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Environmental Health and Safety Promoting a safe and healthful environment for living, learning and working.

FISCAL YEAR 2016

ANNUAL REPORT

LEADERSHIP: Don Robinson, Executive Director

Edward Mientka, Associate Director Campus Safety & Fire Prevention Program Manager

Christine Rogers, Assistant Director Academic Safety

Alyssa Rusiecki, Assistant Director Environmental Health

Theresa Wolejko, Assistant Director Environmental & Hazardous Materials Management System

Jeffrey Hescock, Director of University Emergency Management & Business Continuity

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Table of Contents:

A Message from the Executive Director 3

Policy Statement for EH&S from the Chancellor 5

Academic Safety & Environmental Health Program 7

BioSafety Program 8

Chemical Safety & Industrial Hygiene Program 13

Radiation Safety Services 15

Campus Safety & Fire Prevention 19

Fire Protection Systems 21

Construction/Contractor Safety 22

Campus Safety/Physical Plant 26

Environmental Health Program 28

Environmental & Hazardous Materials Management Services 30

Central Heating Plant/Air Emissions 30

Potable and Reclaimed Water – Sanitary Sewer 33

Hazardous Waste Management 34

Environmental Site Assessment & Abatement 37

Emergency Management & Business Continuity 44

Fiscal Year 2016 Financial Statement 51

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A Message from Executive Director:

Donald Robinson, PhD, PE, CSP, ARM-E.

The Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) program was established in 1964 within University

Health Services (UHS) and Dr. Howard Peters served as the first EH&S Director. In 1970 Howard transitioned to becoming full time faculty and Robert Gleason became the second director serving from 1970-75. My tenure as the third director began June of 1975, after leaving my position as Manager of Safety for GE in Lynn, MA. I intend to step down from the directorship in 2017, and therefore this will be my final annual report message.

This past year, as reflected in this annual report, has been marked by an emphasis on customer service by serving the growing EH&S needs of the campus community. The EH&S program has substantially changed in complexity over these five decades but the basic commitment to promoting a safe and healthy campus community has steadfastly remained unchanged. As one reflects on all the work represented in this report it is obvious that we have a committed EH&S team that has benefited, since our inception, from broad-based institutional support. We have evolved into a nationally recognized full-fledged professional services EH&S organization that provides an effective array of programs encompassing; Fire Safety, Occupational Health and Safety, Academic Safety, Environmental Services, Public Health and Emergency Management, and Business Continuity. The continuing challenge has been to best provide all of these necessary and complex services during a time of unprecedented levels of new construction, renovations and regulatory mandates.

The strength of EH&S is in the dedicated staff that I have been blessed to be a part of this outstanding team. We are fortunate to have recruited Alyssa Rusiecki as assistant director for Environmental Health. She has already made some significant contributions in enhancing her program. Unfortunately for us Gaurav Dhawan, the associate biosafety officer, left EH&S for a promotional opportunity in Research Affairs and we are currently recruiting to replace Gaurav. We also successfully filled the off hours open Fire and Safety Officer with Will Ingram. In line with a mandated budget reduction we agree not to fill an open Fire and Safety Officer position. We were also able to hire Samantha Bachand and Linda Lee to fill the part-time clerical positions created by the retirements of Jeannie Clark and Barbara Mitchell.

Regarding metrics, one remarkable statistic regarding customer service is the fact that EH&S delivered (523) classroom trainings to (8,779) campus community members. We also have a strong commitment to injury and illness prevention. We still are not where we should be, however there was a slight reduction in reported injuries from (532) in FY 15 to (484) in FY16. Sixty percent (60%) occurred in Auxiliary Services and the Physical Plant and those areas will continue to be a prime focus of our prevention efforts including a partnership with UHS and HR to improve management of our workers compensation program.

