Facilities Safety
The goal of the Occupational Safety program at VCU is to develop, provide and maintain safety programs that create safe work environments for our facilities team, maker spaces and other staff and students who may operate in these environments. Our ultimate goal is to develop a safety culture within VCU that allows our staff and students to return home at the end of the workday as healthy and as safe as when they arrived.
Building Inspections
Each University building is inspected at least once per calendar year. The Occupational Safety team will enter all areas of a building to check for compliance with applicable codes and regulations as they may apply. Some of the codes that Occupational Safety will reference are OSHA regulations, Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code, and NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code.
Emergency Eye Wash
Safety Showers
The purpose of this program is to ensure that safety eyewashes and showers supply clean, potable water and are in proper working order. This program defines guidelines for inspection, testing and maintenance of emergency eyewash and shower equipment.
Confined Space Program
To protect employees through effective implementation, recordkeeping, informing employees and contractors of documented locations and hazards in each permit space in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation 29 CFR 1910.146. This Program applies to those that work in and around confined and permit-required confined spaces.
Control of Hazardous Energy
The purpose of the Hazardous Energy Control Program (Lockout/Tagout) is to prevent injury to employees caused by the unexpected energization, start-up, or release of stored energy. Sources of hazardous energy include radiation, electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other energy. This program establishes the minimum performance requirements found in the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Standard (VOSH) 1910.147, "The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)."
Machine Guarding Program
The Machine Guarding Program is designed to protect Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) employees from the hazards involved in moving machinery. There are many hazards in a maintenance shop and production environment. Any part, function, or process which may cause injury must be properly safeguarded. This program was developed to ensure compliance with OSHA standards contained within 29 CFR 1910 212, 213, 215, 217, 219 and 243.
Electrical Safety Program
Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Safety and Risk Management (SRM) has developed the Electrical Safety Program in order to outline the practices and procedures that protect VCU and contract employees from the hazards of electrical shock associated with live electrical equipment. The program was created in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards contained in 29 CFR 1910.303 and 331-335.
Hand & Power Tool Program
Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Safety and Risk Management (SRM) has developed this Program to ensure the safety of employees working with hand and portable powered tools and other hand-held equipment. The program was created in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards contained in 29 CFR 1910.241-244.
Powered Industrial Trucks
The Powered Industrial Truck Program is designed to protect Virginia Commonwealth University employees who operate or maintain powered industrial trucks (PIT). This program was developed to ensure compliance with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.178. This standard states, in part, only trained and authorized operators are permitted to operate a PIT.
Ladder Safety
Virginia Commonwealth University has developed this Portable Ladder Safety Program to safeguard employees that work with portable ladders. This program is intended to prevent ladder-related incidents and to promote compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards contained within 29 CFR 1910.23(c) and 1910.30.
Asbestos
The asbestos management program at VCU is overseen by the Facilities Management Department (FMD). Safety and Risk Management (SRM) provides the following services in support of this effort.
Environmental Health and Safety provides as requested:
- Respiratory protection training
- Respiratory fit testing
- Respirator medical clearance
Employee Health Services provides as requested:
- Employee exposure treatment, evaluation, referrals, and health counseling.
- Medical surveillance exam should any employees be involved in asbestos-related work, including referrals for chest x-rays.
- Workers' compensation injury claim evaluation