The following table identifies the hazard classifications used for establishing priorities for abatement of health and safety hazards:
ORDER OF PRIORITY PROBABILITY OF SEVERITY OF
OCCURANCE INJURY OR ILLNESS INJURY OR ILLNESS
1 Imminent danger Immediate &
situation serious or fatal
2 High chance of Serious or
injury or illness fatal
3 Moderate chance Minor
of injury or illness
4 Minimal chance of First aid case
injury or illness
To eliminate accidents in high hazard areas, it is mandatory that each department thoroughly familiarize all employees and students under their direction with the hazards that exist. Each department shall also ensure that they fully understand how to safely perform their jobs and hot to eliminate or avoid hazards. When hazards and potential accident-causing situations are identified and understood, action should be accomplished in this order:
1. Eliminating the task or providing for a substitute action that can be done without the hazard, or,
2. Isolating the process or operation, or,
3. Providing guards to eliminate or minimize the hazard, or,
4. Reducing the exposure to the hazard, or,
5. Providing personal protective equipment and enforcing its proper use.
4.3 HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTIONS
In order to reduce unsafe campus conditions that expose faculty, staff, students and visitors to potentially hazardous operations or areas, an effective health and safety inspection system is essential. All University management personnel have the responsibility to conduct, or have conducted, at least annually, health and safety inspections of the areas over which they have control. Such safety inspections may be of the informal type; however, a written record should be maintained.
In addition, all teaching faculty, technicians, assistants, and supervisors should make daily "spot" inspection tours of their work and study areas. RM/EHS will provide any person making a safety inspection with assistance to the extent requested.
RM/EHS personnel make scheduled and random inspections of all University facilities, machinery, operations and functions on a continuous basis. If the inspected facilities belong to a specific department, a report outlining the findings and recommended corrections will be sent directly to that specific department. However, in areas that are public in nature, such as hallways, the correction will be handled by RM/EHS. All facilities and/or equipment found to be unsafe for use, as determined by RM/EHS personnel, shall be removed from further use and rendered inoperable.
Identification and correction of hazardous conditions should first be carried out in those areas having the greatest potential for serious accidents occurring. The following are the major factors to be considered when planning what campus equipment and facilities to inspect:
1. Areas having equipment or conditions that can contribute to serious accidents.
2. Number of accidents and/or injuries caused by specific equipment areas.
3. Employee and student complaints of hazardous conditions or equipment.
4. Number of University employees, students, or visitors who use such areas or equipment.
4.4 INJURY RECORD KEEPING & STATISTICS PUBLICATION
A “First Report of Injury” form must be completed by the employee and their supervisor and sent to either human resources or RM/EHS. An example of this form is included at the end of this chapter. Complete records of all reported accidents and injuries occurring either on University property or off-campus, are maintained and analyzed by RM/EHS. These records include those affecting faculty, staff, students and visitors. Statistics and certain other facts from these records are available to departments to be used for accident prevention purposes. In addition, departments should also maintain and analyze records of accidents occurring in their own area of operations.
4.5 EMPLOYEE HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
If employment with the University requires or may require the use of a respirator, the prospective employee must first obtain a pre-occupational physical as determined by RM/EHS. Physical fitness of faculty and staff employees is a prime requisite in the prevention of occupational injuries. It is, therefore, important that employees having limiting health problems be carefully evaluated to assure that their physical and mental health capability is compatible with their job assignment. Only those prospective employees who possess both general health and physical conditions compatible with the duties of the proposed position should be considered for employment with the University. All employees will follow the State University of West Georgia’s written Respiratory Protection Program (Supplement II), which is administered by RM/EHS.
4.6 REPORTING HEALTH AND SAFETY SUGGESTIONS
Employees and students having suggestions regarding health and safety matters should report their recommendations to their supervisor, instructor, or department head in writing. Supervisors, instructors, or department heads should seriously encourage and consider all safety suggestions and respond to them as soon as possible. Guidance or assistance in handling safety suggestions is available from RM/EHS.
