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

Safety Programs

Safety Programs

The safety program must accomplish three important objectives: (1) protect our employees and students, (2) improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness of operations, and (3) serve as a model for students and the public of how safety can be achieved in the workplace, in classrooms and laboratories, on the farm, at home, and in the community.

In order to address the unique needs of each organizational unit, the program must be flexible and site-specific.  In order to gain the support of employees and students, the program must be relevant to issues that are of concern to them.  Finally, in order to be effective, the program must be goal-oriented and ensure accountability for a safer workplace.  The safety program will achieve these goals through a sustained process of continuous improvement as follows:

1. The executive safety advisory committee is responsible for the overall vision and evaluation of safety at Research and Extension and the College of Agriculture. Committee members are selected to represent the interests of administration, faculty, staff, and students.

2. Each organizational unit is encouraged to establish safety committees at local levels. Committee members should be selected to represent the interests of administration, faculty, staff, and students. The Safety Office will coordinate training to ensure that committee members have the information and skills necessary to fulfill their responsibilities.

3. At least annually, the executive safety advisory committee will establish broad safety goals for the entire organization based on accident history, regulations, known hazards, industry standards, and expressed concerns of employees.

4. Each local committee will establish local safety objectives and deadlines for meeting those objectives. The objectives will be based on accident history, regulations, known hazards, industry standards, expressed concerns of employees, self-inspections, and recommendations of the executive safety advisory committee. All local objectives and deadlines must be approved by the executive safety advisory committee. The safety coordinator will assist local committees in this process.

5. After objectives and deadlines have been approved, each local committee will eliminate hazards, coordinate training, and implement other measures as needed to achieve their objectives. The safety coordinator will assist in this process. When the local committee believes their objectives have been met, they will request a “targeted inspection” from the safety office. The targeted inspection will focus on the objectives set by the local committee.

6. Once a targeted inspection has verified that local objectives have been met, the executive safety advisory committee will provide for appropriate recognition of those achievements. After that recognition has taken place, the local committee will be instructed to develop a new set of objectives and deadlines, and the process will cycle back to step 4, above.

7. The executive safety advisory committee will establish objectives and deadlines for any organizational units that do not have local committees. The administrators of those units will be responsible for meeting the objectives and reporting to the executive safety advisory committee.

8. Annually, the executive safety advisory committee will provide a report to the Dean and Director concerning the goals and progress of each organizational unit.

Revised February 4, 2003