Lab safety continues to be a high priority and, both at a national level and at UMass, we are embracing a Culture of Safety as a core value particularly as it applies to research and academic safety. We have made major inroads in enhancing lab safety but much remains to be done. Our Institutional Chemical Safety Committee [ICSC], under the able chairmanship of Dr. David Hoagland, has provided an effective framework for enhancing our lab safety initiatives. We continue to fully implement the EH&S Services Management System (ESMS) software program that is now being considered for use on other UMass campuses. We also conducted an internal EH&S Climate Survey to better identify what needs to be addressed to continue to support EH&S as a high-performing program. In line with this, we are working with Workplace Learning and Development (WLD) on organizational development initiatives. We also are moving forward with a formal

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document control program. Also we are positioning ourselves to support the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) including the Center for Bioactive Delivery, Models to Medicine Center, and the Center for Personalized Health Monitoring. Also, (30) core facilities have been launched that will require EH&S services. Additionally, the construction projects including the PSB, Design Building, Chapel and South College have required considerable attention.

Again, it is with mixed emotions that I contemplate stepping down as director and turning my energies toward other endeavors. This has been an exciting and fulfilling ride and my years as director, in many respects, defines who I am. It is hard to walk away from, but I am confident that a strong foundation is in place to build on past successes.

Sincerely,

Donald Robinson, PhD, PE, CSP, ARM-E

Executive Director Environmental Health & Safety 40 Campus Center Way Draper #117 Amherst, MA 01003

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

374 Whitmore Administration Building 181 Presidents Drive Amherst, MA 01003-9313

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

voice: 413.545.2211 fax: 413.545.2328 www.umass.edu

A Policy of Environmental Health & Safety

It is a policy of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to maintain, insofar as it is reasonable and within its control, an environment for its faculty, staff, students, and visitors that does not adversely affect their health and safety. In support of this policy the University will give high priority, appropriate support, and steady implementation to eliminate where possible, or to reduce to acceptable limits, environmental and occupational hazards that are a threat to the health and safety of personnel or to property.

The ultimate responsibility for the campus safety and environmental health rests with the Chancellor. The Chancellor has delegated to each dean, director, chairperson, and supervisor the responsibility for safety performance within their respective unit. Everyone with supervisory responsibility will be expected to take the initiative so that safe working conditions are maintained, and to request the assistance of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety to expedite action when necessary. Each supervisor must take the initiative to train the employees and students under his/her supervision in safe work practices. In particular, supervisors should ensure that employees and students know (a) all potentially hazardous conditions associated with the operation and the method established to control them, (b) all safety regulations for the area of operation. In addition, supervisors are expected to promote a safety attitude and awareness that will lead employees and students working under their supervision to take a safe course when faced with situations which are not covered by established regulations and practices.

It is incumbent upon each member of the faculty, staff, and student body to provide the constant vigilance necessary to avoid unsafe acts on his/her part. Faculty, staff, and students have an obligation to take all reasonable precautions to prevent injury to themselves or to their fellow employees or students. They are expected to learn and to follow approved standards and procedures which apply to their activities, and to check with their supervisors when they have any doubts concerning potential hazards.

The Chancellor has delegated to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety the responsibility and authority for assuming overall compliance with applicable* health and safety standards on campus. The Director shall adopt as guides applicable health and safety standards promulgated by Federal and State agencies in establishing campus regulations and policy. Published standards of nationally recognized professional health and safety groups may serve as guidelines in the absence of appropriate statutes and governmental regulations. The Department of Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for working with and through academic and service units by identifying and assisting in resolving health and safety problems, recommending standards, evaluating and reporting on the status of compliance with standards, providing technical and support services, recommending necessary modifications, recording, analyzing and reporting accident experience, and developing training resources.

*Applicability will be determined in consultation with the appropriate faculty committees.

The University of Massachusetts is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution @>Printed on Recycled Paper

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In emergency situations and when required to do so by code, regulation, or licensure agreement, the Director of Environmental Health and Safety or his/her representative, in consultation with the appropriate Dean or Director, may require the immediate halt or control of practices or conditions that have been determined to constitute an immediate and serious risk of death or serious harm to members of the campus community. Such actions may be appealed to the Chancellor who will make the final determination as to whether the practices may be reinstated .

The University Health Council serves as a referral board for all advisory and administrative committees related to the matters of environmental health and safety and shall review and recommend changes in University policies pertaining to Environmental Health and Safety issues.

