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MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT AND INVOLVEMENT POLICY STATEMENT 

It shall be the policy of the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ (ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ) to provide a safe and healthful workplace that is free from recognizable occupational and environmental hazards. The Department of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) is responsible for providing written policies, program oversight and recordkeeping to achieve this goal and comply with appropriate safety and health regulations. Directors, department heads and supervisors are responsible for program implementation. Key components of an effective safety program include new employee orientations and annual training sessions, facility and equipment inspections, the Campus Safety Advisory Committee, loss control, risk management and insurance, accident investigations and reporting. Individual employees are responsible for conducting job duties in a manner that adheres to program requirements and minimizes the potential for illness or injury. Employees are also encouraged to report unsafe acts or conditions to their supervisors and through the Safety Hazard Reporting Form available in all departmental offices. Employees should not perform tasks if the work is considered unsafe. Employees must report all accidents, injuries and unsafe conditions to their supervisors. No such report will result in retaliation, penalty or other disincentive. 

The ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ will give top priority to and provide the financial resources for the correction of unsafe conditions. Similarly, disciplinary action will be taken against an employee who willfully or repeatedly violates University safety policies. This action may include verbal or written reprimands and may ultimately result in termination of employment. 

Departmental supervisors will be actively involved with employees in establishing and maintaining effective safety programs. The Department of Environmental Health & Safety or other members of the University community will participate in ongoing safety and health program activities, which include: (1) promoting safety committee participation, (2) providing safety and health education and training and (3) reviewing and updating University safety policies. 

This policy statement serves to express ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ's commitment to and involvement in providing employees a safe and healthful workplace. This document will be incorporated as the standard of practice for the University. Compliance with safety policy will be required of all employees as a condition of employment. 

Values Statement

The Department of Environmental Health & Safety, Risk Management and Insurance shall strive to maintain high quality, innovative programs, policies and procedures which reflect a commitment to integrity, honesty, professionalism and teamwork. The implementation of insurance and safety programs and loss control policies will be handled in an equitable, consistent manner where attention to individual needs is paramount. 

Vision Statement 

The Department of Environmental Health & Safety, Risk Management and Insurance is committed to serving the students, faculty, staff and community of the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ and surrounding area. This commitment involves a service relationship with the goal of ensuring costumer satisfaction. Effective service promotes a sense of security in the knowledge that the University has a vested interest in and is dedicated to providing a place that is safe for employment and higher education. Mission Statement 

The mission of the Department of Environmental Health & Safety, Risk Management and Insurance is to provide employment which is free from recognized occupational and environmental safety and health hazards while minimizing institutional losses and liability. In fulfilling this mission, employees will not endure the pain and suffering of accidents, claims will be managed in a efficient manner, losses will be minimized and more resources will be available to conduct the business of the University. This mission is achieved through: preventative inspections, training sessions, newsletters and education to ensure that risk management, safety and loss control is in the forefront of everyone’s mind; written policies and manuals, compliance audits, review and update to ensure state-of-the-art safety, insurance and risk management programs; inspections, monitoring and medical examination to prevent hazardous exposures and accidents when possible, evaluate those that do occur and ensure that employees are physically capable of donning protective equipment and performing hazardous duties; record keeping and documentation to demonstrate regulatory compliance, verification of insurance coverages, expedite claims processing and minimize the impact of compliance inspections. 

Purpose Statement 

EH&S is one of fourteen departments within Administration & Finance. Located in J.J. Daniel Hall, Building 1, EH&S provides comprehensive occupational safety, risk management, insurance and environmental health services to ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ. EH&S also serves as a community information resource for safety, health and insurance issues. Written compliance programs, health policies, safety training, monitoring and recommendations are provided to augment emergency preparedness, loss control, and minimize the incidence of employee injuries, accidents and institutional liability. 

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SAFETY, RISK MANAGEMENT & INSURANCE PLANNING, EVALUATION & BUDGET PROCESS

Introduction

Planning and evaluation within the department of Environmental Health, Safety, Risk Management and Insurance occurs on an ongoing basis throughout the fiscal year. The departmental budget is routinely reviewed and updated as purchases are made and the various accounts are adjusted accordingly. With input and evaluations from the University community, various committees, state and federal regulators, departmental goals and the services provided, evolve and interact in a reciprocal manner. 

Description of Process 

The process begins in February as current year goals are reviewed and concepts for new goals are contemplated. This officially occurs during weekly meetings with the Assistant Vice President of Administration & Finance. Budget assumptions are also discussed as a precursor to departmental budget requests. In mid-April, the division meets to present departmental goals and means of assessment. 

In late April through May, the final set of goals is used to prepare departmental budget requests. These requests are refined during the weekly meeting with the Assistant Vice President of Administration & Finance. Departmental goals and budget requests are due to the administration in mid-May where they are approved and formalized for presentation during the President’s Staff Retreat in late June. Once approved by the President’s Staff, the departmental budget is allocated and posted in late July by the University Budget Office. Ongoing through this period, are supplemental funding requests for items that were either not funded or were not anticipated during the formal planning process. These items are funded only as additional monies become available through salary savings and other mechanisms. 

The resultant allocation of resources is then utilized throughout the year to accomplish the established goals and provide customary services to the University community. As customer expectations evolve and priorities change, some goals are postponed while others become apparent. This occurs through the variety of input depicted in the enclosed chart and official responses are discussed and approved during the weekly meetings with the Assistant Vice President for Administration & Finance. 

The delivery of services by the department of Environmental Health, Safety, Risk Management & Insurance are driven by a variety of sources. The accompanying chart depicts the majority of these sources including regulations enforced by the Department of Health, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Labor and Employment Security, the Division of Risk Management, the Department of Management Services, codes enforced by the State Fire Marshall, mandates and policies enforced by the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ Board of Trustees, input from a variety of University committees and staff members, internal and external audits, surveys and inspections. 

The services provided by the department of Environmental Health, Safety, Risk Management & Insurance are as varied as the regulators and the clientele it serves. The accompanying chart depicts some of these services including responding to issues raised by the Campus Safety Advisory and Construction Status committees, conducting investigations in response to complaints or reports of safety hazards and accidents, relocating nuisance and threatening wildlife from campus and negotiating resolutions to funding, priority and public relations issues created by impending liability. 

The evaluations conducted by and for the department are depicted on the accompanying chart and occur from several sources. These include various local, state and federal regulators, customer response cards, internal state auditors, NACUBO surveys and loss prevention reports. The information obtained from these evaluations is used in the planning process to formulate goals and prioritize funding and services provided. 

Summary

The planning, evaluation and budget process for the department of Environmental Health, Safety, Risk Management & Insurance is a dynamic process with input from numerous sources. Goals, funding and feedback are all part of the departmental process which is formalized by administrative review and approval, but is capable of change given the nature of the University environment. 

As part of the charge to maintain employee safety and environmental health, the Department of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) has developed this Comprehensive Safety, Health and Risk Management Manual. This manual is in fulfillment of section 284.5 Florida Statutes. These rules also require that each department of state government and state employers assign a Safety Coordinator, or equivalent, to perform the duties of loss prevention. At the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ, this assignment has come from the Board of Trustees through the University President to the Department of Environmental Health & Safety.