Accident Prevention Program

Accident Prevention Program

WSU policy and Washington state regulations require development and implementation of an “Accident Prevention Program” – a written plan to prevent accidents, injuries, and illnesses on the job. The plan must be tailored to address the specific hazards of each workplace.

Environmental Health & Safety has developed a Campus Safety Plan to address the general campus requirement.  This will form the foundation of a complete Accident Prevention Program, but does not necessarily include all the safety and health information required. Since activities and processes undertaken by various WSU units vary dramatically, each must complete its own review of the plan and add Work Specific Safety and Health Programs based on their specific duties.  To complete the written program, carefully read each section and fill-in the required information based on your unit’s needs.

Questions and requests for assistance can be directed to EH&S, 372-7163.

Work-Specific Safety & Health Programs

In addition to the completed Accident Prevention Plan, some departments may need to develop additional safety and health programs based on the functions and activities they perform. EHS has developed templates for some of these programs to assist departments in developing and implementing these programs. Select the topics below to determine if a specific program is needed in your department.

Chemical Hazard Communication Program

Chemical Hazard Communication Program

All departments which use chemical products* must develop a Hazard Communication Program which addresses the following:

  • Inventory of all chemicals present in the workplace
  • Hazard(s) associated with those chemicals
  • How to read manufacturer labels, and how to label secondary containers
  • How to read Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), and the location of the department’s SDSs
  • How employees can protect themselves from hazards in the work area, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where appropriate

EHS has developed a Chemical Hazard Communication Program Template to assist departments in development of their programs. The complete plan must also include the department’s chemical inventory and SDSs.

Contact EHS for assistance, 372-7163.

Resources

Refer to the following links for more information regarding Hazard Communication:

WAC 296-901, Hazard Communication

Safety Policies and Procedures 5.10 – Chemical Hazard Communication Program

Brochure – Chemical Hazard Communication: Your Right to Know

Brochure – Chemical Safety: Labels and MSDSs

OSHA Brief – Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets

OSHA Brief – Hazard Communication Standard: Labels and Pictograms

 

* This standard does not apply to consumer products which are used in the workplace for the manufacturer’s intended purpose, provided that the duration and frequency of use/exposure experienced by that of consumers.

For example, if an office worker uses a cleaning product to clean their desktop once a week, that use is consistent with a typical consumer and is exempt from the Hazard Communication standard. However, a custodian who uses the same product several times per day on tabletops and surfaces has a much greater rate of exposure than the typical consumer, so the custodian’s use is included under the standard.

Laboratory Safety Program

The Laboratory Safety Program assist Principal Investigators (PIs) and lab managers with the development of a comprehensive safety program to reduce the risk of injury to laboratory workers. Elements of a comprehensive lab safety program include:

  • Completion of a department-level Accident Prevention Program
  • Effective implementation of provisions of the WSU Tri-Cities Laboratory Safety Manual
  • Completion of lab-specific Chemical Hygiene Plan(s) and Standard Operating Procedures
  • Development and implementation of other safety & health programs, as necessary based on information in the above plans and procedures
  • Systematic assessment of hazards within each laboratory, and implementation of protective measures

During spring of 2016, staff in Pullman and Tri-Cities worked to re-develop a new template for laboratory Standard Operating Procedures. This new template includes a basic hazard assessment and identification of protective measures, including PPE, combining these requirements into a single document and reducing the need to maintain multiple separate documents for each procedure. This is now the standard template for use at WSU Tri-Cities, and all existing procedures should be converted to the new template upon their next revision.
Completed SOPs should be reviewed by a peer familiar with the process, and by the PI responsible for the laboratory where the experiment will be conducted. They must then be submitted for review by the lab manager (where applicable), the Unit-level Safety Committee, and EHS.
NOTE: If an experiment is being conducted directly under a procedure provided by an outside, regulatory agency, that procedure may be used as the SOP. All SOPs must include, or be accompanied by, a hazard assessment and PPE evaluation which provides suitable protection to employees conducting the experiment.

The following links include fillable PDF templates for Accident Prevention Programs, Chemical Hygiene Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures. Printable versions of the templates for the CHP and SOPs also appear as appendices to the Lab Safety Manual. Provide an electronic copy of each document to EHS at ehs@tricity.wsu.edu when completed. Contact EHS at 372-7163 for assistance with completion of any of these documents.

