university-wide health and safety committee meeting minutes

University-Wide Health & Safety CommitteeJune 12, 2012Agenda1. Call to order2. Review and approve May minutes3. Presentation: Ergonomics for the UW Safety Committee, Rick Goggins, L&I4. EH&S Board meeting report5. Organizational Group Reports, Faculty Senate and Union Reports6. EH&S Report7. AdjournmentRecorded: by Michael Blalock1. Meeting was called to order by Ron Fouty.2. May minutes were approved as written.3. Presentation: Ergonomics for the UW Safety Committee:Rick Goggins, long-time L&I Ergonomist consultant, discussed aspects of Ergonomicsmost pertinent to us at the University: Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) and their impact Common Hazards for WMSDs Brief history of ergonomics and regulations Hiring an ergonomics consultant L&I resourcesSome telling statistics to remember: More than 40% of all injuries are WMSDs. WMSDs represent about half of all time lost WMSDs account for about 45% of State Fund costsUpon approval of these minutes, a copy of Rick’s PowerPoint slides and handouts willbe sent to members and also attached to the minutes posted online athttp://www.ehs.washington.edu/ohssafcom/mtgminutes13.shtm.4. EH&S Board Meeting: the EH&S Board did not meet.5. Organizational Group Reports: Committees (HSCs), Faculty Senate andUnions:HSC 1, Administration/Other Academic Programs: Leslie Anderson reported notmeeting in May but during the previous meeting they caught up on 3 months of accidentreviews and minutes approved. They plan to choose an election coordinator in theirJuly meeting.HSC 2, Finance and Facilities: Paula Lukaszek reported catching up on review ofaccident reports.2

University-Wide Health & Safety CommitteeJune 12, 2012HSC 3, Student Life: Paul Zuchowski reported taking a field trip to the HUB games area.He described an incident involving the retrieval of a bowling pin. Denzil Suite, thecurrent associate vice president of student affairs at USC, will take over for current VPfor Student Life Eric Godfrey, who will retire in June. Godfrey has been at the UW for 33years and has held the position since 2009.HSC 4, Health Sciences: Bob Ennes reported his group plans to increase emphasis onevacuation warden training. This means both more people and more training. TheSchool of Public Health is encouraging faculty to get more involved with safety. A“relatively good” number of accident reports (21) were reviewed for the month.HSC 5, Built Environments: Meegan Amen noted no accident reports to review. DarenBranum from EH&S did a safety walk-through of their facilities. Apparently, the Collegeof Built Environment’s policies are somewhat different than UW policies. The UWTower has very new rules.HSC 6, Arts & Sciences: John Martin reported reviewing 12 accident reports anddiscussing member recruitment plans. The group is re-familiarizing itself with the onlinetemplate for departmental health and safety plans.HSC 7, UW Bothell: Nicole Sanderson reported discussing upcoming elections and 2accident reports.HSC 8, UW Tacoma: Steve Costanti reported that there are currently 6 constructionprojects on campus. Soil and ground water is being tested. They reviewed a couple ofaccident reports and discussed new lock down rules.HSC 9, Engineering: Sonia Honeydew reported having no accident reports to review. Ascheduled fire drill is coming up.HSC 10, College of the Environment: Kristian Haapa-aho reported having a briefmeeting and discussing one accident report.HSC 11, (currently reserved)HSC 12, UW Medicine: Jesse Dailey reported for Liz Kindred who is on vacation. Theydiscussed an incident involving lifting over 80 lbs. by School of Medicine residents.Injured parties were able to work light duty.Faculty Senate: Rick Gleason reminded everyone that there will be lots of visitors oncampus due to graduation activities. Look out for each other, as well as for visitors.SEIU: Patricia Humphrey, from the School of Nursing, reported determining who wantsto be an evacuation warden but needs to be trained. The SON is currently without aDirector.WFSE: Jesse Dailey had no comments.UAW Local 4121: not present3

University-Wide Health & Safety CommitteeJune 12, 20126. EH&S Report: Katia Harb reported that a new University-wide LEAN project isbeing launched in September. Some high-level metrics will be gathered which will allowlabs to rank their safety with that of other labs.Sherry Baron reported two L&I updates. The first involved metal detector securityscreening at HMC Psychiatric Emergency Services. University response to thephone/fax was accepted as satisfactory by L&I since the HMC training andcommunication processes that were in place were effective. The case is consideredclosed.The second, also at HMC, involved whether employer-provided jackets or vest worn byPatient Access Services had the potential to be exposed to human blood/potentiallyinfectious materials. Originally, there were 2 general violations. These were vacated onappeal. The case closed on 5/23/13. An updated chart of recent activity is attached tothe online minutes.Jude Van Buren commented on a UCLA study that reported younger workers weremore concerned about safety than older workers: 60% had experienced an injury oraccident and 50% had observed an event that caused injury. Ron Fouty added acomment about a perception survey he heard about in which Kraft employees were 44:1more concerned about performance than safety.7. The meeting was adjourned by Ron Fouty at 2:15.4

