Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 11:33:21 -0700
Reply-To: Eric Clark <erclark**At_Symbol_Here**PH.LACOUNTY.GOV>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Eric Clark <erclark**At_Symbol_Here**PH.LACOUNTY.GOV>
Subject: Re: 2 RE: Safety contracts
Comments: To: drsamples**At_Symbol_Here**COMCAST.NET
In-Reply-To: <12875229.8576531249488651770.JavaMail.root**At_Symbol_Here**sz0055a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net>
Marjorie,  
This sounds like the classic case of a "Body-Count-Initiated Safety 
Program" where changes happen only after a serious incident.  Do yourself 
a huge favor: document unsafe behaviors/incidents/infractions by sending 
an email to the faculty member or his or her student (CCed to the 
appropriate faculty member) so that you're at least covered and have a 
record for the inevitable OSHA investigation at Folsom Lake College.   

Eric Clark
Safety Officer 
Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory 

>>>  8/5/2009 9:10 AM >>>
Not in our district! Although the students watch the ACS video, take a 
quiz, etc., faculty are not truly "required" to do anything. At least, we 
are "supposed" to do "mandatory" H&S training every year, but nothing 
happens if you don't take it! 

In my opinion, one of our biggest problems is the union. They fight for 
tenured, and non-tenured, professors tooth and nail. It doesn't matter if 
a faculty member eats or drinks in the chem lab, or if they allow students 
to eat or drink in the lab, the union will fight not only to keep them 
employed, but to make sure that the faculty member doesn't even get a 
notation in their HR file. As a result, there is no way to enforce any 
safety policies as there are no consequences. 

So my question is this: how can we get union buy-in for faculty following 
rules and getting reprimanded/fired if they don't? Is there any union/distr
ict out there that has negotiated some sort of faculty safety clause where 
there are consequences for noncompliance with basic safety rules? 

Also, what would positive reinforcement for faculty members look like? 

Sincerely, 

Marjorie Samples 
Chemistry Dept. 
Folsom Lake College , CA 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Laurence Doemeny"  
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU 
Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2009 5:29:33 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 RE: Safety contracts 

Do the faculty have to sign any such contracts? 

-----Original Message----- 
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf 
Of 
List Moderator 
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:06 PM 
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU 
Subject: [DCHAS-L] 2 RE: Safety contracts 

From: "GAMBLE, DANYELLE"  
Date: August 4, 2009 1:56:27 PM EDT (CA) 
Subject: RE: Safety contracts 

>We have our students sign a dress code and take a safety test 

We have our students do the same. The sign the safety contract and 
watch a the ACS safety video before they can come into our labs. We 
keep files for 10 years. 
Danyelle 

Danyelle Gamble-Noland 
Science Lab Supervisor 
CNM 
dgamble1**At_Symbol_Here**cnm.edu 
505-224-3526 

=== 

From: Dennis Stachura  
Date: August 4, 2009 2:03:40 PM EDT (CA) 
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Safety contracts 

We have all of our students sign a safety contract at the beginning of 
each semester, they are also provided with a copy printed right in the 
lab manual for the course they are taking. (this avoids any problems 
with a student saying "they didn't know" they were breaking a safety 
rule because we collected the signed contracts back from them) Unless 
there is an injury involved all of the contracts are distroyed at the 
end of each academic year. 

Dennis Stachura 
Montclair State University 

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