Safety Policies and Programs
Environmental Health & Public Safety is dedicated to the reduction of risks within the NC State community, and to the promotion of safety as a value in our university culture. We are pleased to provide health, safety, and environmental services to everyone at NC State. Our goal is to support the mission of the university by helping staff, faculty, and students take an active role in protecting their health and the environment.
NC State Environmental Health and Safety believes that the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff are of the greatest importance. Visit the full policy statement (pdf) to read more about the General Safety Policies and Responsibilities.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) administers and implements the occupational health and safety policies and procedures (NC State PRR) promulgated by the department and by University health and safety committees. Our EHS Center is staffed by professionals in biological safety, radiation safety, chemical and laboratory safety, occupational safety and health and environmental affairs.
NC State Environmental Health and Safety programs encompass seven major elements. The success of the University’s safety and health effort depends 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 is so urgent that we cannot take time to perform our work safely.
- The most important element is you. You are responsible for ensuring that all your activities result in an acceptable level of risk to yourself, to the others present, to the general population, and to the environment.
- Your immediate supervisor is responsible for keeping you apprised of the approved procedures and information related to health and safety of your activities.
- Your principal investigator 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 safety and health and in accordance with the laboratory safety plan and other hazardous material approvals, including radiation, biological and other hazardous materials and/or processes.
- Your department head is responsible for establishing and maintaining a work environment which fosters the appropriate health and safety procedures in all activities of the department.
- Your unit safety committee, the group which audits the general physical conditions and operations of the department, seeks resolution of recognizable safety and health problems and acts as the liaison to Environmental Health and Safety.
- The Environmental Health and Safety Center administers the 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 Environmental Health and Safety and its component sections. 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.
North Carolina State University has established administrative policies for the reduction and prevention of on-the-job accidents and illnesses, and the protection of the environment. These policies are to be used as a foundation for establishing safety and environmental health programs in each organization.
Many different environmental regulatory agencies may conduct inspections at North Carolina State University (NCSU). The University is not exempt from compliance with occupational health and safety and environmental regulations. Agencies that may conduct compliance inspections include the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, NC Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh Department of Public Utilities, Department of Labor and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Please refer to the general guidelines for responding to a regulatory agency visit and Standards and Regulations for more information.
Responding to Regulatory Agency Visits
Purpose
Many different environmental regulatory agencies may conduct inspections at North Carolina State University. The University is not exempt from compliance with occupational health and safety and environmental regulations. North Carolina State Agencies, such as the University, can receive fines from N.C. regulatory agencies. The penalties assessed can be comparable to those assessed in the private sector. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) will provide support to departments and provide pertinent information to the agency if an inspection occurs, however, the respective University department receiving the penalty is responsible for payment.
Objective
It is the policy of NC State to comply with all applicable environmental health laws and regulations and provide any appropriate documentation during compliance inspections.
Responsibility
All faculty and staff will follow these procedures when responding to a visit from a regulatory agency.
Procedure
To help departments respond to outside agency inspections, EH&S requests your assistance in implementing the following procedures:
- Ask to see identification. All state and federal compliance officers must carry a photographic I.D.
- Call Environmental Health and Safety – The inspection should not be started until a representative from EHS is available to assist you, in some cases by phone for remote locations. If a remote location, the site manager should be contacted immediately to participate in the opening conference and inspection.
- Ask to have an opening conference and closing conference and establish the nature of the visit. Request that the conference not proceed until a representative from EH&S is present or connected by phone.
- Request specific details on the purpose of the visit (most regulatory inspections occur because of employee complaints).
- Decide the best route to the location. A tour of your facility is not advisable. Anything seen on the way to the location is also subject to inspection.
- Supply only the information requested. It is not advisable to offer more than what the inspector wants.
- The inspector has the right to interview employees, collect samples to assess exposure to chemical or physical agents, review training record documentation, evaluate your written safety plan to assure compliance with OSHA standards, take pictures, etc. If air or other environmental samples are collected, EH&S may collect parallel samples where possible, to confirm results.
- Request copies of photographs if they are to be taken; take the same pictures if you have a camera
- Take detailed notes
- Be courteous and provide only information that is specifically requested
- In a closing conference after the inspection and interviews are finished, have the inspector explain the hazard involved, the corrective action suggested and description of the violation and applicable reference. In some cases, the inspection may not be completed in one day or the closing conference may be conducted by phone with the inspector. EHS should participate in these conferences, either in person or by phone.
- If citations are issued, immediately scan and email or if not possible, forward a copy of the citation to the Director, NC State Environmental Health and Safety, Box 8007, Raleigh, NC 27695-8007.
Responding to Regulatory Agency Visits (pdf)
Standards and Regulations
Purpose
Public Law 91-596, enacted by the Congress in December 1970, entitled the “Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970,” authorizes and directs the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor to promulgate rules and regulations governing occupational safety and health standards. The Federal standards and regulations have been adopted by the North Carolina Department of Labor, and are applicable to North Carolina State University.
Please refer to Responding to Regulatory Agency Visits for more information.
Objective
The standards and regulations are to assure every working man and woman safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.
Responsibility
All faculty, staff, students, contractors, cooperative agencies and visitors to NCSU must comply with all applicable environmental health and safety standards and regulations. Also, they must comply with all University policies and procedures as defined in this manual.
The staff and faculty of each facility are responsible for following safe work practices. Principal investigators and other supervisory personnel must review the hazards of all chemical and physical agents and processes for health, safety, or fire hazards. This must be done before any experiment or work assignment begins. EH&S is available to provide any assistance that may be requested.
Scope of Coverage
The state occupational safety and health standards may be found in 29CFR1910, North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standard for General Industry. These standards encompass the following:
- Walking/Working Surfaces
- Means of Egress Powered Platforms, Manlifts and Vehicle Mounted Work Platforms
- Occupational Health and Environmental Control
- Hazardous Materials
- Personal Protective Equipment
- General Environmental Controls
- Medical and First Aid
- Fire Protection and Fire Protection Systems
- Compressed Gas and Compressed Air Equipment
- Materials Handling and Storage Machinery and Machine
- Guarding Hand and Portable Powered Tools
- Welding, Cutting and Brazing
- Special Industries
- Electrical
Additional University Safety Requirements
Certain activities and processes affecting the safety of personnel at NC State are the subject of additional policies, procedures, and regulations of the University over and above the statutory regulations. These policies and procedures are contained in various University documents including manuals, guidance documents and resources.
Standards and Regulations (pdf)