC shall develop a procedure to provide authorized access to training records, access to training records shall be provided to:

a.       Each employee or his or her designated representative with written consent, to examine his or her own training records, supervisors to develop a training curriculum, to track progress, and use in evaluating safety performance for those they supervise,

b.      Representatives of Environmental Health and Safety, and Human Resources to evaluate compliance with training requirements, and

c.       Regulatory inspectors to document training during compliance audits.

Section 4.  Disciplinary Action

A.  Any employee violations safety rules and/or standards, will be subject to discipline up to and including dismissal (NAC 284.650 (20), UCSV Prohibitions & Penalties), or Title 2, Chapter 6, of the NSHE Code covering rules and disciplinary procedures for members of the university community.

NSHE Code:       Title 4, Chapter 10, Section 26

                                 Title 2, Chapter 6

NAC: 284.650 (20)