Colleagues,
As custodians of Voiland College’s many students and guests, as well as our fellow staff and faculty members, safety is always our number one priority.
Safe conditions and procedures should exist everywhere we live, learn, and work – in the office, in the hallway, the classroom, and especially in the lab.
Exhibiting a strong safety culture in labs not only keeps us safe in otherwise dangerous conditions, it also communicates the importance of thoughtful, purposeful safety procedures elsewhere in our lives.
I have been working with VCEA’s Safety Committee to review and enhance Voiland College’s safety policies and procedures. Together, we will be taking several measures this year to nurture a more pronounced safety culture throughout Voiland College, the first of which is a mandatory laboratory safety glasses policy.
Starting immediately, it is my expectation that anyone in a Voiland College laboratory[1] will at all times wear personal protective eyewear approved by the latest edition of the ANSI Z87.1 safety standard. This policy applies to all individuals in a laboratory – faculty members, researchers, students, visitors, photographers, etc. – anyone crossing the threshold of the laboratory.
For most, this policy is an obvious statement that reflects their existing daily actions that ensure a safe environment around us. For some, it will require small changes to their safety routines.
In the course of my life, I have found change to be essential to my personal improvement and the betterment of society as a whole. Take seat belts as an example- it was once considered a hassle to put a seat belt on buckle you and your loved ones before driving a car. Laws were passed, and before too long, buckling up became second nature- and lives – thousands of lives – have been saved.
If you want to learn more about this policy, or have questions or concerns about any of WSU’s safety policies and procedures, please contact Billy Schmuck, VCEA Safety Committee Chair, or your school’s safety committee member.
Voiland College Safety Committee
| Unit | Representative | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton | Philip Dodge | (360) 475-7246 | pdodge@wsu.edu |
| CEE | Natalia Kaiser | (509) 335-3351 | natalia.kaiser@wsu.edu |
| CMEC | Joshah Jennings | (509) 335-6266 | joshah_jennings@wsu.edu |
| Dean's Office | Tina Hilding | (509) 335-5095 | thilding@wsu.edu |
| Dean's Office | Dar Neunherz | (509) 335-3783 | drussell@wsu.edu |
| EECS | Scott Hanson | (509) 335-4959 | scott@eecs.wsu.edu |
| Engineering Shops | Miles Pepper | (509) 335-8550 | mpepper@wsu.edu |
| Everett | Derek Strong | (509) 335-8654 | derek.strong@wsu.edu |
| IMR | Marc Weber | (509) 335-1131 | m_weber@wsu.edu |
| MME | Bob Richards | (509) 335-8157 | heatran@wsu.edu |
| SDC | David Drake | (509) 335-2335 | mrdrake@wsu.edu |
| Vancouver | Sam Judd | (360) 546-9201 | sam.judd@wsu.edu |
| VSCEB and Committee Chair | Billy Schmuck | (509) 335-4776 | bschmuck@wsu.edu |
I want to thank the safety committee members and each of you for working to ensure the safety of the entire Voiland College family.
Go Cougs!
Mary Rezac, Dean
Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
mary.rezac@wsu.edu
[1] A laboratory defined as a space that contains chemicals other than water or atmospheric air, either liquid or gaseous; has rotating or crushing equipment; has any gases stored under pressure, or other identified hazards. Final determination of which spaces are ‘laboratories’ is at the discretion of the VCEA Safety committee.