Stanford University
INJURY AND ILLNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM (IIPP)

Revised November 2006


Reference:
California Code of Regulations Regarding the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, Title 8, section 3203 - Cal/OSHA's Regulation

Top Bottom

INJURY AND ILLNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM

1.0 INTRODUCTION

"Stanford University makes all reasonable efforts to:

  • protect the health and safety of Stanford University faculty, staff, and students;
  • provide safe workplaces - academic, research, and administrative - for faculty, staff and students;
  • provide information to faculty, staff, and students about health and safety hazards;
  • identify and correct health and safety hazards and encourage faculty, staff and students to report hazards;
  • provide information and safeguards for those on campus and in the surrounding community regarding environmental hazards arising from operations at Stanford University." (see ** below)

Per California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3203, Stanford has adopted an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) which describes specific requirements for program responsibility, compliance, communication, hazard assessment, accident/exposure investigations, hazard correction, training, and record keeping.

Requirements outlined in this manual are mandated by regulation where the word "shall" is used and are advisory in nature where the word "should" is used.

** Health and Safety at Stanford University - Principles, Responsibilities, and Practices (Adopted by Stanford University Cabinet, April 1991). Note that other policies described in this program are found in Administrative Guide Memos 25.1 - 25.8, 23.9.

Top Bottom

2.0 RESPONSIBILITIES


2.1 Program Administrator

The ultimate responsibility for Stanford's IIPP rests with the President of Stanford University, John Hennessy. The program administrator is:

Name: Lawrence M.Gibbs, CIH
Title: Associate Vice Provost - Environmental Health and Safety
Address: Stanford University, ESF - 480 Oak Road, Stanford CA 94305-8007
Telephone: (650) 723-0448

Responsibilities include:

  • Advising senior management on safety and health issues.
  • Working with senior management to develop safety and health guidelines and policies.
  • Preparing and distributing the University's guidelines, policies and procedures on safety and health issues.
  • Maintaining current information on local, state and federal safety and health regulations.
  • Serving as liaison with governmental agencies.
  • Planning, organizing and coordinating safety trainings.
  • Developing a code of safe practices and inspection guidelines.
  • Arranging for safety and health inspections and follow up to insure necessary corrective action is completed.
  • Establishing, conducting and maintaining an injury/illness/accident report and investigation procedure.
  • Coordinating with the University's Department of Risk Management on maintaining injury and illness records (OSHA log 300).
  • Reviewing injury and illness trends.
  • Establishing a system for maintaining the records of inspection, hazard abatement and training.

2.2 Managers

Managers are responsible for ensuring that:

  • Individuals under their management have the authority to implement appropriate health and safety policies, practices, and programs.
  • Areas under their management have adequate funding for health and safety programs, practices, and equipment.
  • Areas under their management are in compliance with Stanford University health and safety practices, policies, and programs.

2.3 Supervisors

Supervisors are responsible for implementing Stanford University IIPP. This includes:

  • Ensuring that workplaces and equipment are safe, well-maintained, and in compliance with external agency regulations and Stanford policies, programs, and practices.
  • Ensuring that workplace safety and health practices and procedures are clearly communicated and understood by employees through training programs.
  • Enforcing health and safety rules fairly and uniformly related to job performance.
  • Evaluating employees on compliance with safe work practices.
  • Acknowledging employees who make a significant contribution to maintenance of a safe workplace and disciplining employees who fail to follow safe work practices.
  • Encouraging employees to report workplace hazards without fear of reprisals.
  • Ensuring that periodic, scheduled workplace inspections are conducted and that identified health and safety deficiencies are corrected in a timely fashion.
  • Ensuring that accidents and injuries are reported and investigated promptly. See section 7.1 regarding reporting procedures for serious and non-serious incidents.
  • Ensuring that inspections/investigations and employee health and safety records are kept for the designated period(s) of time.

2.4 Employees

Employees are responsible for following the requirements of the IIPP. This involves:

  • Keeping themselves informed of conditions affecting their health and safety.
  • Participating in training programs, as required.
  • Adhering to healthy and safe practices in their workplace.
  • Promptly reporting to their supervisors of potential hazards in the workplace, injuries and/or accidents.

