For employees who will be returning to on-campus work soon, here are some basic safety guidelines to keep in mind for offices and shop areas.
Office work:
- Set up your workstation properly to avoid strains and injury. For guidance, click here to watch a short video.
- Slips, trips, and falls are one of the most common injury causes in an office setting.
- If you see a wet floor, take the initiative to clean up small spills yourself. Doing so could prevent a coworker from slipping.
- Keep walkways neat, clean, and organized. Clutter causes trips.
- Use a proper ladder or footstool when necessary. Falls happen when using a chair, desk, or box in place of a ladder.
- Electrical Safety
- Extension cords - do not substitute extension cords for permanent wiring or use them for longer than eight hours at a time.
- Power strips - Plugging one power strip into another is called "daisy chaining" and is prohibited. Nearly 20 percent of all failures and fires stemming from surge protectors happen as a result of daisy chains.
- Emergency procedures - know what to do in the event of a fire, tornado, or other life-threatening event.
- Hawk Alerts - Text messages are the fastest way to receive emergency notifications, so make sure your preferences are updated.
- Emergency Response Guide – download this guide and post for reference.
- Campus Emergency Plans
Shops:
- Work Area
- Keep work areas clean and clutter free.
- Do not work alone in the shop unless authorized.
- Do not distract equipment operators.
- Report all safety concerns to the shop manager.
- Tools
- Always inspect your tools prior to use. If anything is not in proper working order it should be taken out of service and repaired or replaced immediately.
- Do not use equipment without training and authorization.
- Do not operate equipment without guards in place.
- Do not bring outside equipment/tools into the shop.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - when used properly PPE minimizes a person’s exposure to hazards in the workplace.
- Always inspect your PPE prior to use. If anything is damaged it should not be used and it should be replaced immediately.
- Wear you PPE as required.
Following these guidelines can help ensure we all have a safe return to campus.