No./Title: GS5114 – Safety Training	Resp. Office: Campus Safety and Emergency Management	Effective Date: 9/11/2019
Category: General Safety	Last Review:	Next Review: 9/11/2020
Contact: Campus Safety and Emergency Management	🕿	🖂
Related Policies: UT System Safety Policy SA0100 UT System Safety Policy SA0700 UT System Safety Policy SA0750
Forms:

PURPOSE, APPLICABILITY, AND SCOPE:

The purpose of The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Training procedure is to provide faculty, staff, students and visitors with the knowledge and tools necessary to reduce the risks associated with their work responsibilities. Safety training programs are developed in response to federal, state, and local regulations, accreditation agency requirements and institutional needs.

Employees, students, and visitors must understand and comply with the regulatory requirements of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws and regulations (29 CFR), Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), and the University of Tennessee system safety policies

This procedure is designed to embody the framework of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 “To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health.”

UTHSC shall ensure that all faculty, staff, students, volunteers and visitors who perform work at or for the University, receive appropriate training necessary to protect their health and perform work in a safe and environmentally sound manner. This training must include information regarding job hazards, possible health effects, and required work practices and procedures.

Students who are employed by the University are also required to receive safety training when applicable to their jobs.

Faculty are responsible for student safety training prior to any academically-related activity that has a potential for a safety concern i.e., laboratory work, field trip, internship, field study, etc.

Supervisors, both faculty and staff, have the specific responsibility to see that systems for communicating with employees and students about health and safety matters in their jurisdiction are implemented and maintained.

ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS:

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Campus Safety shall:

• Assist in identifying safety training needs.
• Assist in communicating the requirements to departments, supervisors and managers.
• Monitor compliance with safety training requirements.
• Provide information on departmental compliance to administration and departments when requested.
• Provide training materials, assistance and programs to address safety requirements.
• Assist departments, supervisors and managers on how to identify and provide training for specific workplace hazards

Departments shall:

Departments shall be responsible for identifying training needs in coordination with state and federal regulations and the campus safety office.

• Working with representatives of campus safety and departmental supervisors and managers to identify the training needs for their employees.
• Ensuring that all departmental employees (including student employees) receive the appropriate safety training within established time frames.
• Ensure periodic refresher training as defined by recognized standards, e.g. OSHA, TOSHA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), etc.
• Ensuring that all departmental training records are transmitted to campus safety as appropriate
• 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.

Supervisors shall:

Supervisors are responsible for complying with this procedure and ensuring their students, staff or visitors comply with this procedure. Supervisors are responsible for conducting and documenting the safety training needs assessment or reviewing and approving the assessment if conducted by others. They are also responsible for ensuring their students, staff, or visitors receive the required training. Supervisors are responsible for

• Being trained and knowledgeable in the safety and health hazards to which employees, students and visitors i.e., visiting faculty, volunteers, etc. under their direction may be exposed.
• Establishing, implementing and maintaining a system for conducting and documenting the safety training needs assessment.
• Communicating with employees, students and visitors about health and safety matters.
• Providing site-specific or project-specific training for employees, students and visitors to include the specific hazards present in their workplace.
• Requesting assistance with specialized training where needed.
• Ensuring that all employees, students and visiting faculty under their supervision have completed all safety training requirements and receive refresher training as necessary.
• Providing campus safety the needs assessment and completed training documentation

Employees, faculty, staff, students, and visitors shall:

Faculty, staff, students and visitors are responsible for participating in any assigned safety training programs provided by campus safety or research safety and their supervisors. Employees, students and visitors must know the general safety and health rules of the specific site hazards and the safe work practices needed to help control exposure, and the individual’s role in all types of emergency situations. They must also be responsible for complying with all University safety policies and procedures.

Contractors and Subcontractors Shall:

Contractors performing work at University facilities or on University property are required to comply with all applicable OSHA/TOSHA standards (29 CFR) and are responsible for

• Maintaining their own safety training policy and programs and understanding the University specific workplace hazards prior to any contracted work and ensuring all necessary training is completed based on UTHSC workplace hazards they will be exposed to.
• Comply with all UTHSC procedures concerning workplace safety, contractor safety or other such safety standards as required.

PROCEDURES:

General

1. Employees at UTHSC shall receive training in safety, occupational health, and environmental compliance in areas applicable to their work. Department supervision shall coordinate with the UTHSC 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. 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.
   1. Provisions should be made to verify that each employee understands the content of the training, such as quiz, test, or other means.
3. The campus safety officer shall periodically audit training records. These audits may be specific to a department or a program (e.g., hazardous materials training).
4. The safety training program shall include the following elements and attributes:
   1. Training may be any of the following formats:
      1. Classroom;
      2. Online;
      3. Self-study;
      4. Demonstration of skills;
      5. Other such methods (e.g. “tool box” training) that demonstrate the comprehension and proficiency of the safety topic that is in accordance with regulations.
   2. A training orientation for new employees
   3. Periodic refresher training as defined by recognized standards. Note: the safety officer may decide on the frequency of the refresher training when not defined by regulation. The following situations may trigger 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
   4. Documentation of training shall be maintained by the employee’s department in the form of a quiz, test or attendance list and are encouraged to use IRIS, or other digital accessible means as a central repository.
      
      NOTE: Some standards require a specific content of training records. Documentation shall be kept for at least three years and may be in electronic form.
      1. Documentation shall indicate, at a minimum- training subject, the identity of the trainee, the date the training was completed, and the results of the training.
5. The safety training requirement includes both general and site-specific training. At a minimum, the following elements should be included in the training sessions:

• A review of the workplace-specific written safety policies.
• Specific training on the hazards associated with the materials and equipment used by the employee.
• Specific training on how employees are to protect themselves against the hazards in the workplace.
• Recognition and assessment of health and safety risks.
• Regulations applicable to their work.
• Basic information on the location of manuals, safety devices and personal protective equipment.
• Basic procedures to follow in the event of emergencies, especially fires, chemical spills and medical emergencies.
• Site Specific hazards should be identified in a training needs assessment.

ATTACHMENTS:

• None

ASSOCIATED STANDARDS:

• (OSHA) standards (29 CFR )
• (OSHA) Training Requirements in OSHA Standards