2.5 Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S)

EH&S is responsible for the development and administration of the IIPP. This involves:

  • Assisting supervisors in conducting workplace hazard assessments to identify, evaluate, and correct hazards.
  • Providing training and technical assistance to managers and supervisors on implementation of the IIPP.
  • Reviewing, updating and evaluating the overall effectiveness of the IIPP.
  • Evaluating the adequacy and consistency of training designed by schools, departments, etc. (i.e., Tier 2 Training - See Section 9.2).
Top Bottom

3.0 COMPLIANCE

Stanford University shall ensure that employees comply with safe and healthy work practices. Managers and supervisors are responsible for establishing and maintaining good health and safety practices. To ensure compliance:

  • Employees are recognized for following safe and healthful work practices (e.g., oral acknowledgments at receptions, small gifts such as plaques, etc.),
  • Employees are trained and retrained, as necessary or as required;
  • Health and safety practices are integrated into new employee job descriptions and performance appraisals,
  • Disciplinary actions with employees for failure to follow safe and healthful work practices are taken, when appropriate,
  • An anti-reprisal policy for employees reporting safety and health concerns is enforced.
Top Bottom

4.0 COMMUNICATION

Stanford University shall communicate with employees in a form readily understandable by all affected employees on matters related to occupational safety and health, including provisions designed to encourage employees to inform the employers of hazards at the worksite without fear of reprisal.

Stanford uses various communication systems to relay information to all employees on matters relating to occupational safety and health, which include:

  • The tri-tier training program,
  • Health and safety publications,
  • Health and safety meetings,
  • University Safety Partners,
  • Research compliance panels,
  • Anonymous and confidential hazard reporting,
  • And an anti-reprisal policy.

These systems are described below:


4.1 Training

A tri-tier training program is an integral component of the communication system. The training program is described in Section 9.


4.2 Health and Safety Publications

Health and Safety Publications are available from the Department at Environmental Health and Safety. Call the Training and Communications Officer at (650) 723-0448 or e-mail to Bob Edgar to request printed copies.


4.3 Health and Safety Meetings

  • Health and Safety meetings at the school, department or unit level are conducted.

4.4 University Safety Partners

  • Represent the deans of each school and several administrative areas (Residential Dining Enterprises, Facilities Operations).
  • Communicate with respective departments about health and safety matters or to ensure the implementation of applicable EH&S programs.
  • Meet regularly to discuss campus-wide safety issues and to share safety concerns with EH&S.

4.5 Research Compliance Panels

  • Five administrative panels on research compliance.
  • Assure the institution's compliance with federal regulations regarding research activities by reviewing those research activities which involve the use of human subjects, laboratory animals, biohazardous agents, recombinant DNA or radiological hazards.

4.6 Anonymous Hazard Reporting

  • To report a hazard or share a health and safety concern, employees may call (650) 723-0448 or submit a concern via EH&S's web address - http://www.stanford.edu/dept/EHS
  • Hazard reporting may be done anonymously or confidentially.

4.7 Anti-Reprisal Policy

  • Employees and students shall not be discharged or discriminated against in any manner for bona fide reporting of health and safety hazards to Stanford or to appropriate governmental agencies. Supervisors shall inform employees and students of this policy and encourage reporting of workplace hazards to the management.
Top Bottom

5.0 VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE POLICY

Stanford University has developed a policy which provides guidelines for responding to violence or threats of violence in the workplace - see Administrative Policy 23.9 entitled, "Violence in the Workplace", which is available at - http://adminguide.stanford.edu

The general roles and responsibilities of employees, supervisors, Staff Affair Officers, Employee Relations, Help Center, and Police/Security are dictated by the type of situation. There are specific procedures for responding to:

  • Threats of violence.
  • Acts of violence not involving injuries or weapons.
  • Acts of violence involving injuries or weapons.
Top Bottom

6.0 SCHEDULED AND PERIODIC INSPECTIONS

Stanford University shall have procedures for identifying and evaluating work place hazards, including scheduled periodic inspections to identify unsafe conditions and work practices. Supervisors are responsible for seeing that periodic inspections are conducted. To assist supervisors, EH&S has developed self-inspection standardized forms and checklists and guides for inspection and record keeping. EH&S also conducts periodic surveys to assist the supervisors in identifying and correcting potential hazards.


