EHS annual report 2015/2016
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Transcript of EHS annual report 2015/2016
Environment, Health and Safety Annual Report 2015/16
Our mandate is to support the university’s mission through services, partnership, guidance and education to promote health, safety, protection of the environment, and regulatory compliance.
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3 Director’s message
5 Progress
8 Priorities
24 Focus on EHS
29 Regulatory
32 Elsewhere in the community
33 2016: What’s ahead?
34 Find us
Contents
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Connecting with our community In 2015, EHS focused on building awareness of and support for safe, healthy, and environmentally-responsible research and learning. In pursuit of this, EHS relied on three key strategies:
• Expansion of client outreach opportunities
• Development of community partnerships, and
• Design and delivery of innovative tools and training
Director’s message
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In 2015, EHS looked for opportunities to build awareness of environment, health and safety programs and services. Through its Client Outreach Group, EHS expanded its presence at university events and developed a digital strategy to enhance web and social media communication.
EHS also found ways to deliver and strengthen safety messaging through campus partnerships. Building on the launch of the senior administrators’ committee in 2014, for example, EHS continued to work with university departments in 2015 to facilitate the expansion of environment, health and safety committees across campus, intended to help champion future EHS initiatives.
In response to client requests for more user-friendly resources, EHS launched an online incident reporting tool in September and continued to oversee the development of both a new database and an online hazard management tool.
As always, EHS continued to assist clients with permitting, importation and approvals, and to advocate on behalf of the university for legislation and regulations that make sense. EHS also refined its approach to laboratory inspections in 2015, validating criteria against legislation and standardizing the scheduling and follow up process.
Finally, and in alignment with the U of A’s mission statement, EHS sought out opportunities to connect and share information with communities beyond the university.
Director’s message (continued)
Rob Munro, Director
In 2016, EHS will continue to look for ways to instill and cultivate a culture of safety at the university.
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Progress
Goal Outcome Continue EHSMS development and implementation
Assignment of accountabilities vetted and posted Feb 2016.
Finalize site for EHSMS document collaboration
Google site developed and shared with collaborators Aug 2015.
Launch incident reporting portal
Tool went live Sept 2015; interface with database expected 2016.
Finalize and launch departmental database
Expected completion Q4.
Finalize and launch online hazard management tool
Launch event May 2016.
Implement biohazard laboratory licensing system
Launched Dec 2015.
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Complete/on schedule
Delayed/expected to meet revised schedule
Delayed indefinitely 5
Progress
Goal Outcome Advance Ellerslie remediation process
Bioremediation lab scale experiments underway.
Support MICF through commissioning and operation phases
All scheduled regulatory milestones have been met and production requirements established.
Establish EHS committees in high risk faculties
Senior level committee established. Faculty committees in progress.
Address operational continuity audit findings
Detailed plan has been developed; implementation underway.
Develop health and safety training for all supervisors
Training plan developed in consultation with senior EHS committee.
Trial chemical inventory tool in Department of Chemistry
Working with department to resolve technical and organizational challenges.
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D
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Progress
Goal Outcome Meet new Alberta OHS code requirements
Awaiting new requirements.
Increase EHS visibility on campus (identified as gap in 2014 client survey)
Expanded EHS presence at campus events, launched social media strategy.
Improve communication with university community (identified as gap in 2014 client survey)
Designated a communications coordinator. Frequent EHS updates on Twitter, in Risk@, community digests and other publications.
Transition to core services model
Complete.
D
C
C
C
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In 2015, Client Outreach continued to promote EHS programs and services at events across campus:
• “New staff orientation” in March, August and November
• Risk Management Symposium
• University “lunch and learns”
• Safety Information Day: Chemical & Materials Engineering
• In collaboration with Facilities and Operations, fire extinguisher training for749 university staff and students
Priorities Client Outreach
Fire extinguisher
training at Rutherford
Library 8
Priorities Client Outreach
EHS also coordinated Safety Week 2015, a showcase of safety groups across campus. Carnival-themed, the event was in a new location daily, traveling to Quad, ETLC, Business Quad, ECHA, and Celebration Plaza. The event featured EHS, UAPS, Field Research Office, the Injury Prevention Centre, Safewalk, Faculty of Extension Occupational Health and Safety program, and demos from Fire Rescue Services, the Edmonton Police Service canine unit, Fisher Scientific and Cardiac Sciences.
