Programs
Occupational Health and Safety Program
The Occupational Health and Safety Program promotes health and safety procedures and assists the university community in identifying, evaluating and eliminating occupational and workplace hazards that can cause illnesses or injuries.
Written programs are provided to support voluntary compliance with federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulations and standards to ensure employees are provided with workplaces free of recognized hazards. Written programs are available for Hearing Conservation, Confined Space Entry, Hazard Communication and Respiratory Protection.
The Occupational Health and Safety Program also provides industrial hygiene evaluation and administers an Occupational Health Program (OHP) for researchers and support staff whose roles place them into a higher degree of risk. The Occupational Health Program is based in the early identification of conditions that could present an increased risk of adverse health effects related to the tasks being performed in the laboratory. The industrial hygiene evaluations provided by Occupational Health and Safety include indoor air quality investigations (unusual odors, mold, moisture, ventilation), ergonomic workstation evaluations, noise level surveys, and chemical exposure assessments.
Links:
Occupational Health Program Guidelines
Respiratory Protection Program Document
Hearing Conservation Program Document
Confined Space Entry Guidelines
Occupational Safety Page
Biological and Chemical Safety Program
The Biological and Chemical Safety Program mission is to support the research goals of the University while promoting a safe laboratory working environment by ensuring regulatory compliance of laboratory equipment, hazardous chemicals and infectious biological agents. The staff provides support to UTEP students, faculty, and staff by identifying, evaluating, and controlling chemical, biological, and physical hazards. The primary goal is to provide the safest work environment for the UTEP community, as well as minimizing risk to the environment and property.
Biological and Chemical Safety staff is responsible for laboratory surveys and audits in order to ensure safety and compliance in dealing with hazardous materials. The staff also participates in the UTEP Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and is available to consult with the campus community on research that incorporates the use of hazardous chemicals or infectious agents.
Links:
Lab Safety Manual
Biosafety Manual
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th Edition
NIH Guidelines for Working with recombinant and synthetic DNA
UTEP IBC
UTEP IACUC
Biological and Chemical Safety Program Page
Fire and Life Safety Program
The Fire & Life Safety Program helps prevent fires through a program of inspection/surveillance in campus spaces to identify potential fire hazards and then working to minimize or eliminating those hazards on campus. The Fire Safety Team educates faculty, staff, and students on fire risks, prevention and protection, life safety measures and requirements, and provision of hands-on fire extinguisher training.
Other Fire Safety duties include auditing fire alarm maintenance, inspecting fire suppression safety equipment, fire safety compliance plan reviews for new campus construction and renovation projects, and ensuring that UTEP complies with National Fire Codes.
The Fire Safety Team also administers Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) on campus. AEDs are located in UTEP Police Department patrol cars and in several larger buildings on campus. The AED program follows the guidelines of the American Heart Association and operates under the medical direction of Kenneth A. Berumen, MD, Medical Director. Specialized training for responders in CPR and AED operation is available through EH&S.
Links:
Automated External Defibrillator Program
Have An Exit Strategy
Have An Exit Strategy Video
Fire Prevention Page
Radiation Safety Program
The Radiation Safety Program provides institutional support and oversight for the receipt, use, and disposal of radioactive materials, lasers, and X-ray producing equipment, as well as compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.
Radiation Safety is responsible for the proper licensing and registration of regulated sources of radiation and liaison activities with pertinent regulatory agencies.
The staff also monitors operations of Class 3B and 4 lasers on campus to ensure compliance with national and state regulations, and institutional procedures and policies.
Links:
Radiation Safety Manual
Application for Authorization to use radioactive materials
Request to Order Radioactive Material
Laser Institute of America
Food Safety Program
Environmental Health and Safety manages a Food Safety Program to meet food sanitation and health requirements under Texas Health and Safety Rules. This is accomplished through a program of inspection targeting a continually high standard for food service establishments.
The EH&S Food Safety Program focuses on disease prevention through proper hygiene and sanitation practices, safe food handling, safe water and targeted pest control efforts. It promotes healthy environmental conditions throughout all the university food service establishments of UTEP.
Links:
Food Safety Inspection Form
Texas Dept. of State Health Services - Food Establishment Group
CDC Food Safety Website
Workers Compensation Insurance
Workers’ Compensation Insurance provides recovery medical payments and replacement income benefits to employees injured during the course and scope of employment. This coverage is provided to all employees. At UTEP this includes faculty, staff, and student employees.
The Workers Compensation program at UTEP ensures the presence of systems to minimize the frequency and severity of personnel losses. The program is responsible for assisting employees who experience work related injuries or illness, electronic reporting of claims to the insurance carrier, managing UTEP’s Return to Work Policy, and providing various safety classes to prevent injury.
If you or an employee you supervise has an on-the-job injury, medical care is available through the IMO Network of medical care providers. For emergency care an urgent care clinic or emergency room visit may also be used. Additionally the supervisor of the injured person is required to complete the Supervisor’s First Report of Injury or Illness, and to forward the completed form to the Workers Compensation Advisor within EH&S. Reporting work related injuries and illnesses insures proper accident investigation and possible development of mitigation strategies to reduce accident rates.
Links:
Supervisor’s First Report of Injury
WCI First Fill Prescription Card
Locate a UT System WCI IMO-Med Select Network Doctor
Notice of Network Requirements for The University of Texas System
WCI IMO-Med Information
Worker's Compensation Page
Environmental Protection Program
The Environmental Protection Program (EPP) at UTEP is a unique component of the Environmental Health & Safety Department that comprehensively evaluates, monitors, and controls environmental releases in the form of air, water, hazardous waste, and assets, and ensures releases to the environment are safe, compliant, and cost effective. The program utilizes a systematic approach to manage hazardous materials and environmental affairs and strives to raise awareness of environmental impacts throughout the UTEP community.
The Environmental Protection program manages the University’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System to ensure that the campus arroyos, curb gutters and ditches are clean and maintained to prevent erosion and contamination of our environment. Responsibilities involving air compliance include the visible emissions evaluation, and reporting of air pollution sources associated with our permitted sources. The program also reviews planning and design documents involved with construction, renovation, and demolition. This is a service that is provided to ensure compliance with the various air, water, and waste regulations, safety regulations, such as asbestos, PCBs, lead based paint, mercury, and petroleum products.
Links:
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Environmental Protection Agency
Storm Water Management Page
Hazardous Materials and Waste Program
The Hazardous Materials and Waste program focuses on compliance with environmental regulations associated with the Federal Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as well as other city and state related rules. In addition to the compliance requirements, the Hazardous Materials and Waste Program provides a number of activities and services, which include chemical and infectious waste disposal, Radioactive Waste disposal, Universal Waste recycling, pollution prevention and waste minimization activities, and education.
Hazardous material spill response, cleanup, project oversight and reporting are other activities performed by the Hazardous Materials and Waste Program.
Wild Animals on Campus Program
UTEP’s location in the Chihuahuan desert and foothills of the Franklin Mountains provide more than just unique scenery. Along with the desert landscape, different types of wildlife call UTEP home. Occasionally wild animals get into buildings or other areas by mistake. EH&S manages the Wild Animals on Campus program to safely and humanely respond to certain live animal incidents on campus by live capture and removal. Equally the program strives to manage through a delicate balance the various feral and wild animals of the UTEP campus.
Links:
City of El Paso – Animal Services
Animals on Campus & Animal Feeding Policies