4.7 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
Investigation of accidents is one of the major components of a comprehensive health and safety program. If an accident-producing situation, or cause(s), is left undetected or not addressed, a similar type of accident is certain to occur again.
Every University department is required to promptly report all accidents and injuries to RM/EHS. All "near miss" incidents (close calls or near accidents) which, in the opinion of the department chair, appear to constitute a hazard to others, are to be reported to RM/EHS in writing.
STATE UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA—FIRST REPORT OF INJURY
Location Code: 7256
Accident and Employee information State Tele claim # 1-877-656-7475
1. Employee’s Full Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Social Security Number: __________________________________ 3. Date of Birth:___________________________________
4. Home Address: _________________________________________ City, County: _______________________ Zip:___________
5. Home Phone Number: ___________________ 6. Marital Status: ______ 7. Number of Dependents, Including Spouse:_______
8. Date of Hire: ___________________________________________ 9. Job Title: _____________________________________
10. Department: ____________________________Hourly Rate of Pay:_________________________________________________
11. Date and Time of Injury or Illness: _______________________________ 12. Time Workday Began:_____________________
13. Date and Time Injury/Illness Reported by Employee: _____________________________________________________________
14. Describe in detail type of injury/illness, where incident occurred, how it occurred, what employee was doing, tools or equipment being used, the part of body affected, object or substance that directly injured employee, other pertinent information: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Check all that apply:
First Aid Emergency Room
Referred to Physician
 |
|||
 |
Treated in Clinic Admitted to Hospital
No Immediate Treatment Necessary
Name and address of physician, if applicable: ___________________________________________________________________
16. How much time did employee lose? _________ 17. Did employee return to work on the day following the incident? _________
PANEL OF PHYSICIANS:
U.W.G. Health Service 1601 Maple Street 770-836-6452
Tanner Occupational Health Clinic 802 Dixie Street 770-836-9445
Dr. John C. Earle 251 Croft Street 770-834-7117
Primary Care Group of West Georgia 100 Professional Park 770-834-3351
Carrollton Eye Clinic * 158 Clinic Avenue 770-834-1008
Carrollton Orthopedic Clinic ** 148 Clinic Avenue 770-834-0873
* Practice limited to ophthalmology
** Practice limited to orthopedics
EMPLOYEE’S SECTION
1. In your own words, please describe the accident. How can you prevent this type of accident from happening again? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Witness(s) to the incident: _________________________________________________________________________________
Employee’s Signature and Date: __________________________________________________________
Workman’s Compensation I.D. Number________________________DOAS CONTACT _____________________________
PLEASE RETURN TO HUMAN RESOURCES OR CALL 836-6403. Facilities Employees should return this form to RM/EHS.
SUPERVISOR’S SECTION
1. Do you agree with the employee’s statement?______________ If not, explain: ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Unsafe circumstances or acts at time of injury (check all that apply):
Using improper or unguarded devices
Improper technique
Using defective equipment
Taking an unsafe position
 |
Congested area Unsafe lifting/carrying; insecure grip
 |
Poor housekeeping Using equipment or materials unsafely
 |
Failure to warn or secure
Operating without authority
 |
Failure to use personal protective equipment (PPE) Operating at unsafe speed
gloves eye protection
respirator other:________________
 |
Not looking for hazards Lack of knowledge or skill
 |
 |
Horseplay Inattention to job or conditions
 |
 |
Disregard of instructions or procedures Using incorrect PPE
 |
 |
Failure to follow lock-out procedures Making safety devices inoperable
 |
 |
Innocent bystander Other:________________________________
3. Your recommendations and corrective action to be taken to prevent reoccurrence:_______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Did you discuss procedures for preventing this type of accident with the employee?______________ If no, explain:__________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Supervisor Signature and Date_____________________________________________________________
REVIEWER’S SECTION
1. Has the supervisor completed a thorough incident investigation? _____________If no, return to supervisor for proper completion.
2. Will the recommendations made by the employee and supervisor be implemented? _____________________________________
If no, explain alternate solutions and action taken: _______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reviewed by: _______________________________________ Title: ______________________________Date: ____________
Revised 09/20/2003