6.1 Work Area Inspection Schedule for Supervisors

Work area Inspections shall be conducted according the following schedule:

  • Upon initial establishment of IIPP.
    Recommended frequency: office areas: at least annually
    labs and shops: at least quarterly
  • When new substances, processes, procedures or equipment which present potential new hazards are introduced.
  • When new, previously unrecognized hazards are identified.
  • When occupational injuries or illnesses occur.

6.2 EH&S and Internal Audit

To assist supervisors in identifying and correcting potential hazards, EH&S conducts surveys (e.g., baseline occupational health and safety surveys of operating units, inspections of hazardous materials storage/disposal, fire safety).

Stanford's Internal Audit Department includes a review of the unit's compliance with health and safety issues related to the implementation of this IIPP.



6.3 Outside Agencies

Several outside agencies conduct regular, periodic inspections at Stanford, which assist the University in achieving some of its inspectional responsibilities. These include:

  • County of Santa Clara Fire Marshal's Office
  • City of Palo Alto Fire Department
  • County of Santa Clara Environmental Health Department

6.4 Record keeping of Scheduled and Periodic Inspections

Records of scheduled and periodic inspections to identify unsafe conditions and work practices shall be maintained for a minimum of one year (unless otherwise specified). The records shall include:

  • The person(s) conducting the inspection,
  • Any description of the unsafe conditions and work practices,
  • The actions taken to correct the identified unsafe conditions and work practices.

The supervisor is responsible for maintaining these records.

Top Bottom

7.0 INJURY and ILLNESS REPORTING andINVESTIGATIONS

Stanford University shall investigate occupational injury or illness. The following standardized procedures for reporting and investigating occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents are reviewed below.


7.1 Reporting Procedures

  • Employee reports accident/exposure to supervisor as soon as possible.

7.1.1 Serious Accident/Illness

  • Supervisor immediately contacts EH&S at (650) 725-9999 to report deaths, or serious injury or illness.

    Cal/OSHA defines an injury or illness as "serious" if it:
    * Requires inpatient hospitalization for a period in excess of 24 hours for other than medical observation; or
    * An employee suffers a loss of any member of the body; or
    * An employee suffers any serious degree of permanent disfigurement.

  • EH&S immediately reports any serious injury or illness to Cal-OSHA. Other incidents may be reported on a case-by-case basis (i.e., chemical carcinogen exposure).
  • For more details, see document entitled, "Serious Accdient/Illness Reporting Procedures" at website: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/EHS/

7.1.2 All Other Injuries

  • For all other injuries, contact supervisor.

7.1.3 Standardized forms for accident/exposure investigations

  • Supervisors are to provide Employee's Claim for Workers' Compensation Benefits (Form DWC-1) for all accidents, to employees immediately. Supervisors and employees are to complete within 24 hours.
  • The SU-17 ( all injury/illness/exposures) has two sections: one for the supervisor and one for the employee to complete. To be completed within 24 hours. Available at:
    http://www.stanford.edu/dept/Risk-Management/docs/forms/su-17.html
  • Cal-OSHA 5020 to be completed (typed) within 24 hours by the supervisor (for cases when one or more workdays is lost by an employee or when treatment of the employee is required by a physician in a medical facility). Available at:
    http://www.stanford.edu/dept/Risk-Management/docs/forms/5020.html
  • SU-16 completed by the supervisor when an employee has one or more workdays is lost.
    Available at:
    http://www.stanford.edu/dept/Risk-Management/docs/forms/su-16.fft
  • All forms are to be submitted to Risk Management or in hard copy at 651 Serra Street, Room 250, Mailcode 6207.

7.2 Investigation Procedures

  • EH&S has an investigation team consisting of an occupational health and safety specialist, chemical waste specialist, environmental specialist, biosafety officer, radiological safety specialist, and fire marshal.
  • Serious accidents (described in Section 7.1) and overexposures (see ** below) to chemical and physical stressors are investigated immediately by a cognizant specialist.

