ANNUAL REPORT2014

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

www.utexas.edu/safety/ehs

Table of Contents

05 From the Director

10 Environmental Programs

08 Program Areas

Laboratory and Biological Safety

About EHS

Campus and Occupational Safety

07 Highlights

16 Radiation and Laser Safety

18 Project Planning and Design Review

20 Emergency Response

22 Other Program Areas

14

12

06

Welcome to the 2014 Annual Report for Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). This is our first attempt in several years to inform the campus about our varied activities and accomplishments.

Please understand that this is a condensed snapshot of the various programs within EHS. We have not attempted to describe everything we do because it would likely be rather long and boring. Instead we selected facts and information that will provoke some thought about campus safety and hopefully help represent the contributions of the entire staff.

EHS has many programs to help provide a safe and environmentally responsible campus, but we cannot do it alone. We need your continuous

involvement, addressing these critical issues in your daily work, to provide a world-class program. We at EHS hope you find this information to be both interesting and useful. I encourage you to contact me (john.salsman@austin.utexas.edu) or the EHS staff (512-471-3511) with suggestions, comments, or questions.

Thanks,

John

John Salsman| Director

FROM THE DIRECTOR

ABOUT EHS

VISION. It is our vision to become a recognized, national leader and innovator in campus environmental health and safety.

MISSION. The mission of Environmental Health and Safety is to promote healthy and safe operations on campus, to protect students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and to ensure protection of the environment.

VALUES. Excellence: We encourage excellence and strive to go beyond compliance promoting the best EHS practices.

Customer Orientation: We are committed to providing efficient and customer-friendly services to the university community.

Competency: We work dilligently to maintain and continue to improve our skills, abilities, and knowledge.

Collaboration: We promote valued internal and external relationships with our community and encourage an open exchange of ideas and information.

Ethics: We are committed to acting with integrity and honesty in all our endeavors.

Continuous Improvement: We recognize that improvement is a continuous process and we strive to be at the forefront of changes in our field.

6 2014 Annual Report

EHS works to protect the health and safety of the faculty, staff and students at UT Austin in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.

Total 31employees

6

22

3

MANAGEMENT

TECHNICAL STAFF

SUPPORT STAFF

UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS PAT CLUBB, Vice President

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY JOHN SALSMAN, Director CHIP ROGERS, Associate Director NENA ANDERSON, Assistant Director ELENA CAPSUTO, Assistant Director DENNIS NOLAN, Assistant Director SCOTT PENNINGTON, Assistant Director

CAMPUS SAFETY AND SECURITY BOB HARKINS, Associate Vice President

72014 Annual Report

PROGRAM AREAS

Environmental Programs

Hazardous Waste DisposalStorm and Waste WaterPollution and Spill Prevention

Campus and Occupational Safety

AsbestosHearing ProtectionIndoor Air QualityLift SafetyMachine Shop Safety

Laboratory and Biological Safety

Chemical SafetyBiosafetyLab InspectionsControlled Substances

Radiation and Laser Safety

Radioactive Material and Laser PermittingLab InspectionsUniversity Laser and Radioactive Material licenses

Food and Drinking Water Safety

Food Safety InspectionsFood Distribution ApprovalDrinking Water Testing

Animal Make Safe

Wildlife Incidents Animals on Campus

Plan Review

New and Existing Construction ReviewDesign and Construction Standards

Emergency Response

On-call Program24/7 response

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2014 HIGHLIGHTS

7,019

63

Material Transfer Center (MTC)

People took EHS training classes Construction projects reviewed

92014 Annual Report

Construction started

371Asbestos inspections

2,132Lab evaluations

470Radioactive Material (RAM) packages received, inspected, and delivered

Lab Coat Initiative Resulted in lab coats being worn in all undergraduate chemistry classes

Completed review of buildings, site infrastructure, and landscape designs

Dell Medical School

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS SUMMARY

The Environmental Programs area is in charge of the disposal of chemical and biological waste for The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). In addition, this program ensures the environmental integrity of the campus water system by addressing flood, water quality, and erosion control.

10 2014 Annual Report

ACCOMPLISHMENTS• Completion of the UT Elementary School project

• Material Transfer Center (MTC) currently under construction

• Successful Waller Creek Cleanups in Fall and Spring 2014

• Engineering Science Building (ENS)and Chemical Transfer Building (CTB) were successfully decomissioned prior to demolition

• Two incidents were deactivated without a campus safety concern

60,086

83,008

146,293

170,094

144,768

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Weight (Bio) Weight (Chem)

$11,715 $13,136

$571,776 $620,654

$528,392

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Cost (Bio) Cost (Chem)

Waste Amount (#) Waste Cost ($)

112014 Annual Report

FUTURE• Continue work with Engineering Education and Research Center (EERC)

project managers for completion of the MTC project

• Work towards finalizing the Storm Water Team

• Continue communicating and educating UT departments and working with them in regards to regulatory requirements

• Dell Medical School

CAMPUS AND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETYSUMMARY

Campus and Occupational Safety focuses on the safety of UT Austin employees, students and visitors. The Campus and Occupational Safety program area includes the following initiatives: Asbestos and Lead, Indoor Air Quality, Mold, and Occupational Safety Programs such as Hearing Protection, Respiratory Protection, Lift Safety and Shop Safety.