Accident Prevention Program
Chemical Hygiene Plan(s)
Standard Operating Procedures:

For new, low risk processes, complete the Lab Procedure Proposal.  If an existing procedure is being followed, attach it to the completed document.

For processes with complex systems or elevated risk, complete the Standard Operating Procedures template.

Note:  After review of the Lab Procedure Proposal, if it is determined that there are elevated risks, it may be necessary to complete the longer SOP template.

Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)

Any departments which operate, service, or maintain equipment or piping systems which may unexpectedly energize/start up, or which may store energy must have a written Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) Program . Stored energy may include electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other energy, including gravity. The purpose of the program is to prevent injury to employees caused by the unexpected startup of equipment and/or the release of stored energy. EHS has developed a Control of Hazardous Energy Program for WSU Tri-Cities. Departments which have equipment which must be covered under the program (equipment which may unexpectedly start, or which stores energy) must develop procedures for the safe de-energizing of that equipment (according to manufacturer specification) and methods for securing the energy source. This procedure must then be added to the campus plan.

TRAINING

Employees repairing, servicing, setting-up, and maintaining equipment must receive training on the department’s program. Supervisors can use the resources below to provide the training or contact EHS for assistance.

RESOURCES

Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tag Out) Program Template

Safety Policies and Procedures Manual: Control of Hazardous Energy Sources

Safety Policies and Procedures Manual: Machinery Safeguards

Outdoor Heat Stress Program

When employees are required to work outdoors, departments must establish an Outdoor Heat Stress Program as part of their Accident Prevention Program. This requirement applies to any employees who are assigned to any outdoor work activities for more than 15 minutes in any 1-hour period.

The requirements of the Outdoor Heat Stress Program are triggered based on a combination of outdoor temperature and the type of clothing required for the work being performed. The plan is activated when the outdoor temperature reaches the following action levels:

Clothing Required Outdoor Temperature Action Level
Non-breathable clothing 52° F
All other clothing 80° F

The Outdoor Heat Stress Program must provide for the following, in accordance with WAC 296-62-095:

  • Providing at least one quart of drinking water per employee per hour
  • Providing an opportunity for employees to drink water, and encouraging them to do so
  • Providing opportunities and locations for employees to take cool-down breaks, including mandatory breaks once the temperature reaches 90 degrees
  • Establishing methods for observing and communicating employees during the acclimatization period, during heat waves, and when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees
  • Providing employees with information and annual training  regarding the personal and environmental factors which contribute to heat-related illness, how to prevent it, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness , and what to do if they observe these signs or symptoms in themselves or in co-workers
  • How the department will respond when individuals exhibit signs or symptoms of heat-related illness
  • Providing supervisor training covering the above elements, as well as emergency procedures

A training module for Outdoor Heat Exposure is available through the online Safety Training portal in Canvas.  Employees can access it by clicking the self-enrollment link at:  https://apps.aoi.wsu.edu/li/canvas/self-enroll.aspx?id=1513766.  They can then into http://canvas.wsu.edu (with their MYWSU credentials), and the WSUTC Campus Safety course should appear in their dashboard.  All available PowerPoint training presentations, and corresponding quizzes, are available within the course. The PowerPoint slides must be viewed in “Slide Show” mode in order to display properly and to activate web links within the slides.  They must complete the quiz modules in order to record their completion of the training.

Resources

Outdoor Heat Stress Prevention Program Template

WSU Safety Policies & Procedures Manual 3.44 – Outdoor Heat Stress

Brochure – Heat-Related Illness – Don’t Lose Your Cool

Bloodborne Pathogens

Departments must prepare a site-specific Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan when any of their employees, in the performance of their regular duties, have the potential to be exposed to:

  • human blood or bodily fluids including: Semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;
  • Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead);
  • HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV and HBV;
  • Blood and tissues of experimental animals infected with bloodborne pathogens

Following the requirements of the WSU Tri-Cities Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan, including completion of the site-specific template of the plan, and appropriate training, meets the requirements for areas where an occupational exposure to human blood or OPIM can be anticipated.

RESOURCES

Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan Template

Safety Policies and Procedures Manual: Bloodborne Pathogens

Safety Policies and Procedures Manual: Biohazard Waste Disposal

Safety Policies and Procedures Manual: Disposal of Sharps