Specific committees on Radiation Safety, Biological Safety, Chemical Safety, and Animal Care which report administratively to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement shall be responsible for reviewing and recommending specific operational policies and practices within their area of expertise. In addition, they may advise the Director of Environmental Health and Safety regarding the application of relevant standards for hazards control.

Kumble R. Subbaswamy, Chancellor University of Massachusetts Amherst

November 2013

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ACADEMIC SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

The Academic Safety and Environmental Health Program supports the research and teaching mission of the University by assisting (292) faculty and staff, and students across (35) buildings to maintain safe work, research, and studio and laboratory environments and ensure compliance with various state and federal standards and regulations. The aim of these programs is to reduce the risk to the University community of incurring adverse health effects from a multitude of sources. This significant effort is accomplished by (8) professional staff, (3) technicians and a small cohort of part-time students.

Academic Safety Program staff

Provide safety training, consultation and support to faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students ingeneral lab safety and chemical, biological and radiation materials use.

Conduct safety assessments in more than (778) teaching and research laboratory spaces across campus. Regularly test lab safety equipment such as fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, drench showers, eyewash

stations and autoclaves to ensure they are operating properly. Maintain an inventory of chemical, biological and radiological agents in each laboratory and campus-

wide. Evaluate lab, office and other work spaces for odor issues, indoor air contaminants, ventilation and

thermal comfort. Serve on the following committees: Institutional Chemical Safety Committee, Radiation Use

Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Review research protocols specifically to ensure research is conducted in a safe manner and in

compliance with agency standards and regulations. Continuously update technical expertise, maintain appropriate credentials and keep current with local,

state and federal regulation to ensure the campus community is provided with the most recent safety,and regulatory information, strategies for management and ability to mitigate risk.

Serve as HAZWOPER response team members. Review, authorize and advise on laboratory construction projects.

Highlights of New/Major Initiatives in FY16

Build out of eProtocol™ Software Module for the Institutional Biosafety CommitteeThe IBC module of eProtocol™ is used to streamline the research compliance workflow from investigators to coordinators, and the IBC review committee. This module will reduce time and paperwork for investigators and allow for faster approval of research protocols. eProtocol™ will allow access to approved protocols easily and quickly. We will be able to track our organization’s compliance status in one snapshot. UMass investigators perform a very diverse collection of research that is increasing every day. Therefore, we needed to build the content for additional investigative fields from the ground up. In addition to the existing fields (Biological Agents, Recombinant DNA, Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules, and Biological Toxin Use), the fields that were added by UMass are: Cell Lines, Animals, Arthropods, Plants and Plant Products and Human Materials. We were required to edit the entire program to customize it for UMass’s needs. Hundreds of hours have been invested by Biosafety to ensure a successful launch of this module.

Evaluating Lab Space for New PI’sEnsuring a safe work environment starts in the planning stages when new PI’s are in the hiring process. We participated in the Infrastructure Support Group which was formulated by the Provost’s Office to evaluate the laboratory and other facility needs of new faculty hires. We met with every faculty candidate to discuss the type

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of work they do and what infrastructure they might need in their laboratory. We then evaluated space identified by departments to ensure there was a match between what is needed to do their work safely and productively, and infrastructure availability. Many issues are safety related such as; how to properly shield a neutron generator, ensuring a sufficient number of fume hoods and sufficient space for an appropriate number of biological safety cabinets. Any recommended renovations for space for the selected candidate included safety related upgrades such as, installing new drench showers and eyewash stations. Globally Harmonized System of Hazard Communication and Labelling of Chemicals

A system for categorizing and labelling chemicals and structuring Safety Data Sheets was put into effect June 1, 2015 within the United States. The system standardizes chemical information worldwide and is called the Global Harmonized System (GHS). Lab safety training offerings were updated to provide information on the GHS and Safety Data Sheets were updated with new versions, and put into the CEMS system so that they are accessible to all faculty, staff and students. The implementation of the GHS was continued into 2016 including; updating the active chemical database. Passed Inspection!

