Environmental Safety

About Environmental Safety

In fulfilling its educational mission, the Houston Community College System recognizes a commitment to its employees and students to provide a safe and healthy workplace, free from recognized hazards to the greatest degree possible.

Since injuries and property loss through accidents are needless, costly, and preventable, the HCC System will strive for the elimination of all accidents and health hazards by the establishment of a safety and health program based on fundamental safety concepts.

Goals and Objectives

Promote a safe physical environment in which the college community may pursue educational and workplace goals and activities.

Implement a minimum standard life safety plan across the college system to include emergency procedures.
Support colleges in individualizing and applying life safety to specific environments
Institute a system-wide inspection schedule for system facilities to identify conditions which create opportunities for accidents.
Establish procedures for the documentation, notification and follow-up for corrective action of identified hazards.
Provide training program for identified categories of employees to conduct facility inspections.

Establish an environment which promotes safe practices for the presence of chemicals and hazardous materials in the classroom and workplace.

Insure compliance with all applicable regulations for the handling, use, and disposal of hazardous materials.
Provide uniform procedures for employee training in the use of chemicals in the workplace.
Establish uniform procedures for instructional use of chemicals in the workplace.
Coordinate with other college system offices an inventory and purchasing protocol for chemicals found at college facilities.

Promote college community safety by the establishment of emergency response and facility evacuation plans within all college facilities.

Provide guidelines to colleges and facility personnel for the development of site-specific evacuation plans.
Coordinate safety plans with other college support units; such as police and maintenance operations.
Ensure evacuations provide for special/challenged members of college community.

Devise strategies to identify causative factors of accidents occurring within the college community.

Establish loss control analysis procedures for the identification of accidents occurring on college system properties.
Establish procedure for the accurate investigation and reporting of all types of accidents involving employees.
Establish procedures for the accurate investigation and reporting of all types of accidents involving students and visitors while on college premises.
Conduct appropriate analysis of accident data to enable the development of effective corrective measures or recommendations.

Promote a healthy workplace for college system employees.

Establish procedures to ensure compliance with local, state and federal workplace health issues.
Provide information and educational support to college work force on health issues, such as ergonomics and back injury issues.

Enhance the ability of the college system to respond and plan for disaster and catastrophe events.

Promote the establishment of contingency plans with system and college administrations.
Establish procedures and protocols with system and college administrators for emergency contractor-listings to handle damage abatement.
Coordinate and establish emergency communication and notification plans for members of the college community.

Support employee safety development through education.

Establish safety training programs to target safe workplace practices.
Establish catalog resources available within HCCS to support supervisors in fulfilling safety training requirements.
Generate an atmosphere of workplace safety through awareness programs and safety literature.
Design a safety and loss control "web page".

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