Safety and Health Handbook.docx - NC Public Schools

North Carolina LEA/School Employee Safety & Health Loss Prevention Handbook DISCLAIMER NOTE: This document has been modified from the original "North
Carolina State Employee Safety & Health Handbook" by the NC Department of
Public Instruction, NC Public Schools Insurance Fund, for use by NC LEA's &
Schools as a Model Loss Prevention Program. This document is not inclusive
for all situations or codes/regulations. It may be used in its entirety or
modified for local use. It is recommended that LEA's/Schools using this
model, have their Local School Board of Education and Attorney review for
adherence and inclusion of all Federal, State & Local Statutes, Codes &
Ordinances. February 2015 Table of Contents Governor's Message 1
Purpose 2
Hazard Recognition Program 2
Responsibilities 3
Employee Responsibilities 3
Supervisor/Management 4
Safety and Health Leader 5
LEA or School Responsibilities 5
General Safety and Health Programs 6
Asbestos 6
Biological Hazards 7
Blood borne Pathogens 8
Confined Space 8
Emergency Response Plan 9
Electrical Safety 10
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GCFI) 11
Temporary Wiring and Lighting 12
Ergonomics 12
Falls Prevention 14
Fire Prevention 15
First Aid 17
General Housekeeping/Sanitation 17
Hazard Communication Program 18
Responsibilities 19
Definition of Hazardous Chemicals 19
Labels and Other Forms of Warning 21
Chemical Inventory 22
Safety Data Sheets/Material Safety Data Sheets 22
Information and Training 23
Contractors 24
Health Hazards 24
Laboratory Safety 25
Basics 25
Lifting 26
Lockout/Tag out Control of Hazardous Energy 27
Machine Guarding 28
Medical Surveillance 29
Motor Vehicles 29
Driver's License Requirements 29
Commercial Driver's License 29
Vehicle Operations 30
Vehicle Parking 30
Safety Belts 31
Responding To Emergencies 31
Accidents 31
Noise 31
Off The Job Safety 31
Office Safety 32
Personal Protective Equipment 34
Portable Ladders and Scaffolds 36
Ladders 36
Scaffolds 37
Powered Industrial Trucks/Material 39
Handling Equipment 39
Tools - Hand and Power 40
Powder Actuated Tools 41
Trenching and Excavations 42
Signs and Barricades 43
Workplace Injury and Illness 44
Workplace Violence 44
Acknowledgement 47
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Purpose
This handbook is designed to give LEA employees a firm understanding of the
LEA's concern for protecting its employees from job related injuries or
illnesses. The handbook has been developed to provide employees with
answers to general questions regarding safety in the workplace. This
booklet affirms that most hazards are created by personnel and thus
personnel are responsible for following procedures and being mindful of
their surroundings to prevent hazards from developing. Each new employee should attend New Employee Orientation within thirty days
of hire. During this orientation you will be given facility specific
information regarding how to respond during various emergencies and your
supervisor or HR Liaison will discuss site-specific safety policies and
programs for your department. Your supervisor must inform you of safety
procedures and required training you will need to do your job. Additionally, you should keep this handbook at your workplace for ready or
immediate access, as you would any important job related personal property.
If you are confronted with a situation not covered in this book, consult
your supervisor before going ahead. The following pages contain only some of the highlights of the Safety and
Health Regulations for general industry and construction under the North
Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Act (NCOSHA) and other regulatory
groups. It is not intended as a complete manual on safety and health, but
should be used as a guide to the prevention of the more common hazards that
might develop in the workplace. For specific standards applicable to your
LEA or School, contact your Safety and Health Leader. Hazard Hints: You will find hints throughout this booklet that will help
you prevent personal injury to yourself or others. This handbook sets the
expectation that we are our co-workers keeper and when a hazard, i.e.
liquid on the floor is observed you will make all efforts to clean-up or
barricade and label until correct cleaning supplies/personnel are found.
