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

3

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.

C

C

C

D

C

C

D

C

DI

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.

C

C

D

C

D

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


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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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:


• 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.


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:


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.


• 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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• 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.


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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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.


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39

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38

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40

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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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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.


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.


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.


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.


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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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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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


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


By the numbers

206

Chematix users enrolled

24

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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http://www.ehs.ualberta.ca/EHSDivisions/Biosafety.aspx

mailto:[email protected]

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

[email protected]

Subscribe to Risk@UAlberta (Risk Management Services online newsletter)

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http://www.ehs.ualberta.ca/

mailto:[email protected]

ehs annual report 2015/2016

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