Some hazards in the workplacecan lead to:• Overexertion Injuries• Bodily Reaction Injuries• Strains and Sprainswhich are also called…Work Related Musculoskeletal DisordersorWMSDsVPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

90% of all Washington State Fund Compensable Claims, Costs,and Time Loss Days in 7 Injury Types, 1998-20045040%3020100WMSDsNeck,Back, UEStruckBy/AgainstFall onSameLevelWMSDsof Low.Ext.Fall fromElevation VehicularCaughtIn/Under/BetweenOther% Claims 42.3 15.6 9.1 7.6 6.6 2.9 2.4 13.4% SF Costs 45.2 12.9 10.1 6.5 10.3 4.7 2.2 8.1% SF Time Loss Days 49.3 12.7 10.7 6.2 10.5 3.8 1.8 4.9

Claims with more than 4 months of time loss2008 State FundAll others3%Struck by NEC/UNS3%Struck by falling3%Struck against3%Unclassified11%MVA3%BodilyReaction21%Caught1%Overexertion31%Fall - samelevel11%Fall - height9%Assault1%

WMSDs by occupation140WMSD Incidence Rates, 201199.4 98.991.1749Per 10,000 full-time workers, source: BLSVPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

Permanent vs.Temporary EmployeesVPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

Risk Factors for WMSDs• Force• Posture• Repetition• Vibration• Contact stressSearch YouTube for: “Dr. Ergo”VPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

DurationForceIntensityRisk ofInjuryRepetitionPosture

Ergonomics history• Started at end of WWII• Spread into industry - 1980’s• “RSI Epidemic” - 1990’s• Washington State and FederalOSHA Ergonomics Rules - 2000• OSHA rule repealed - 2001• Wash. State rule repealed - 2003VPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

Repeal language• The state ergonomics regulations…arerepealed.• (L&I) shall not …adopt any new oramended rules dealing withmusculoskeletal disorders, or that dealwith the same or similar activities…until … required by congress or thefederal occupational safety and healthadministration.VPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

Overexertion26%Claims by TypeRep. Mo. 5%Costs by TypeOverexertion41%Rep. Mo. 6%VPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

Experience Factor1.00.9006 0.8414VPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

Hiring an ergonomist• Experience• Certification, e.g., CPE, CEA• Healthcare professional, e.g.,OT, PT or OHN• Website listings:A. Pshfes.orgB. Bcpe.orgVPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

L&I Resources• Consultation services• Workshops:A. Preventing Back InjuriesB. Office Ergonomics• Ergonomics Ideas Bank• On-line computer workstationcourseVPP: The Standard of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health

Ergonomics ChecklistAs a regular part of their jobs, do workers do any of the following?:Heavy, Awkward, or Frequent Lifting Lifting something that weighs more than 50 pounds. Lifting something that weighs more than 25 pounds: below the knees, above the shoulders, while reaching out,more than 25 times per day. Lifting something that weighs more than 10 pounds, more thantwice per minute for more than 2 hours per day.Carrying, Pushing and Pulling Carrying heavy things or carrying over long distances. Pushing with strong effort. Pulling with strong effort.Awkward PosturesMore than 2 hours per day: Working with the hands above the head, or the elbows abovethe shoulders. Working with the back bent forward more than 30°. Working with the neck bent more than 30°. Kneeling or squatting. Bending the wrists more than 30° in any direction, whencombined with Hand Force or Repetitive Motions.Repetitive MotionsMore than 2 hours per day: Repeating the same motion with little or no change every fewseconds.High Hand ForceMore than 2 hours per day: Gripping with the tips of the fingers something that weighs 2 ormore pounds, or pinching with more than 4 pounds of force. Gripping with the whole hand something that weighs 10 ormore pounds, or gripping with more than 10 pounds of force.Hand‐Arm VibrationMore than 30 minutes per day: Using tools with high vibration levels (impact wrenches, chainsaws, chipping hammers, and so on).More than 2 hours per day: Using tools with moderate vibration levels (grinders, sanders, jigsaws, and so on).

Comfortable seated posture at the computerAHead level - not tiltedor twisted - monitordirectly in front, top ofscreen at eye levelFWrists straight, in-line withforearms – keyboard andmouse at elbow levelABShoulders relaxed,elbows close to sidesGHips back in chairCBEFCDBackrest tilted back10 to 20 degreesLumbar support linesup with inward curvein low backHISmall gap between front ofseat and back of kneesKnees level with or slightlylower than hipsDGHIEArmrests support bothforearms equallyJFeet supported by floor orfootrestJFor more tips on setting up your workstation, go to: www.LNI.wa.gov/ComputerErgo.asp