Participants were invited to “huck a hazard” and spin “the wheel o’ safety” to demonstrate their safety knowledge. Over the course of the week, EHS handed out 1100 pairs of safety glasses and hundreds of Safety Week frisbees, bags of popcorn, and more. The event received coverage on "The Quad," Risk@ and Faculty of Extension newsletters, Twitter, U of A weekly digest, residence digest, and in The Gateway.
“Great demos, great exhibitors!”
Safety Week participant
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Priorities Client Outreach
In October 2015, EHS helped to coordinate Fire Safety Day at Michener Park in partnership with Facilities and Operations and Residence Services. Residents learned how to put out stove top fires, met with local firefighters, and tried out the fire extinguisher simulator. Fire Safety Day will return in 2016.
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In response to recommendations from the 2014 client survey, EHS worked to expand and improve its digital strategy, enhancing existing web and social media tools:
Priorities Client Outreach
• Responded to 177 inquiries from “Ask EHS” website tool:
• eLearning questions • Respirators • Ergonomics • First aid training • Chematix registration
• Initiated process to transition website from Sitecore 2.0 to 3.0 and completed administrative training; new website expected to launch Q3 2016
• Expanded social media strategy; implementation 2016
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Building on momentum from 2014, EHS continued to support the creation
and development of faculty /portfolio environment, health and safety committees, intended to encourage collaborative approaches to hazard assessment and mitigation.
In 2015, EHS
• Developed committee terms of reference and assisted with annual plans
• Helped to launch the Devonian Gardens environment, health and safety committee
• Worked with Arts, Libraries, Science, Nursing, and Finance & Administration to launch committees in 2016
Priorities Community Partnerships
Senior Administrators’ Environment, Health and
Safety Committee
Faculty/Portfolio A EHS Committee
Faculty/Portfolio B EHS Committee
Figure 1 Organizational structure for university environment, health and safety committees
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Field Research Office
In July 2015, representatives from EHS, F&O and FRO toured seven university field research sites across Alberta. EHS noted opportunities for collaboration between groups to improve safety practices. Another tour is planned for summer 2016.
Priorities Community Partnerships
Office of Sustainability In 2015, EHS collaborated with Sustainability on the following: • Safety and sustainability training • Lab inspections • Hazardous waste EHS will expand collaboration efforts in 2016. Facilities & Operations • Joint initiative to test fume hoods;
2500 tested summer 2015 • Coordinated Fire Safety Day and
Safety Week demos • Collaborated on fire extinguisher
training, emergency equipment installation and testing
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Facilitated by EHS and comprised of administrators and subject matter experts from across the university, the Crisis Management Team (CMT) manages and coordinates the university’s response to an emergency. The CMT typically operates out of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) located on North Campus.
Some of the incidents that the CMT responded to or prepared for in 2015 included the following:
Priorities Community Partnerships
Primary emergency operations centre available 24/7
• Fires in residences • Student suicide • Hazmat releases on campus • Ebola concerns • Paris attacks and the impacts on
community members abroad • International sporting events on U
of A campuses
EHS delivers online and in-person training for all CMT members.
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EHS also continued to assist the university community with emergency drills and equipment installation, training and opportunities for collaboration in emergency planning and management. In 2015, EHS:
• Developed and delivered four tabletop exercises to CMT section chiefs, four to Augustana and two to first responders.
• Coordinated severe weather and/or medical emergency drills for HSLAS, Chemistry, and Facilities and Operations.
• Initiated quarterly meetings with Alberta post-secondary emergency management/security managers and coordinators.
• Led monthly EOC training.