Hazard Recognition Program To prevent injuries a hazard recognition program has been developed to
train workers on how to identify, how to correct and how to report unsafe
behaviors and unsafe conditions. Hazards can be reported on-line at
(Insert your Link Here) and copies of the form can be obtained from your
Safety Leader or printed directly by going to the (Insert your Link Here). Employees are empowered to fix the unsafe condition immediately, if it is
under their span of control. Supervisors will involve employees in
identifying solutions to the unsafe act or condition therefore creating a
culture of caring. Safety Committees will be involved in reviewing the hazard reports,
ensuring that hazards are communicated across the LEA to prevent injuries
from occurring in other locations. The hazard recognition program is established to ensure open communication
between all levels of employment to foster a safe and healthful workplace.
There shall be neither reprisals nor sanctions taken against any employee
for bringing management's attention to a safety and health problem. Hazard Hint: Over 90% of all injuries are caused from unsafe acts. Check
your surroundings before entering look for hazards, unsafe conditions and
last but not least ask your supervisor if you don't know how to do the job
safely. Notify your supervisor and safety committee representative of any known
hazards immediately and complete the hazard report. Contact your LEA/School Safety and Health Leader and your Human Resource
(HR) Director if you feel the need to process the complaint further.
After going through the chain of command and the issue is not resolved in a
reasonable time frame, don't hesitate to call the Safety Hot-Line at
(Insert your number here).
Responsibilities
Employee Responsibilities
All injuries, including minor first aid treatment, occurring on the job and
any illness associated with the job shall be reported promptly and in
writing to your supervisor. Questions concerning medical treatment of
these injuries/illnesses should also be addressed to the supervisor and
your Worker's Compensation Administrator. Hazard Hint: Report injuries, near hits, hazardous conditions, burning
odors, fires, damage to property, LEA vehicle accidents, hazardous material
spills and unsafe behaviors or violations of procedures to your supervisor
immediately. The protection of fellow employees and of the public on LEA/School property
is a shared responsibility of every employee. Properly dispose of all hazardous materials in an acceptable and lawful
manner. Your supervisor and/or your Safety and Health Leader can advise you
of the required disposal method and practice. Working while impaired by alcohol or drugs is specifically forbidden. Use
of prescription drugs, which may affect your alertness or work abilities,
must be reported to your supervisor prior to beginning work.
Hazard Hint: Prescription, over-the-counter medications, drug and alcohol
abuse, and lack of sleep can affect your concentration and alertness and
may result in injury. Practice healthy lifestyle choices to minimize your
risk for injury and prolong your life.
Failure to comply with or enforce Safety and Health Rules and Regulations
may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Violation
of work rules is a job performance issue and shall be dealt with through
job performance disciplinary process. Each employee is to place safety and health requirements as first
importance in the performance of their work duties for the LEA/School by
following safety rules and procedures. Employees should make recommendations to improve the safety and health in
the workplace. Employees shall wear, clean, maintain and use prescribed protective
equipment. Refrain from the operation of any equipment without both proper
instructions and authorization. Only use properly guarded equipment and not remove safety devices. Good conduct is expected- "horseplay" will not be tolerated.
Supervisor/Manager Responsibilities
Recognize the most valuable asset in the LEA/Schools is their employees and
therefore protecting employee safety and health is the greatest value of
the LEA/Schools. Remind employees to report hazards and ensuring that safe working
conditions are present for employees. Investigate reported hazards and document results of hazard review and
inform management, Safety Leaders and safety committee representative.
Investigate near hits, property damage, incidents, and injuries as soon as
possible, first determining whether a hazard is still present that could
injure others. Eliminating or guarding against the hazard is a first
priority after providing medical attention to the employee (if injured). Complete a final or preliminary investigation and root cause analysis of
the reported incident depending on the complexity of the incident. Send the completed investigation report to the employee, the supervisors'
manager, the manager of the work area the incident occurred in (if area was
under another manager's area of control), worker's compensation
administrator and the Safety and Health Leader. Corrective actions are to be identified and interim controls put in place
for hazardous work environments under their control. Each supervisor is also responsible to know and understand safety
procedures and ensure that their employee's r