Risk Management and Safety

Over the past year, faculty and staff have reported nearly 300 unsafe conditions across campus. By taking a moment to share what they have seen, these colleagues may have prevented others from being injured. A few months ago, a faculty member noticed that ornamental grass outside of the Compton Family Ice Arena was blocking the view of drivers turning in to the parking lot. Someone else noticed broken glass in the stadium parking lot, and others reported seeing a driver pass the Notre Dame shuttle bus while en route on campus. While none of these situations caused an accident or injury, they each had the potential to cause harm, and Risk Management and Safety was able to address each of these situations as soon as they were reported. A red sign stating, “Do Not Pass Bus” was added to the back of the shuttle; the excessive ornamental grass was removed near Compton; and the broken glass was quickly cleaned up.…

Last year, Risk Management and Safety began working with staff in the University’s operations divisions, Athletics, RecSports, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and representatives from the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) to seek to earn certification in the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP…

Anyone using the ND Mobile app can now report an unsafe condition on campus. In collaboration with Risk Management and Safety, the OIT has added a new feature at the bottom of each page of the ND Mobile app, called “Report a Hazard.” By clicking on “Report a Hazard”, the user will be directed to the Good Catch/Near Miss report form…

All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to watch the Safety Summit video featuring Charlie Morecraft, a dynamic speaker who shares his personal story that illustrates the impact that personal decisions can make on one’s life and the lives of his or her family members. In 1980, Charlie Morecraft was working the night shift at an Exxon oil refinery in New Jersey. When he went to one of the manifolds in the refinery to change out a blank on a pipeline, a surge of chemicals came gushing out. He ran to his truck, seconds before it exploded. “Everything I had, I lost in one split second,” Morecraft said.…

Over the next three to five years, the Risk Management and Safety Department will be working with faculty and staff across the University and the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) to earn certification through the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). VPP certification is a coveted mark of workplace safety, and data shows that injury rates are 50 to 70 percent lower at VPP workplaces than at workplaces that are not certified. In order to achieve certification, the University’s injury rate must be at or below the industry average for colleges and universities, and then IOSHA will assess the University against a set of criteria.…

The Division of Campus Safety and University Operations invites all faculty, staff, and postdocs to attend the Safety Summit on Thursday, May 9 in the Dahnke Ballroom in the Duncan Student Center. There are two sessions from which to choose: 9-11 a.m. or 3-5 p.m. Keynote speaker Charlie Morecraft will share how a split-second decision at his oil refinery job nearly cost him his life. Faculty and staff will learn tips on how to make their offices, labs and other work sites safer for both themselves and their co-workers. View the poster…

Beginning June 1, 2018, all departments, organizations and groups that plan to setup a stage, tent, or canopy on campus will need to complete the Application for Stages, Tents, and Canopies form 30 days before the event. The application form is available on the Risk Management and Safety website, and can be submitted via email to riskman@nd.edu.

The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is the foundation for all our goals at the University of Notre Dame. Everyone plays a role in ensuring a safe work environment. Over the past four years, the University has made significant progress on decreasing the number of work-related, recordable safety incidents. Eric Kloss, director of Risk Management and Safety, directs two safety committees which are helping to create a culture of safety on campus. These committees focus their efforts on laboratory safety and general campus safety. The Laboratory Safety Advisory Committee, chaired by Patrick Fay, professor of electrical engineering, has been developing and revising laboratory safety standards. The committee, which is comprised of 16 members from the academic and operations units of campus, has made significant improvements in laboratory safety including improving or creating numerous lab safety programs, developing and overseeing our lab safety assessment process for approximately 600 labs, and revising the laboratory safety training process.…

Laboratory Safety Advisory Committee This Saturday, Oct. 28 at the football game against North Carolina State, the Laboratory Safety Advisory Committee will receive a Presidential Team Irish Award for their contributions to the research and teaching environment on campus.…