** As established by California Occupational Health and Safety Administration (Cal-OSHA) regulations.


7.2.1 The investigation involves the following steps:

  • EH&S interviews injured workers and witnesses;
  • EH&S examines workplace for factors associated with the accident/exposure;
  • EH&S determines the possible causes of the accident/exposure.
  • Supervisor takes corrective action to prevent the accident/exposure from recurring;
  • Supervisor records the findings and corrective actions taken.
Top Bottom

8.0 HAZARD CORRECTION

Stanford University is commited to correct unsafe or unhealthy work conditions in a timely manner, based on the severity of the hazards.


8.1 Schedules for Correcting Hazards

Hazards shall be corrected according the following procedures:

  • When observed or discovered;
  • When an imminent hazard exists which cannot be immediately abated without endangering employee(s) and/or property, all exposed personnel will be removed from the area, except those necessary to correct the existing condition.
    Employees necessary to correct the hazardous condition shall be provided with necessary safeguards.

8.2 Resources

Unsafe conditions that cannot be corrected with resources available to the supervisor or manager must be reported to the next higher level of management. Resources to correct hazards include the following:

  • Facilities Operations - If the correction required is part of Facilities Operations maintenance responsibilities, Facilities Operations will address the repair without charge to the department.
  • Departmental Funds - If the repair does not fall into the category of maintenance, departmental funds may be required.
  • School/University Funds - If departmental funds are not available, departments must seek other resources from the school or University.
Top Bottom

9.0 TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION


9.1 Training Content

Stanford University policy requires that "faculty, staff and students shall be trained to protect themselves from hazards in their working environment. Supervisors shall train employees and students in:

  • General health and safety practices;
  • Job-specific health and safety practices and hazards;
  • Recognition and assessment of health and safety risks;
  • Minimization of risks through sound safety practices and use of protective equipment;
  • Regulations and statutes applicable to their work; and,
  • Stanford University health and safety policies." (Health and Safety at Stanford University - Principles, Responsibilities, and Practices)

9.2 Tri-Tier Training Program

Stanford has organized its training system into a tri-tier program, which is described below:

Tier 1 Training

  • General University orientation provided by Human Resources to all new employees.
  • Includes information on Stanford's health and safety policies and practices, employee health and safety rights and responsibilities, health and safety services at Stanford, what the employee should expect in terms of further training.

Tier 2 Training

  • Provided by the school, department or building safety representatives in conjunction with EH&S to employees and students in labs, shops, or other workplaces where special hazards may be encountered.
  • Training topics include hazard communication (i.e., hazard identification, hazardous materials safety, hazard reporting), emergency response and evacuation procedures, fire and earthquake safety, rights and responsibilities, personal protection, and record keeping - provided as applicable.
  • EH&S reviews Tier 2 Trainings for adequacy and consistency.

Tier 3 Training

  • Provided by the supervisor for laboratory researchers and assistants, lab class students, and shop and food service workers.
  • Training consists of information specific to the hazards and equipment used by these individuals. Training is communicated by one or more of the following methods: safety meetings (formal or informal), material safety data sheets, videos, pamphlets, booklets, and postings.

9.3 Training Schedule

Training shall be provided to all employees:

  • When the IIPP is first established;
  • When new employees are hired;
  • When employees are given new job assignments for which training has not previously been received;
  • Whenever new substances, processes, procedures or equipment are introduced to the workplace and represent a new hazard;
  • Whenever the employer is made aware of a new or previously unrecognized hazard;
  • When employees become supervisors (so that they can familiarize themselves with the safety and health hazards to which employees under their immediate direction and control may be exposed).

9.4 Training Resources From EH&S

  • EH&S assists schools and departments in providing health and safety training to employees on a variety of topics. These include IIPP training, laboratory safety training, respirator training, radiological safety, and many others.
  • EH&S has developed standardized forms for training record keeping. These are available from EH&S.
  • EH&S has a safety video library, a collection of safety publications, and technical staff to assist supervisors and departments in implementing training programs.

9.5 Record keeping

  • Documentation of health and safety training for each employee shall include: (1) employee name or other identifier, (2) training dates, (3) type(s) of training, and (4) training providers. This documentation shall be maintained for one year.
  • The supervisor is responsible for maintaining these records.
  • Stanford Training and Registration System (STARS) via the Stanford Axess portal is a computerized training database for registration and maintenance of training documentation. Call EH&S's Training and Communications Office at (650) 723-0448 if you have questions regarding this area.

Back to General Health and Safety Home Page