Health & Safety Committee

Meeting of Thursday, April 20, 2000, 2:00-3:00 P.M.

Minutes

Present: A. Alvarez-V, M. Barbieri, A. Gullickson, K. Wachter

1. Injury and Illness Prevention

1. Copies of the Plan, the plan forms and plan Fact Sheets are available for all to view in a binder on the shelf in the Tea Room.

 

2. Department H&S Committees are charged with implementing the departmental IIPP plan, periodic self-inspections, and correcting work area conditions that pose a risk to the health and safety of employees. The Demography H&S Committee shall conduct such an inspection at the end of today’s meeting. Demography forms one committee to address both H&S and IIPP concerns. Currently the committee consists of the following members:

Chair: Alicia Alvarez-Villasenor

Vice-chair: Erik Smith

• combustible setee on landing

• Library: storage area under the eaves is much improved but still needs some work Combustibles must be no closer than 4 ft. from the roof
• Lock on backdoor of #209

• Fire Marshall reports will be available for everyone to peruse in the IIPP binder that will be placed in the Tea Room.

1. Emergency Preparedness

• Committee members were asked to inform or remind all students, faculty and staff in their respective areas that: a) Demography’s emergency response plan is posted on the Demography website; b) evacuation procedure signs are posted on every floor and on the wall over the photocopier.

• It was announced that the Office of Emergency Preparedness is preparing to post new, brightly-colored, 18" X 24" Emergency Procedures signs near every exit door or stair landing in our building. They have announced a May completion date. The new signs are a campus-wide effort to standardize emergency procedure signs throughout the campus.

1. Cal/OSHA

• It was announced that starting January 1, 2000, Departments are subject to, and liable for, monetary fines for Cal/OSHA violations.
• There was discussion regarding what the current committee can do to better prepare building occupants for an emergency evacuation and to avoid Cal/OSHA fines.

• Emergency Supplies should include search and rescue tools that could be used to free earthquake victims who are trapped under rubble or debris.

• Plan and conduct a practice Fire Drill. Demography has no fire alarm but it does have smoke detectors on each floor. The smoke detectors are likely to be audible only to those nearby. Committee members pondered how to safely evacuate the entire building in the event of a fire? It was agreed that it is important to establish what the "alarm" sound will be. Ken proposed using his large brass bell with an SOS signal in Morse code, until we can get a better system. Members discussed the need to determine the best location for the bell. The general thought was to mount it on the wall on the main floor. Members agreed on the importance of informing every building occupant of its location and intended use. It was also agreed that periodic fire drills will serve to train occupants to recognize the bell as the building "alarm" sound.

• It was mentioned that the Office of EH&S offers training on the proper use of fire extinguishers. It was agreed that at least some of our building occupants should be so trained.

• Where shall Demography congregate during a building level emergency? It was determined that the best meeting location in the event of a local emergency, such as a fire, would be on the sidewalk in from of 2232 Piedmont. Note: the designated meeting area in the event of a campus-wide emergency is: Emergency Management Area (EMA) # 3, The Faculty Glade.

• Departments must document the fact that every employee has been trained on the existence of the two EH&S plans, IIPP and Emergency Response. Consequently, each employee will be asked to sign a form certifying that they have been duly apprised of the plans and evacuation procedures.

IV. Results of the self-inspection:

#300 (Attic/Library): Is the fire extinguisher in the most visible location? It was recently moved by Physical Plant Services as a result of the last Fire Marshall inspection. Leaving skylight open is a security problem. Reserve materials shelf not braced; some reinforcements are broken on stack area shelves; air intake screen is very dirty; fan needs oiling;makes too much noise; chair on fire escape is a no-no; gas tank on exit stairway.

#206: remove combustible material on top of shelves (combustibles are to be no closer than 4’ from the roof); ceiling paint cracking and ready to fall in chunks

Corridor: Setee outside of #203 contains combustible material (combustible materials not permitted in exitways)

# 29 (K. Kramer): two cabinets to brace

#30 (B. Lincoln): one cabinet to brace

Corridors: Tabletop, floor mat, etc. cluttering exit to back stairway. Furniture in narrow hall outside of #32&#33 blocks fire extinguisher from view and clutter exitway that is already pretty narrow. Computer monitors on corridor floor. Old easy chair cluttering exit stairway.