Priorities Community Partnerships
• Conducted six CMT notification drills, ten emergency notification drills and two tests of U of A Alerts.
• Brought four more buildings on
line with Alertus beacons.
• Helped to install more than 30 new AEDs across the university.
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Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
In 2015, EHS developed and launched or tested the following online tools intended to support hazard management and incident reporting:
EHS Database
Expected in 2016, the new EHS database will
• Enable researchers to register online with EHS
• Leverage software already in use by Research Ethics Office
• Interface with other databases on campus
• Improve efficiencies and streamline processes
• Improve data analysis capabilities to assist in recognizing trends and emerging priorities
EHS also developed four new courses in 2015 (MICF orientation, engineering orientation and ATV safety) and continued to improve and promote existing tools such as the emergency management wiki and Active Shooter video.
• EHS database
• Hazard assessment web application
• Online incident reporting tools
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Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
• Online tool for hazard assessment and control
• Funded by a 2014 “creative sentencing” verdict following a workplace fatality
Hazard Assessment Web Application • Developed in partnership
with Alberta Association of Safety Professionals (AASP)
• Underwent rigorous testing in late 2015 and early 2016
Will launch 2016
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Online Incident Reporting
The online incident reporting form was launched September 2015. The tool allows users to report incidents and near-miss events easily and immediately. The form also incorporates a workflow that requires supervisors to review the form and provide recommendations for improved hazard management.
The convenience of the online tool may be partially responsible for the increase of incidents reported in 2015, as seen in Figure 2.
Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
No
of In
cide
nts
Figure 2 Incidents Reported 2009 - 2015
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
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Online Incident Reporting
Figure 3 indicates the frequency of incidents in 2015. Incident numbers, reflecting an increase in “slips and trips,” peaked in February and December. Higher numbers in June and September likely reflect the intake of summer student researchers and graduate students respectively.
Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Figure 3 Frequency of incidents
As expected, numbers of incidents declined in April and December, corresponding with the end of instructional periods.
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Online Incident Reporting
Injuries from physical impact (bruises, sprains, etc.) were the most common incident type in 2015, representing 41% of those reported (Figure 4). Cuts and needle stick incidents as well as those arising from chemical contact were also commonly reported, particularly splashes to the face and eyes.
Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
3%
41%
22%
7%
21%
3% 2% 1%
Figure 4 Incident Types
Physical impact
Animal Bites
Non-conformance, Elec Shock, Illness, Equip Fail, Prop Dam, fire expl
Slips, trips, falls
Temperature related ( burns, frostbite)
Vehicle, Pedestrian
Cuts & needle sticks
Chemical contact
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“Get Goggles” video
In response to the increase in eye-related incidents, EHS partnered with the Department of Drama to produce an educational video encouraging the selection of splash goggles over safety glasses.
Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
Uploaded to YouTube, the video was promoted in the Risk@ newsletter, shared via Twitter and embedded in the EHS website. The video has been viewed approximately 500 times since July 2015.
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Emergency Plan Wiki & Video
A 2015 audit of the university’s emergency management program identified emergency planning as a priority. In support of this, EHS continued to facilitate emergency management planning and preparedness with online resources:
• Wiki with templates to support accessible, easy-to-use emergency planning
• Easy enrollment for emergency notification via email, text or the UAlberta app
The U of A also continued to gain recognition as a leader in active shooter training through licensing of the 2014 video Shooter on Campus. In 2015, the video was licensed beyond Alberta’s borders to British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
In 2015, 20 university groups used EHS wikis to prepare unit action and operational continuity plans
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Training
EHS eLearning course completions rose in 2015 to 9215, a 30% increase over the previous year. Of these, 5290 completed the online WHMIS course. Figure 5 compares the number of completions from 2014 to 2015 for the other 17 online courses that EHS offers; MICF, CMT and ICS training was new for 2015.
