CHAPTER 29 – SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING

A. References.

1. SPPM 20.31 Safety Trainin
2. SPPM 20.30 Safety Orientation
3. SPPM 3.10 General Requirement for PPEAPP Chapter 24 Personal Protective Equipment Hazard Assessment and Certification Guidelines used to support hazard assessments in non-laboratory workplaces
4. APP Chapter 24 Workplace Hazard Assessment Certification Form

B. Purpose and Scope.  

This Chapter establishes responsibilities and training requirements for VCEA employees where training is identified as an administrative control to reduce workplace hazards or is required by State rule.

C. Responsibilities

Supervisors are responsible for the following:

• Understanding the contents of this chapter;
• Ensuring employees receive New Employee Safety Orientation training including access and time to review this APP;
• Identifying employee work activities requiring training as outlined in this APP;
• Identifying training resources and permitting time during the work shift for employee training, initially with refresher training as required;
• Ensuring employee training is documented and training records are maintained; and,
• Evaluating employee performance and arranging for retraining when necessary.

Employees are responsible for the following:

• Understanding the contents of this chapter;
• Participating in New Employee Safety Orientation training and familiarizing themselves with this APP;
• Understanding what work activities require training prior to engaging in those work activities;
• Participating in training as required;
• Demonstrating proficiency and an understanding of the safety principles learned; and,
• Requesting additional training whenever concern arises over the adequacy of their existing training relating to specific work activities.

D. Requirements

Employee job classifications and their assigned duties aid Supervisors in determining an employee’s required safety training. Supervisors must be familiar with the employee training requirements established in this APP and participate in Supervisor as Safety Manager training as necessary. EHS’ Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) unit provides the Supervisor as Safety Manager training semi-annually.  Each laboratory PI shall take this training.

E. New Hire Orientation

Every new WSU employee will be provided a safety orientation referencing the requirements established in SPPM 2.16 Safety Orientation.  A Safety Orientation Checklist must be completed (see the PDF version of2.16.2) and recorded in the employee training record. Rehires or cyclical workers with less than six (6) months duration away from work, need not be considered new hires except at the start of their initial cycle.

Each employee must be briefed on the contents of this document and may be instructed to read selected safety materials, attend classroom based training, and/or complete on-line training directly pertaining to assigned duties. Before new employees are released to perform work without the direct supervision of a properly trained supervisor or co-worker, they must satisfactorily complete the required safety training.

Initial safety training must include an overview of this APP with specific instructions and time allotted for employees to read this APP and understand their responsibilities. Employees shall be instructed not to engage in the following activities or work with the following materials without receiving additional work activity or specific material handling training (Note: The following list is provided for guidance and may not be all inclusive):

Chemical Handling	Trench/Excavation Work	Dangerous Waste Handling
Respirator Use (non-voluntary)	Work with Hazardous Energy/LOTO	Spill Response
Confined Space Entry	Hot Work (Weld/Cut)	Signaling/Flagging
Work above 10 feet	Work with Blood Borne Pathogens/OPIM	Laboratory Work
Ladder Use	Electrical Work	Work around Lasers
Work from Scaffolds	Asbestos Work	Work around Radio Transmitters
Operate Lifts	Lead Based Paint	Pesticide Handling
Operate Powered Tools	Compressed Gas

New employees shall also understand:

1. They are to report any unsafe conditions or practices immediately to their supervisor;
2. They have authority to stop work if any unsafe conditions or practices are present until such time as they are controlled;
3. Nothing we do is so important as to necessitate the violation of standing safety practices; and
4. Failure to comply with safety policies and procedures will be considered serious and result in timely corrective or disciplinary action judged to be appropriate for the specific circumstances at hand.

F. Specific Training Topics

Employees shall receive training as specified in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and/or the WSU Safety Policy and Procedures Manual (SPPM) and this APP.

All VCEA Personnel (including temporary workers, volunteers, visiting scholars, etc…) shall complete the following training courses:

• Back Safety and Injury Prevention
• Slips, Trips and Falls
• Emergency and Fire Safety Preparedness
• Portable Fire Extinguisher Safety
• Office Ergonomics
• University Laboratory Safety – Working Safely
• Asbestos Hazard Awareness (via EHS website)

ALL Laboratory Personnel (excluding computational only laboratories)
shall additionally complete the following training courses:

• University Laboratory Safety – Analyzing Chemical Hazards
• University Laboratory Safety – Analyzing Physical Hazards
• University Laboratory Safety – Analyzing Developing and Using Controls
• Risk Assessment
• PPE – Eye and Face Protection
• PPE – Hand Protection

Additionally, employees must complete laboratory specific training including the lab specific Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP), Biosafety Manual, and any other topics identified by the supervisor.

G. Training Resources

Supervisors and trainers may obtain training aids from the following sources:

• WSU HRS hosts training via the SkillSoft learning platform.  All of the online courses listed above must be completed within SkillSoft by any paid employee with the exception of the asbestos awareness course which must be completed online through the EHS website.
• The EHS home page has training courses, DVDs, videos, fact sheets on numerous safety topics directly from the Environmental Health and Safety Department. If you don’t see information on a topic call EHS and we will help get you the training you need.
• Posters and audio-visual safety trainings from the State of Washington Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)
• Audio-visual materials from Academic Media Services. See BPPM 80.13.
• Direct purchase from non-WSU vendors. Contact Public Safety or Environmental Health and Safety for assistance.

 

H. Recordkeeping

1. upervisors should obtain a copy of the training form/sign-in-sheet used by the training provider for live training.
2. Supervisors shall verify completion of online courses
3. Training dates, class titles and employee names will be recorded when an employee participates in a training event. The sign-in sheet for training must include a description of the class content. Employees are to personally sign in for each training event
4. For training requiring an evaluation or test, a copy of the employee’s evaluation or test results will be placed in the employee’s training records. Employees who fail to satisfactorily complete the evaluation or test will require retraining. Repeated failure to satisfactorily complete the evaluation or test may be addressed as a performance issue and handled accordingly.
5. Online training using Vivid content but not documentable via the SkillSoft platform (e.g. for employees paid non traditionally (e.g. direct grant support of a graduate student), volunteers, visiting scholars, etc…) shall have a paper examination given equivalent to the digital exam.  This exam shall be the primary documentation of training, but summary lists may be made available.  If a future online system is implemented that automatically documents training completion, then it may be substituted for these paper records.
6. Training records will be retained after the employee’s separation from employment referencing BPPM 90.1, University Records–Retention and Disposition.

I. Granting Access to Restricted Hazard Areas (e.g. Laboratories)

Independent Access

• Completion of all basic training is required prior to granting independent access to restricted spaces like laboratories and shops
• The supervisor must verify completion of training before approving access
• Once the supervisor approves access the keys/card-access may be issued by the unit to which the space is assigned
• Approval of independent space access by a supervisor who does not sufficiently verify training shall be considered a conduct violation which puts individuals and/or property at risk.  Likewise for a supervisor who does not revoke access for an employee that has demonstrated need for retraining on a pertinent topic.

Escorted Access

• Escorted access may be granted by a supervisor or designees of the supervisor
• Escorted access for hands-on and/or area specific training may be performed concurrently with online/classroom training
• All training specified in sections D through F must be complete before the employee may begin work in a hazard-restricted space (i.e. engages in productivity rather than training exercises).
• For visitors, training for escorted access is dependent upon the nature of the visit.
  For example:
• Tours might only require basic instruction for donning PPE and what to not touch
• Short term collaborators may need to be trained via the lab specific CHP or SOPs if they are to be present during experimentation
• Escorted visitors who will perform work must have the same training as any employee/volunteer