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Radiation Control Program (MRCP) issues licenses to use radioactive materials and permits for x-ray devices on campus. The MRCP held two unannounced inspections of licensed activities on campus in February 2016. The multi-day inspections included visits to locations across the campus that use radioactive material, and a review of the records maintained by Radiation Safety Services. No violations of MRCP regulations or the conditions stated in the UMass Radiation Use License were found in either inspection. New Research building LSL2

The Life Science Laboratory’s south section was finished in preparation for the Institute for Applied Life Sciences Program to perform research. This facility will support three key areas of research; Models to Medicine, Bioactive Delivery and Personal Health Monitoring. Ten biosafety cabinets (one is a “B2”) were added in this facility. There is an MRI Imaging Center, a Microscopy Imaging Center (BSL-2 approved), an X-ray Scattering Facility, and numerous other core’s that EH&S will support.

BIOSAFETY

The Biosafety Program is responsible for oversight of biological research at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The program covers biosafety training, designation of laboratory biosafety level, protocol review for compliance committees, assurance of compliance for purchasing biological agents and field research safety. Biological research is growing rapidly at the University and investigators are pursuing exciting new areas of inquiry. This growth is accompanied by the increased use of biohazardous materials ranging from bacterial and fungal pathogens, human cancer or other mammalian cell-lines, to viral vectors in recombinant DNA research.

Figure 1 – Biological Inventory.

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The chart in Figure 1 of the biological inventory, illustrates the effort to capture data from laboratories that work with biological materials. The rapid increase in the number of biological agents in our database between 2014 and 2015 was prompted by National Biosafety Stewardship Month that was proclaimed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH asked all facilities to participate in creating and maintaining a biological inventory.

The Biosafety Program addresses the challenges that are unique to biomedical and biotechnology research such as; the potential to transmit infectious diseases or the possible risks of working with genetically altered microorganisms. We assist investigators in registering their research with the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for use of human subjects in research. The Biosafety Program collaborates closely with University faculty to help develop safe research protocols in compliance with federal and state regulations.

Figure 2 – Research protocols reviewed per year.

Research proposals and the resulting protocols may also be linked to an expanding campus and research growth in the Life Sciences. EH&S and the IBC will be incorporating the review of all BSL-2 research which will further increase the number of research protocols captured for review in future years. (See Figure 2).

Biosafety Program Overview of Some Responsibilities The Biosafety staff sits on the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), the Infection Control Committee

(ICC), the Occupational Health Committee, consults on the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) and the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which reviews human research protocols.

Assures biological safety compliance with NIH, CDC and APHIS as well as other governmental agencies.

Monitors new research for emerging tools and their possible risks to researchers. Reviews research proposals involving biohazardous materials. Conducts introductory and specialized biosafety training for faculty, students and staff. Conducts biosafety training for animal care staff and animal researchers. Develops relevant online biosafety training (e.g., Biological Safety Cabinets, Autoclave Safety). Oversees OSHA blood borne pathogen management/training.

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Figure 3 – Biosafety classroom training trends by year.

Classroom training (face-to-face) has been a growing initiative for EH&S. You can see a progression of more individuals engaging in Biosafety trainings. Training compliance is checked when a research protocol is submitted for review by a principal investigator. (See Figure 3).

Supervision of in-depth biosafety laboratory assessments. Coordinates with faculty in developing SOP’s and protocols for working with pathogens/biohazardous

materials. Develops Occupational Health programs for animal handlers and researchers. Advises on Institutional Biosafety Committee policy development and training. Oversees biological waste management according to state regulations regarding infectious biomedical

waste.

. Figure 4 – Biological waste removal by contractor by year.

Certain biological waste is removed from campus for specific treatment to render it non-infectious. As the laboratory space and research grows, so does the amount of biological waste that is generated. We have made savings by changing to a different vendor. The new vendor has transport packaging that allows for more waste to be shipped per box. (See Figure 4).

Responds to biological spill emergencies. Manages biological safety cabinet inventory and annual re-certification. 

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Figure 5 – Biological safety cabinets per year.