Summary of WA State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) ActivitiesTopic Department StatusSecurityScreeningFall ProtectionHMCPsychiatricEmergencyServicesChemicalEngineeringPhone/FaxInquiry toEH&SCaseClosedJune 10,2013ClosedInspectionDateInitiatedReasonforActivity04/30/2013 ReportedConcernFeb. 5,2013ReportedConcernCommentsLNI contacted EH&S and requestedEH&S to do an evaluation of theallegations. This activity is referred toas a “phone/fax”. In this case,allegations surrounding the use of ametal detector were made.Response due May 30, 2013.Extended to June 7, 2013Investigation of student laboratorystairwell and elevated work platform.ConclusionsResponse accepted as satisfactoryby L&I on June 10, 2013.Inspection: 1 gen violation: lack ofsafe access to scaffold platformUnderappeal: L&Ihearingdate is May22, 2013L&I appeal:PhysicalSafetyJacksonSchool ofInternationalStudiesCaseClosedOn Jan. 18,201301/04/2013 ReportedconcernInvestigation of egress from 5 th floorof Thompson Hall.Inspection: No violations.Lab SafetyMechanicalEngineeringNo appealClosedinspectionon Jan. 16,2013Appeal:L&IHearing:03/27/201310/22/2012 ReportedconcernInvestigation of chemical storageand labeling.Inspection: 3 violations cited: for notsecuring one compressed gascylinder, for chemicals without labelson the bottles, and a voluntarycartridge respirator user did not gothrough the medical clearanceprocess.L&I Appeal results April 11, 2013: first2 violations vacated as they wereC-414 HSB, Box 357165, Seattle, Washington 98195-7165 | 206.543.7388, FAX 206.685.7096 | www.ehs.washington.edu

Appealconcludedinappropriately cited.Indoor AirQuality (IAQ)PhysicalSafetyUWMCLaboratoryMedicineHMC PublicSafetyCaseclosed April11, 2013Phone/FaxInquiry toEH&S.Closedcase on10/26/2012InspectionClosed onMarch 6,20139/28/2012 ReportedConcern9/19/2012 ReportedconcernIAQ issues are not typicallyregulated by LNI. LNI contactsemployer and requests evaluation.This activity is referred to as a“phone/fax”. In this case, IAQ issuesbegan the end of July and EH&S andUWMC Operations and Maintenanceresponded. An offensive sulfur-likeodor was reported that resulted inadverse health symptoms for someemployees. Several building systemswere evaluated. Air monitoring wascompleted. Two outside industrialhygiene consultants were retained toinvestigate possible sources. Airmonitoring results did not indicateproblems. The evaluation is closed.All reports to date were provided toL&I.Investigation of staffing levels,supervision, and written policies.L&I accepted UW’s response to theinquiry. No further action necessary.Inspection: No Violations.PotentiallyInfectiousMaterialsRev Date: 2/13/2013HMC PatientAccessServicesNo appealand caseclosed onMarch 6,2013InspectionClosed onMarch 6,2013L&I appeal.9/12/2012 ReportedconcernAn investigation of whether or notthe employer provided jacket or vesthas a reasonably anticipatedpotential to be exposed to humanblood/potentially infectious materialswhen employees talk to patients inInspection: 2 violations classified as“general’ were proposed.L&I Appeal: Both violations vacated.Page 2 of 4

Hearingheld April25, 2013patient rooms about medical billingor when registering patients to theER or hospital.FormaldehydeSafetyUWMCPathologyCaseclosed May23, 2013Inspectionand caseclosed onJan. 11,20138/21/2012 MediaCoverageofFormalinSpillInvestigation of formalin safety, spillprocedures and training.Inspection: 2 violations cited: one forineffective training and the other fornot wearing proper PPE whilecleaning up the spill.ElectricalSafetyElectricalSafetyFacilitiesServicesUWMCOperationsand Maint.No appealInspectionand caseclosed onFeb. 1,2013No appealInspectionclosed on12/20/2012L&I AppealHearing:March 5,2013.Under 2 ndappeal-BIIA8/17/2012 Electricalinjuryrequiringmedicalcare7/9/1012 ReportedconcernEmployee is recovering. Inspection: 2 codes cited as 1“grouped” violation: one of the codesrelates to not using a hazardousenergy control such as lock-out/tagoutand the other code cited was fornot wearing gloves.Inspection includes evaluation of riskassessment, personal protectiveequipment, training, and servicing ofelectrical circuit breakers.Inspection: 2 violations proposed:one is related to maintenance ofelectrical equipment and one isindicating there may have beenelectrical work performed by anunauthorized person. Letter of appealfiled 1/28/2013L&I appeal: April 2, 2013. Affirmedviolation about maintenance ofequipment. Vacated violation allegingelectrical work performed byunauthorized person. It wasdetermined there was no evidence ofan unauthorized person performingsuch work.BIIA appeal:Rev Date: 2/13/2013Page 3 of 4

Activities Completed for Open Inspections:Documents Requested/Activities for Open Inspections:1. Opening Conference 1. Department Accident Prevention Programs (all inspections)2. Employee Interviews 2. OSHA 300 Logs (all inspections)3. Visual Inspection of applicable work areas (in the case of HMC Public 3. Employer Disciplinary Policy for Employees who don’t follow safetySafety –no visual inspection necessary)policies.4. Relevant Safety Training Records and content (Most)5. Safety Committee Meeting Minutes6. Relevant Written Health and Safety Programs7. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Hazard AssessmentRev Date: 2/13/2013Page 4 of 4