Occupational Health and Safety
Bowling Green State University employees are not trained, equipped, or authorized to remove or repair any asbestos containing materials nor clean up any asbestos containing materials that have become damaged and dislodged. Environmental Health and Safety provides annual awareness training for employees who perform housekeeping operations in areas that have asbestos containing or presumed asbestos containing materials. At a minimum, all owned buildings erected in 1980 or older have been surveyed for asbestos and that information is available upon request by contacting Environmental Health and Safety. Environmental Health and Safety keeps this information up to date through the help of BGSU departments that coordinate asbestos abatement projects.
Forms
Asbestos Abatement Documentation Form
Environmental Health and Safety requires this form to be completed and submitted to us immediately following most asbestos abatement projects. Form usage exemptions include emergency abatement activities such as cleaning and sealing a small area of damaged asbestos, removal of insulation from a steam valve to repair it, removal of a small section of insulation to repair a pipe, full building demolitions, full building abatements as part of a large scale renovation, etc. If you are unsure as to whether or not your activity would require this form, please contact us to discuss.
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The purpose of the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan is to ensure adequate protection for BGSU personnel against exposure to bloodborne pathogens. This control plan applies to all BGSU personnel whose work involves the reasonable anticipated exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials.
View Bloodborne Pathogens Program
Forms
The definition of a confined space is a space large enough to bodily enter and perform work, is not designed for continuous employee occupancy, and has limited or restricted means of entry or exit. Examples include tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits. Employees who are required to perform work in these spaces are trained initially upon employment and every three years thereafter as a refresher. For a listing of BGSU's confined spaces, permit required confined spaces, and hazards identified within, please contact the Environmental Health and Safety department.
View Permit-Required Confined Spaces Program
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Cranes, hoists and slings are specialized equipment used for lifting large, heavy loads. All individuals working with this equipment must be properly trained and are responsible for following approved procedures. Common examples include bridge cranes, gantry cranes, hydraulic floor cranes, as well as electric, pneumatic, and manual hoists. Slings can be constructed of various materials including chain, synthetic web, wire rope, fiber rope and wire mesh.
View Crane, Hoist, and Sling Program
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Electricity is a serious workplace hazard that is capable of causing both employee injury and death as well as property damage. BGSU seeks to put forth an organized effort to protect all employees, students and visitors from potential electrical hazards. This will be accomplished through compliance with the university’s Electrical Safe Work Practice Program along with the effective application of engineering and administrative controls. Where these controls are not enough to reduce electrical hazards to an acceptable level, the use of personal protective equipment may be warranted. Employees who engage in this type of work are trained initially upon employment and every three years thereafter as a refresher.
View Electrical Safe Work Practice Program
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“Ergonomics” means “the science of work” and fits the workplace to the worker. Taking this approach reduces and can even eliminate injuries and musculoskeletal disorders, which affect muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, and tendons. No matter the environment or task, Environmental Health and Safety performs assessments and offers guidance.
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Falls from elevation are usually pretty catastrophic resulting in serious injury or even death. Employees on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet or more above a lower level is required to be protected from falling. Personal protective equipment is the last resort so ideally this is accomplished through means of a guardrail system, safety net, distance when performing maintenance activities, etc. When one of these measures cannot be accomplished, fall restraint or fall arrest systems may be implemented. Employees involved in this type of work are trained initially upon employment and every three years thereafter as a refresher.
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The objective of the Hazard Communication program is to classify chemical hazards and prevent occupational injuries and illnesses related to chemical exposure by educating employees regarding workplace chemical hazards.
View Hazard Communication Program
Safety Data Sheet Search & Label Creation
Older Labeling Systems
New chemical containers will no longer bear these labeling systems, however, it is possible that older containers still exist in the workplace with these labeling systems. If this is the case, refer to these links for information.
Forms
- Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form (Fillable PDF)
- Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form (Word Doc)
Resources
Employee exposures to noise of sufficient intensity and duration can result in permanent hearing damage. Employees with the highest risk are those who are exposed to 85 decibels or more as an average over an 8-hour work shift. The BGSU Hearing Conservation Program outlines responsibilities for employees exposed to excessive noise, supervisors of those employees, administrative and engineering controls for noise exposures, and all other required elements of a hearing conservation program. Employees who are part of the program attend annual training and hearing exams and are provided hearing protection, all of which are at no cost to the employee. The Environmental Health and Safety department conducts free noise evaluations for BGSU employees and/or departmental tasks thought to be above or near exposure limits. Contact EH&S for scheduling.
View Hearing Conservation Program
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Exposure to heat or cold under the right circumstances can lead to injuries, illnesses, and even death. Prevention is the key and the links below supply valuable information on how to do this to protect workers and yourself at home.
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Heat Stress
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Cold Stress
Indoor air quality concerns can often be mitigated by contacting Campus Operations at 419-372-2251 or by submitting a work order through MyBGSU, Misc Services, Maintenance Request. Personnel from this department then consult EH&S as needed. If you have any questions or need further direction, please contact EH&S.