12 2014 Annual Report

ACCOMPLISHMENTS• University Asbestos Operations & Maintenance Plan

• Completed 116 machine shop inspections through April 24th

• Completed 371 asbestos inspections through April 23rd

1908

461

844

166 231 180236385 393

269353 349

2012 2013 2014

Shops Mold and IAQ Lead Asbestos

158 169 140

3256

45834856

35443842

4297

2012 2013 2014

Mold Lead Asbestos

Inspections and Assessments Sampling

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FUTURE• Lock Out Tag Out Program

• Fall Protection Program

• Counter Weight Fly System Safety Program

LABORATORY AND BIOLOGICAL SAFETYSUMMARY

The lab safety group conducts laboratory inspections of research and teaching laboratories at UT Austin and satellite facilities. The purpose of the inspection program is to ensure compliance with University policy and any applicable regulations. All labs are inspected at least annually; higher risk labs are inspected on a semiannual basis. Lab Safety provides training and guidance on a number of laboratory topics including bloodborne pathogens, hazardous materials shipping, chemical safety, biological safety, select agents and toxins, and controlled substances. Lab safety also investigates laboratory incidents including fire, spills, laboratory injuries, and any chemical, biological, or radiological exposure.

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1164

14251525

16021694

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

1335

16601729

18331902

210

220221

225230

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014General Lab Evals Biosafety Lab Evals

Number of Labs Number of Lab Evaluations

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

FUTURE

• Lab Coat initiative resulted in lab coats being worn in all undergraduate chemistry classes

• Partnership with Exxon resulting in department driven safety initiatives

• Number of lab inspections increased by 10% with level staffing

• Published and distributed restroom Lavatory Safety Update

• Integrate researcher biological inventory into EHS Assistant

• Implement cryogen vessel training and preventative maintenance program

The Radiation and Laser Safety group provides safety and compliance support and training for the use of radioactive materials, X-ray machines, and lasers. Training provided includes Basic Radiological Health, Laser Safety, and refresher training. EHS holds the registration certificate for university lasers and radioactive materials and issues permits to users.

RADIATION AND LASER SAFETYSUMMARY

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Number of Authorized Users of Radioactive Materials

Number of Laser Labs

8072

78

0

20

40

60

80

100

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

8072

78

0

20

40

60

80

100

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

131

172

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

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FUTURE• Laser warning sign upgrades for laboratory entryways

• A new laser database system for inventory, hazard evaluation, and lab audit records

• Continue communicating and educating UT departments and working with them in regards to regulatory requirements

ACCOMPLISHMENTS• 3 inspections of Radioactive Material (RAM) license by Texas

Department of State Health Services with no violation or items of concern

• Received, inspected and delivered 470 Radioactive Material (RAM) packages to UT Austin researchers

• Reviews of laser lab security and laser warning lights

• Added 18 new laser PIs in 2014

• Transported 780 pounds of short-lived waste to local landfill

PROJECT PLANNING AND DESIGN REVIEW SUMMARY

The primary function of project planning and design review section is to ensure that facilities are designed and constructed to meet established safety and environmental regulations and best practices. This section is an internal resource and serves as the EHS point of contact for facilities improvements and planning projects.

18 2014 Annual Report

ACCOMPLISHMENTS• Completed review of all Dell Medical School campus buildings, site

infrastructure, and landscape design

• Oversaw successful redesign and ‘right size’ of the Materials Transfer Center, which will complete construction in July 2015

• Coordinated evacuation of Service Building annex, including Chemical Transfer Building and EHS supplies, to make way for the Engineering Education and Research Center

PMCS Projects Reviewed by EHS

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FUTURE•ContinueDesignandConstructionStandardsdevelopmentand revisions

EMERGENCY RESPONSESUMMARYEnvironmental Operations handles the coordination and training for the department’s on-call program to ensure incident response 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Incidents that EHS responds to include any hazardous or unknown material spills, suspicious packages or other materials, and outdoor spills of oil, gasoline, paint, or other hazardous materials.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

FUTURE• Continue to improve the on-call program through procedure review,

communication, and training

• EHS on-call staff responded to 70 incidents in 2014 of which 25 were after hours

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101

122

70

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

101

122

70

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

101

122

70

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Incident Type

Number of Incidents

212014 Annual Report

101

122

70

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

101

122

70

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

157 animal

incidents

OTHER PROGRAM AREASSUMMARY

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Bat

Bird

Opossum

Squirrel

RaccoonCat

Other

Animal Make Safe:

• Processed 24 Live Animal Requests to bring animals onto campus

• Worked with state agencies to handle a potential rabies exposure case

• Installation of a Peregrine falcon nest box on the UT Tower

• Implementation of an online database

• Held coyote education seminar for PRC staff

Environmental Health and Safety also works with the campus community to minimize human/wildlife interactions, perform food and drinking water safety inspections, and to provide training and outreach.

232014 Annual Report

FUTURE

7,019 people took EHS training

in 2014

Training and Outreach:• Updated 4 training modules (Machine

Shop Safety, Hearing Protection, Bloodborne Pathogens, Biological Safety)

• Participated in the ASMP project to evaluate a new learning management system for the university

• Outreach activities and events included Waller Creek Cleanups, EHS Spotlight, EHS Connections, Lavatory Safety, Machine Shop Workshop, TX CityLab, Coyote seminar for PRC, Theater safety video, and numerous EHS documents, posters, and signs

• Successfully initiated the implemen-tation of a new EHS webpage design project

•ContinueimprovementofAnimalMakeSafeincludingworkingwiththe Facilities Service Center to improve incident response

• Work to get EHS training on-board with the university’s new Training Management System

• Completion of new EHS website

• Train more volunteers in OH 210 Concessions Food Safety

Food and Drinking Water Safety:• Reviewed 1,932 food distribution forms

• Performed 172 semi-annual food establishment inspections