Priorities Innovative Tools & Training
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Laboratory SafetyConcepts in Biosafety
Chemical SafetyRadiation Safety
Radiation RefresherCCIS Fume hoods
UV ProtectionTDG 101TDG 102WISEST
High School OrientationFire Extinguisher
Fire WardenICS 100
CMT OrientationMICF Orientation for Maintenance & Service…
MICF Orientation for Staff and Students Figure 5: Course completions in 2015
2014 2015
Led in-classroom training for 47
radionuclide users, and 172 laser and
xray users Led 110 MICF and 3
enhanced biocontainment facility in-person
orientations
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Focus on EHS Operations Team
• Respiratory fit-testing
• Laboratory inspections
• Indoor air quality consultations
• Developing EHS online training
Respirator fit-testing
The 2016 EHS Operations Team
The EHS Operations Team formed in 2014 to provide consistency and excellence in customer service. On a typical day, Operations can be found doing any of the following:
EHS offers respirator fit-testing to university personnel who require a respirator to work safely. In 2015, Operations conducted 180 respirator fit-tests and provided training on respirator use and maintenance, a 16% increase from 2014.
• Hazardous waste pickup and processing
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Focus on EHS Operations Team
Lab Inspections, scheduled annually, are central to Operations’ activities. Inspectors help researchers to identify and manage workplace hazards.
In 2015, EHS inspected 998 spaces across campus belonging to 411 researchers. Inspectors identified the following key areas for improvement:
• Hazard signage accuracy
• Hazard assessment completion
• Safe and compatible chemical storage
Inspectors also reported the following positive findings:
• Up-to-date biosafety cabinet testing
• Current permits for radioisotope usage and up-to-date biosafety registries
• Complete and current WHMIS training records
In 2016, EHS will expand the program to include 1600 laboratories across campus.
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Focus on EHS Operations Team
Unannounced PPE Inspections Periodically, Operations and the rest of EHS conduct unannounced inspections in support of the PPE Initiative launched in 2014. Research groups are expected to have completed a PPE checklist and be wearing appropriate PPE, as identified through hazard assessment.
As per table 1, the majority of groups inspected in 2015 were in compliance with basic PPE requirements for laboratory work. The lowest compliance came during spring 2015, corresponding with both the arrival of summer students and return to seasonal clothing contravening PPE requirements. Lab coats and eye protection were the most frequently missing PPE.
Both announced and unannounced inspections also identified a need for better resources and training surrounding hazard assessments; promotion of the web application will begin in 2016.
Quarter % Compliance (wearing
correct PPE)
% Checklist Posted
% Hazard Assessment
Posted
Most Frequently Missing PPE
Q1-2015 Jan.1 to Mar.31
99† 86.8 89.5 Lab coat/gown
Q2-2015 Apr.1 to June.30
72.9 73.4 61.8 Eye protection
Q3-2015 July.1 to Sept.30
80.3 68.3 73.5 Lab coat/gown
Q4- 2015 Oct.1 to Dec 31
80.9 73.7 68 Eye protection
Table 1: Findings from Unannounced PPE Inspections
†Small sample size (n=36) 26
Focus on EHS Operations Team
Hazardous Waste Disposal
0.3
42.6
0.9 0.2
21.5
5.0
20.8
2.1 1.0 5.5
Figure 6 Percentage of Waste by TDG Class
2 Waste Gases
3 Flammable: liquid
4 Flammable: solid
5 Oxidizers
6 Toxic: liquids
6 Toxic: solids
8 Corrosives: liquid
8 Corrosives: solid
9 Miscellaneous
Non regulated
In 2015, Operations collected 13,415 kg of solid waste and 75,527 L of liquid waste, an increase of 400 kg and 4,500 L over 2014 numbers. Figure 6 notes the percentage of waste by TDG class; no Class 1 (explosive) waste was collected in 2015.
