You are here:
Aren't you glad someone knows where you are?
President Barker's EHS Letter
Clemson University has a commitment to provide a safe and healthful workplace and to protect the environment for our faculty, students, staff, and the community.
The success of the University's environmental, health, and safety efforts depend on all of us working together and accepting personal responsibility for our safety and the safety of those with whom we work. No job is so important and no service so urgent that we cannot take time to perform our work safely.
The University will provide a safe working environment, necessary protective equipment, and appropriate medical care. All supervisors will regularly inspect their areas and review accident records to ensure that all unsafe conditions are removed. The supervisor also has the responsibility to pass safety information along to all their workers and conduct regularly scheduled meetings discussing work hazards, accidents, and other safety related items. Environmental Health and Safety has the authority to administer policies relating to environmental compliance, and occupational safety and health, and to establish procedures for keeping the University in compliance.
Each individual's total commitment to and enthusiastic participation in our Safety, Health, and Environmental programs is of the utmost importance regardless of their length of service or position within the University. There are six major elements which encompass the University's Environmental Health and Safety programs:
- The
most important element is you. You are responsible for assuring that
all of your activities result in the lowest level of risk to yourself,
to others present, to the general public, and to the environment.
- Your
immediate supervisor is responsible for keeping you apprised of the
approved procedures and information related to health and safety aspects
of your activities.
- In laboratories,
your laboratory director, or in case of work with radiation, the Authorized
User, holds the authority for work with hazardous substances, radioactive
materials or radiation producing devices and is therefore responsible
to ensure that all work is conducted with full regard for personnel
health and safety and in accordance with the laboratory safety plan
and/or the approved radiation use project.
- Your
department head is responsible for establishing and maintaining a work
environment which fosters the development of appropriate health and
safety procedures in all activities of the department.
- Environmental
Health and Safety administers the environmental health and safety programs
of the University. EHS provides professional assistance and expertise
to members of the University community in matters of occupational health
and safety.
- Environmental Health and Safety Committees provide appropriate input to EHS and its programs. The voting members of these committees are drawn from the faculty and staff and are recognized scientific experts in areas related to the respective committee's activity. Safety Committees include the Radiation Protection Committee, The Institutional Biosafety Committee (including it’s Chemical and Biohazard safety subcommittees), the Environmental Committee, and the Campus Building Water and Air Quality Committee.
The purpose of Clemson’s safety programs is to provide employees with a safe and healthy work environment, develop a safety consciousness among employees and others engaged in work for Clemson to reduce accidents and occupational illnesses to a minimum, identify and control safety, public health and environmental hazards associated with its operations, and work constructively with government agencies and others to develop laws, regulations, and standards to protect public health, safety, and the environment. Each member of the University community has the responsibility to work within the framework of established safety programs and policy. They are also responsible for carrying out their activities in a manner that will protect those involved, the rest of the University community, the general public, and the environment.
