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Health, Safety, and Environmental Quality
K-State Research and Extension and the College of Agriculture

Mitch Ricketts, CSP
 Health, Safety, and Environmental Coordinator
 105D Waters Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
 mrickett@oznet.ksu.edu
785-532-7068

 
   
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Plant Pathology Committee
 
Location:

Plant Pathology
4024 Throckmorton - Plant Sciences Center
Manhattan, KS  66506-4008
785-532-6176

Chairperson:

Bruce Ramundo, Associate Scientist bar@ksu.edu

Committee Members:

Merla Brookman, Senior Administrative Specialist merla@ksu.edu
Michael Pumphrey, Graduate Student mop3535@ksu.edu
Harold Trick, Assistant Professor, Plant Transformation Biology hnt@ksu.edu
Marietta Ryba-White, Associate Scientist mrwhite@ksu.edu

Objectives:

Year Classification Item
2005 Objective Encourage timely removal of old chemicals and equipment.
2005 Objective Offer formaldehyde, skid loader and pesticide worker protection training during the spring.
2005 Objective Continue to administer the New Employee Safety Training Program.
2005 Objective Recertify First Aid trained individuals by August 2005.
2005 Objective Continue inspections of labs, greenhouses, and Rocky Ford for compliance with regulations.
2005 Objective Provide a departmental safety seminar in the spring or fall.
2005 Objective Improve communication with department members by direct contact or hardcopy notices.

Accomplishments:

Year Classification Item
2004 Accomplished Installed a washer and dryer in the department so employees don’t have to take home contaminated lab coats, towels and pesticide contaminated clothing.
2004 Accomplished Installed first aid kits and fire extinguishers in department vehicles.
2004 Accomplished Administered the New Employee Safety Orientation Program that includes a safety checklist, policy manual, and the video “Practicing Safe Science.”
2004 Accomplished Provided employee medical surveillance including hearing tests, pulmonary function tests, cholinesterase blood tests, and tetanus vaccines.
2004 Accomplished Personnel participated in various training programs: pesticide worker protection, skid loader, formaldehyde, and hazardous waste training
2004 Accomplished Disposed of old chemicals and obsolete equipment in cooperation with Public Safety.
2004 Accomplished Continued to identify and eliminate hazards based on incident reports and the concerns of departmental members.
2004 Accomplished Conducted periodic inspections to address farm machinery and noise hazards, pesticides, hazardous waste, and other safety issues.
2004 Accomplished Participated in the mercury exchange program
2004 Accomplished Maintained and updated the Departmental Safety Web page.
2004 Accomplished Provided fit tests for employees who wear respirators.
2004 Accomplished Conducted air monitoring to determine that airborne formaldehyde levels were acceptable during silver staining and developing procedures
2004 Accomplished Eliminated hazards related to fire safety.
2004 Accomplished Purchased an additional flammable liquid storage cabinet.
2004 Accomplished Reduced targeted safety and compliance problems during the year by 57% in laboratories and by 80% at greenhouses and farm operations as documented by audits from the K-State Research & Extension safety office.
2003 Accomplished Provided fit tests for employees who wear respirators.
2003 Accomplished Provided pesticide worker protection standard training to new employees and students who work with pesticides.
2003 Accomplished Passed a Kansas Department of Agriculture pesticide worker protection standard inspection at Rocky Ford with zero violations.
2003 Accomplished Conducted a survey on mercury in the department in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety.
2003 Accomplished Developed a safety page on the Plant Pathology website.
2003 Accomplished Provided first aid kits and CPR micromasks in four common use areas: 1) the autoclave room, 2) each of the two banks of greenhouses assigned to Plant Pathology. 3) between our two classrooms on the first floor 4) at Rocky Ford (our field research site).
2003 Accomplished Provided forklift/skid steer safety training to employees.
2003 Accomplished Posted emergency information in each laboratory, including emergency phone numbers, evacuation route, spill cart location, and an after hours contact person.
2003 Accomplished Established a new employee information orientation that includes a safety checklist, policy manual, and the video “Practicing Safe Science”. All current employees have been provided with the information and all new employees are required to complete the orientation before they begin work.
2003 Accomplished Provided first aid/CPR certification training to employees.
2003 Accomplished Provided employee medical surveillance including hearing tests, pulmonary function tests, cholinesterase blood tests, and tetanus vaccines.
2003 Accomplished Conducted hazardous waste inspections in all laboratories three times during the year. Helped employees resolve chemical safety issues, and disposed of waste chemicals through K-State Public Safety.
2002 Accomplished Ergonomics training has been provided to office employees.
2002 Accomplished Improved pesticide safety in the Throckmorton greenhouses, and provided pesticide safety training to students and employees.
2002 Accomplished Established a self-inspection procedure for periodically reviewing and improving hazardous waste handling, storage, and disposal practices.
2002 Accomplished Provided employee training on the following topics: office ergonomics and hazardous waste disposal.
2002 Accomplished Provided ergonomic workstation analysis for several employees.
2002 Accomplished The committee has used an e-mail survey to gather input from employees.
2002 Accomplished The committee was trained August 22, 2002.
2002 Accomplished Ergonomic workstation analysis has been performed for several employees.
2002 Accomplished The committee is developing a method to inform all employees of proper procedures in case of injury.
2002 Accomplished Developed an incident reporting system.

 

Kansas State University
 Mitch Ricketts