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180 respirator fit-tests
Focus on EHS Operations Team
By the numbers
206
Chematix users enrolled
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biosafety cabinets
decontaminated
93
containment level 3 filter
tests
61 Occupational
hygiene queries
998
spaces inspected across campus
242
hazard signs created or modified
16 Chemical related queries
535 biosafety cabinet tests
Did you know? Testing takes about ½ hr per cabinet and is done
annually
Did you know? There are 1427 hazard signs on campus
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Regulatory
EHS provides an oversight role on behalf of the
university to comply with federal , provincial and municipal regulations. In 2015, EHS
• Prepared approval renewal application for the Cloverbar Hazardous Waste Management Facility (CHWMF) to Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP)
• Applied to PHAC for institutional licenses to work with and store human pathogens and toxins as legislated by the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (HPTA).
• Helped to negotiate agreements with Alberta Health Services and Canadian Blood Services to support researchers cross-appointed between institutions.
• Assisted the Faculty of Science in the development and certification of an aquatic quarantine facility to facilitate the acquisition of aquatic species not indigenous to Alberta.
• Processed Chemical Weapons Convention declarations from 176 university researchers – a 300% increase in responses from 2014.
• Hosted site inspections by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
• Received a operating license for the Medical Isotope Cyclotron Facility (MICF); full production mode is anticipated by 2016.
• Began assisting with the SLOWPOKE decommissioning process. The license to decommission the facility is expected in 2016.
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Regulatory
EHS also assisted with permits, approvals, transfers of hazardous material, and registry updates in support of research and learning at the university. Figure 7 notes the number of each regulatory activity undertaken by EHS in 2015.
Average turnaround time: 24 days
Average turnaround time: 7.1 days
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Chemical safety approvals oramendments
PHAC security clearances
Pathogen transfer assistance
Biosafety registry updates
Letters of biohazards approval
Radiation device inspections
Radionuclide laboratory permitinspections
Figure 7 30
Regulatory
Bio Roundup Prior to the HPTA coming into effect, EHS organized a “one-time amnesty” allowing research groups to get rid of unneeded or unwanted biological materials at no cost. From October to December, EHS collected
• 20,880 L • 1,360 kg
EHS also provided a template for researchers to inventory their holdings, as required by the HPTR.
Among the Items collected during the Roundup were: • samples dating back
to 1985 • pork ribs from
Safeway • pine beetle infested
logs
Don’t wait for a roundup! Contact [email protected] with questions about hazardous waste.
Biological waste
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Elsewhere in the Community
Community Engagement and Involvement
As per legislation and in collaboration with University Relations, EHS provided the following engagement opportunities for the public to comment on upcoming EHS initiatives that occur off-campus:
• Launched webpages to profile MICF and SLOWPOKE nuclear facilities
• Hosted an open house at Millennium Place February 17 in conjunction with renewal of license for Cloverbar Hazardous Waste Management Facility license renewal information session
In May, EHS also participated in the City of Edmonton event “Get Ready in the Park” to share university health and safety initiatives with the broader community.
This image cannot currently be displayed.
Team EHS
On May 4 2015, members of EHS participated in the annual “Steps for Life” walk in support of families of workers killed on the job.
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2016: What’s Ahead?
EHS Focus in 2016 In addition to fulfilling our regulatory role and supporting the delivery and maintenance of 2015 priorities, EHS will use 2016 to
• Develop and deliver training that conveys environment, health and safety roles and responsibilities to supervisors
• Undertake with City of Edmonton first-responders an inter-agency emergency response simulation
• Expand lab inspection and hazard signage programs to include all laboratories on campus (approximately 1600)
• Modify safety systems to align with changes to the Alberta OHS Code (including transition to WHMIS 2015)
• Develop the following eLearning courses:
• ATV safety (expanded)
• Hazardous waste management
• Supervisory training
• Develop new institutional biosafety guidelines based on plans developed for the HPTA application
• Demonstrate commitment to customer service though completion and application of soft skills training
• Revise the following eLearning courses:
• Concepts in biosafety
• Chemical safety
• WHMIS (to reflect new legislation)
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Find Us
Environment, Health and Safety 3107 Research Transition Facility University of Alberta
www.ehs.ualberta.ca
@EHS_UofA
Subscribe to Risk@UAlberta (Risk Management Services online newsletter)
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