Olympic College Safety Committee Charter - 1 -
Introductory Comment Olympic College Safety Committee Charter The Safety Committee is the entity which brings Olympic College into compliance with Washington Administrative Code 296-800-13020 (Establish and Conduct Safety Committees). 1. Mission The mission of the Olympic College Safety Committee is to promulgate a safe environment for all Olympic College populations, including employees, faculty, students, and visitors. 2. Role The role of the Committee is advisory only. It notifies various campus entities of any safety issues or concerns, especially if preventative and or corrective action is believed to be warranted by the Committee. The Committee has no direct authority over any aspect of campus operations or student life. 3. Communication While the primary vehicle for alerting the Committee to safety concerns is the SAFETY GRAM, safety concerns brought to the attention of the Committee by any means will be addressed. The SAFETY GRAM submission form can be accessed by anyone at: http://www.olympic.edu/forms/safetygram.aspx. Upon submission, each safety gram will be automatically and immediately distributed to all current Committee members. Safety grams will wait for discussion at the next meeting of the Committee unless the safety gram communicates an issue which warrants immediate action, in which case the committee chair will forward the information to Campus Safety and Security and the Vice President for Administrative Services as soon as possible. 4. Reporting The safety committee is overseen by the Vice President of Administrative Services or his or her appointee. 5. Membership A. Composition The membership of the Safety Committee is structured to ensure that all campus employee organizations and the administration are represented. The Committee will consist of: Two faculty members - 2 -
Two classified staff members Two administration members -- One of the administration members will be the Olympic College Safety Officer. There will also be a minimum of two alternates from each of the three represented groups In the event that a primary member cannot attend a scheduled meeting, s(he) will contact one of their alternates so that the alternate may attend, and if necessary, bring a motion before the Committee or enter a vote on behalf of the primary member. B. Terms Employee-elected Safety Committee members serve one year terms. The terms are for the academic year (July1 through June 30). No term limits are imposed. C. Selection of Members Faculty and classified staff members and their alternates must be elected by their respective collective bargaining units, while administration members and alternates are to be appointed by the Vice President for Administrative Services. D. Officers and Duties i. Chair The Safety Committee will have a committee-elected chairperson, whose duties will include: Developing meeting agendas based on input from safety grams, accident / injury reports, campus security personnel and other sources Moderating discussions and executing judgment concerning the manner of conducting Safety Committee business, such as when consensus discussion appears sufficient for an issue at hand Notifying IT of any changes in Committee officers so that computer access permissions can be changed accordingly Determine method of arriving at language of recommendations. ii. Secretary The Safety Committee will have a committee-elected secretary, whose duties will include: Documenting meeting attendance Compiling the minutes of each meeting Making meeting minutes available for public access at http://www.olympic.edu/stafffaculty/facilitiesservices/safetycommitee/ after approval by the Committee Maintaining the group email list so safety grams are properly routed Maintaining the Committee member list in the same location as the meeting minutes - 3 -
iii. Election of Officers Officers for the following academic year will be elected during the May meeting of the Committee. 6. Guidelines for conducting meetings Meetings are open to all employees, faculty, administrators, and all campus entities. Any member of the Safety Committee may present a formal motion on which to request a vote. When acting on behalf of an absent primary member, an alternate may also bring a motion before the Committee. In the presence of a quorum, defined as a simple majority of members or voting alternates present, a majority vote constitutes an official endorsement of the Committee. A. Standing Agenda Items The following items will be on the agenda for every meeting: A discussion of all safety grams submitted since the last meeting, with emphasis on what corrective action has been taken or should be recommended; any other preventative measures that might be taken; and the mitigation of any injuries that have occurred or might occur in regards to each safety gram. A discussion of all accident / injury reports that have occurred since the last meeting, with emphasis on what corrective action has been taken or should be recommended; any other preventative measures that might be taken; and the mitigation of any injuries that have occurred or might occur in regards to the accident / injury report. A discussion of any inspections by State or Federal regulatory entities, with emphasis on any recommended best practices or any required corrective actions resulting from inspections, as well as maintaining a state of compliance with any pertinent codes and regulations. B. Meeting Frequency The Safety Committee will meet once per month, October through June, excluding January. In the presence of a quorum, a majority vote will determine the times and place for each meeting. If necessary, the chair will designate the time and place of each meeting. 7. Amendments to this Charter This charter should be reviewed yearly by the Safety Committee for any necessary amendments to ensure continued compliance, or other changes at the May meeting of the Committee. Suggestions for amendments or changes to this charter may arise through discussion of the Committee or through dialogue with employees, faculty, students or visitors. In the presence of a quorum, a majority vote on a modification to this charter constitutes a recommendation of the same to the Vice President of Administrative Services. - 4 -
Proposed changes to the charter will be reviewed by the Vice President for Administrative Services after the May meeting and accepted or rejected. Charter Changes will go into effect the following July. - 5 -