Health and Safety Policy

Purpose

To establish health, safety and environmental commitments and responsibilities necessary to uphold Northern Illinois University’s (NIU) dedication to providing a safe and healthy environment for its faculty, staff, students, and visitors in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations and policies.

Scope

The scope of this policy applies to all members of the university community who are actively engaged in operations on campus in support of the mission, vision, and values of the institution.

Policy

Safety is the responsibility of every person at NIU. All members of the university community who conduct university operations at on-campus facilities or off-campus locations shall comply with all applicable environmental, health and safety laws, regulations, and policies.

These parties are individually and collectively responsible for the shared safety of the University community, and each is responsible for their personal health and safety obligations and behaviors. These parties must conduct themselves in a manner that furthers the protection of the safety and health of all members of the University community.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Board of Trustees is the final institutional authority for NIU. The Board of Trustees has delegated responsibility for the conduct and management of the University to the President.

The University President is responsible for establishing appropriate institutional policy for the safety of all individuals, facilities, and properties under university control; implementing reasonable procedures and mechanisms that are designed to further such policy; and establishing a culture of safety across the University. The President delegates responsibility for implementation and enforcement of the NIU Health and Safety Policy to senior leadership of each division.

The Executive Vice President/Provost, Vice Presidents, Deans, Chairs, Directors, and Department Heads are responsible for administering and applying the Health and Safety Policy for all services and operations under their leadership, including, but not limited to, adopting appropriate training, implementing appropriate safety plans and procedures, and other mechanisms to carry out the expectations of the policy. These leaders shall ensure that the following are appropriately considered and implemented where applicable:

• Implement the NIU Health and Safety Policy.
• Establish safety committee(s) and safety officers to monitor safety and policies at appropriate unit levels.
• Document, track and report accidents, near misses, illnesses, and and injuries.
• Ensure students, faculty, staff, and visitors receive appropriate safety training commensurate with the safety issues arising from their division/unit.
• Disseminate health and safety information to the division/unit.
• Review applicable safety standards and best practices to determine the proper application of the standards for assigned divisions/units.
• Ensure everyone under their respective direction and control incorporates good safety principles and practices into their daily activities and job duties.

All front-line supervisors including principal investigators, faculty, and foremen shall:

• Implement the NIU Health and Safety Policy.
• Require those under their supervision participate in proper safety training and maintain individual training records.
• Create appropriate safety plans or procedures and review/update as needed to maintain compliance with this policy.
• Disseminate health and safety information to assigned staff and students.
• Participate and cooperate in authorized or required audits, inspections and safety reviews, whether internal or conducted by an external agency.
• Ensure all equipment and associated materials are maintained in good working condition, taking into account normal wear and tear.

All individuals engaged in university activities, including employees, faculty, students, and visitors shall:

• Support and comply with the NIU Health and Safety Policy.
• Attend required safety training.
• Follow safety plans and procedures.
• Use safety equipment properly including personal protective equipment.
• Stop any activity immediately when encountering unsafe or hazardous situations.
• Report all injuries/accidents/unsafe conditions/unsafe practices/near misses immediately to the immediate supervisor, instructor, or person otherwise providing leadership in the area in which the condition occurred.
• Give forethought to and be reasonably prepared for anticipated emergencies that may occur on campus.

All contractors and subcontractors who perform service on NIU property or on behalf of NIU are required to follow this policy, which may also include compliance with the NIU Campus Contractor Safety Program. This program is administered by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety.

Campus Safety Programs

The University has two distinct and collaborative programs to ensure a culture of safety exists at NIU. The Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) focuses on workplace safety in all non-academic settings. The Office of Research Compliance, Integrity, and Safety (ORCIS) focuses on academic safety in the laboratory, field, and studio. The two complement one another by providing specific guidance and expertise for the two distinct environments and ensuring there is no duplication of effort.

Both EHS and ORCIS perform the following functions relative to their respective focus areas:

• Provide technical assistance, compliance guidance, and training for university operations.
• Conduct investigations into accidents and injuries.
• Monitor compliance with relevant federal and state regulations.
• Serve as university representatives during regulatory inspections.
• Identify non-compliant situations, report them to the appropriate parties for action, and follow-up to ensure resolution.
• Ensure proper disposal of hazardous materials and waste.
• Coordinate on issues that overlap between the academic and non-academic operations.
• Respond to campus emergencies and support emergency responders.
• Serve in an advisory role for departmental safety committees.

The EHS Department establishes and maintains programs related to general non-academic worker safety and environmental protection. Some specific areas of expertise include:

• Occupational safety and health
• Construction safety
• Building fire safety
• Hazardous waste management services
• Campus-wide environmental monitoring and planning
• Pest Control

The ORCIS establishes and maintains programs related to academic safety in laboratories, fieldwork, and the Arts. Some specific areas of expertise include:

• Laboratory safety
• Field safety
• Human subject safety
• Animal safety
• Biosafety
• Laser and radiation safety

Policy Updates

This policy will be reviewed periodically and jointly updated as necessary by EHS and ORCIS.