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Energy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers. During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored energy can result in serious injury or death to workers. Through the de-energizing, isolating, releasing stored energy, locking/tagging out of energy sources, the hazard(s) can be eliminated. Employees assigned to work in areas where lockout/tagout is required are responsible for implementing all aspects of BGSU’s Lockout/Tagout Program.
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There are inherent dangers present in machine/maintenance shops as well as less obvious ones that anyone working in the shop should be aware of. The program below as well as the resources that follow are intended to establish safe operational requirements and apply to anyone who will be operating equipment or tools in BGSU mechanical and maintenance shops for their protection and the protection of others in the area. There is also some applicability to visitors and contractors entering these spaces.
View Machine Shop Safety Program
Resources
Environmental Health and Safety provides training on mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), which is required before an employee operates one and then every three years thereafter as a refresher. Examples include single man/personal, scissor, and boom lifts as well as bucket trucks. Please contact Environmental Health and Safety if you have a training need.
Certified annual equipment inspections as well as general maintenance are handled through Campus Operations at the Bowling Green campus and Plant Operations and Maintenance at the Firelands campus. Please contact the appropriate department if you have any operational concerns regarding the MEWP you operate.
View MEWP Emergency Rescue Plan
Operator Inspection Forms
Safety hazards are present in every workplace. To properly identify hazards and protect workers from them, a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) should be performed. A proper JHA involves reviewing each task performed to determine where hazards exist, providing recommendations for hazard elimination/protection, and identifying appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and training to protect and inform employees of appropriate safety standards and precautions. Examples of recognized hazards include but are not limited to chemical exposures, radiological exposures, sharp objects, excessive noise, heavy objects, fall hazards, flying debris, overhead hazards, laser energy or other non-ionizing radiation, electrical, or any other hazard which may cause injury or illness. Administrative and/or engineering controls should be the first line of defense when protecting employees. PPE should only be used when administrative and/or engineering controls are not sufficient to control exposure to the hazard(s).
View Personal Protective Equipment Program
Resources
Pesticides pose unique safety hazards to personnel authorized to apply such chemicals on BGSU Property. The program highlights all definitions of what pesticides are, the potential hazards posed by using pesticides, how to apply pesticides safely and properly, understand the regulations that define the responsibilities of the University, and control measures to minimize exposure to pesticides.
For any questions regarding pesticide use or safety procedures, contact Jeremy Dick at 419-372-2131 and Scott Euler 419-372-7650 (Main Campus) or Mark Charville 419-372-0638 (Firelands Campus).
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A powered industrial truck (PIT) is an industrial vehicle that pushes, pulls, stacks or tiers loads. PITs include fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines. This program does not apply to compressed air or non-flammable compressed gas-operated industrial trucks, farm vehicles, or vehicles intended for earth moving or over-the-road hauling. All employees affected by this program are required to take classroom training, hands on training followed by a practice period with a licensed PIT operator present at all times, and pass a driving test before a license is issued and the operator can drive independently.
View Powered Industrial Truck Program
Resources
Radiofrequency, often referred to as RF, poses potential safety hazards to maintenance and contracting personnel working in areas RF devices are present. The primary focus of the Bowling Green State University RF Safety Program is to ensure that all personnel are aware of the potential hazards of all areas that house RF devices and understand what steps are to be taken when performing work in these areas. The program highlights all definitions of RF safety, including signage, PPE, emergency contact information, and maps of these devices.
RF Safety Training is offered by Environmental Health and Safety. To schedule a training session, contact Jeremy Dick at 372-2131.
Personal protective equipment of any kind is a last stitch effort to protect workers from hazards when all other work practices, procedures, processes, and equipment fail to do so. Currently, BGSU’s painters and a select few from the police department are enrolled into the program. These individuals undergo annual training and fit tests as well as periodic medical evaluations. In addition, some employees who choose to wear a dust mask on a voluntary basis. Those who think a respirator should be required in their area or for a specific task or are thinking about wearing an elastomeric half mask air purifying respirator or greater protection, should contact EHS immediately for consultation.
View Respiratory Protection Program
Forms
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Crystalline silica is a common element found in the Earth’s crust and is contained in many materials because of this. Employees who work with crystalline silica containing materials in a manner that could disturb them creating airborne dust, are required to go through online training upon hire with a refresher course every 3 years thereafter. These employees are also required to follow the engineering and work practice control methods in Table 1 of the Silica Exposure Control Plan. If an employee needs to complete a task that is not listed in Table 1 on material that could contain crystalline silica and will produce dust OR if the task requires respiratory protection per Table 1, contact Environmental Health and Safety for an assessment before this work occurs. Additional measures are likely. Please see the Silica Exposure Control Plan below for more information.
View Silica Exposure Control Plan
Resources
Updated: 09/20/2024 09:19AM