1. PURPOSE, APPLICABILITY, AND SCOPE:

The purpose of this procedure is to establish a program for the training in safety, occupational health, and environmental compliance at the University of Tennessee at Martin in compliance with the UT Safety Policy SA0750, Safety Training.

2. PROCEDURE:

1. Employees at UT Martin shall receive training in safety, occupational health, and environmental compliance in areas applicable to their work. Department supervision shall coordinate with the UT Martin Safety Officer to determine the training required for each position within their department. The department head and the employee’s immediate supervisor are key to the success of employee safety training.
2. Safety training program shall include the following elements and attributes:
   1. The content of the training may be general and/or specific in nature depending of the subject.
   2. Training may be any of the following formats:
      • Classroom style,
      • Online,
      • Self-study,
      • Demonstration of skills, or
      • Other, such as monthly tool box training sessions held by the supervisor of each shop/group.
   3. In some cases the person providing the instruction must meet minimum qualifications with respect to education, certification, and/or experience.
3. Departments shall be responsible for identifying training needs in coordination with state and federal regulations and the campus safety office.
   1. Training orientation for new employees. Some of the orientation training may consist of completion of courses included in approved on-line training systems. Additional training more specific to the employee’s duties and tasks may be required as determined by the employee’s supervisor. All employee orientation training shall be documented and maintained in the department files.
   2. Periodic refresher training as defined by recognized standards, for example Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), etc.
   3. Physical Plant and Residential Housing employees shall complete safety training in specific areas annually (Hazard Communication Program, Blood Borne Pathogens, Fall Protection, etc.). Annual safety re-training may include approved on-line courses or other safety courses that comply with OSHA, TOSHA, EPA etc., requirements.
4. The following situations may identify the need for additional training:
   1. Change of equipment, hazard, process, or procedure.
   2. The employee demonstrates a lack of understanding (e.g., compliance).
   3. New information or regulations relative to a subject.
   4. Reassignment of task.
5. Provisions should be made to verify that each employee understands the content of the training, such as quiz, test, or other means.
6. Documentation of training shall be maintained by the employee’s department in the form of satisfactory quiz or test results or an attendance list. Departments are encouraged to use IRIS as a central repository. Note that some standards (OSHA/TOSHA) require a specific content of training records. Documentation of completed training/re-training shall be maintained for a minimum of three years and may be in electronic form.
7. Departments shall establish a process to ensure their employees receive the required training. Consideration should be given to implementing a tracking and/or accountability system for any mandatory program. UTM Procedure Safety Training Appendix B is an example of a document indicating the status of completed annual re-training for Physical Plant employees. NOTE: UTM Procedure Safety Training Appendix A is an example of the documentation for completed annual safety re-training from one of the approved online training systems, the Rogers Learning System. Documentation shall indicate, at a minimum, the identity of the trainee, the date the training was completed, and the results of the training.
8. Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) shall periodically audit training records. These audits may be specific to a department or a program (e.g., hazardous materials training).
9. EH&S may request that certain training records be submitted for objective evidence prior to the annual safety audit. These records will help satisfy the auditor (usually a safety consultant from the UT Center for Industrial Service) and will save considerable time in conducting the audit.