With the addition of biological laboratory facilities on campus comes the need for additional biocontainment. The number of biosafety cabinets (BSC’s) has increased annually over a 10 year period. Animal handling stations have also increased as additional vivarium space is provided. Clean benches are not recommended for pathogen research and therefore their use is declining, which is appropriate. (See Figure 5).

Manages autoclave inventory.

Figure 6 – Autoclaves in use by year.

The Autoclave chart represents the number of autoclaves available on campus. The drop from 2012 to 2013 is due to an initiative by Biosafety to remove older units from campus, as well as the inventory. Several of the older units were unsafe to operate and were disposed of. As the campus adds more laboratories, the number of autoclaves increases with the footprint. (See Figure 6).

Investigates laboratory incidents in the Life Sciences.

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Figure 7 – Number of biological incidents investigated per year.

Incidents investigated by Biosafety are trending downward. Extensive training has occurred to address needle stick injuries and biological exposures. (See Figure 7).

Management of the high containment laboratories. Reviews construction plans for science-based renovations and buildings, and serves on the Construction

Safety Oversight Committee.

Activities in FY16 Sessions Total Students/researchers trained in Biological Safety 67 772

Students/researchers trained in Autoclave Safety 2 12

Students/researchers trained in Non-human primate safety 13 47

Autoclave compliance audits conducted 275

Biosafety cabinets certified 198

Bio waste shipments made 42

Boxes of bio waste shipped out for destruction 703

Lab / risk assessments done (without formal reports) 120

BSL-2 lab assessments done (with reports)

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Laboratory incidents investigated 14 IRB/IACUC/IBC Protocol Reviews   135

Table 1 – Activities grouped by section for the fiscal year of 2016.

Other FY16 Activities

We have assisted with freezer crashes and the consequent clean outs that accompany them. These are usually urgent in nature due to odor, and require a significant amount of time and resources from EH&S.

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17

14

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2014 2015 2016

Biological Incidents Investigated

Investigations

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The medical waste vendor was changed in 2015, and has proved to be a valuable asset. This vendor communicates non-compliant issues that he sees in the laboratories so that we may intervene with assistance and education to remediate the issues found.

Autoclave log sheets were dramatically overhauled and printed in a booklet. The booklet contains a more concise cover sheet which allows for better record-keeping on the following pages. There is a section at the rear of the booklet for spore testing to be recorded and includes color pictures of what spores should look like after testing. The booklet was designed in compliance with 105 CMR 480. Delivery of the books began in December 2015.

The initiative to repair the LSL vivarium and the high containment laboratories has been a significant biosafety project. The start-up for this project has required substantial support from Biosafety due to the specialized nature of this facility. This project began in August of 2015 and is still on-going. Approximately (100) hours were spent in meetings and off-site visits to other facilities, as well as the review of numerous documents.

The ABSL-3 facility in Morrill underwent the annual facility verification. The facility was then set up for two researchers to share. Biosafety supported researchers with training and observation of skills.

CHEMICAL SAFETY AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

The Laboratory Chemical Safety and Industrial Hygiene Program provides services in; classroom laboratory safety training for newcomers, guidance to all research labs on issues of laboratory safety, ventilation and personal protective equipment. In addition, we provide risk assessments for research activities involving highly hazardous chemicals, investigate chemical incidents in laboratories and provide advanced lab safety refresher training to these lab groups. We belong to the EH&S HAZWOPER response team who responds to all lab incidents, spills, leaks, explosions or floods. We ensure that all safety equipment is functioning properly and test all fume hoods annually, and drench showers twice yearly for all laboratories on campus and the surrounding experimental stations. We conduct indoor air quality investigations in all buildings on campus, investigate odor complaints and work with the Physical Plant to remediate issues. We also attend construction projects related to laboratory construction or renovations and test all newly installed drench showers and eyewash stations. We provide monthly, and on-demand lab safety training to all contractors and UMass employees doing laboratory renovations on campus. Indoor Environmental/Industrial Hygiene Assessments (316) Tasks were conducted in this area including: (22) odor investigations, (13) mold inspections for

suspect mold, (55) indoor air quality surveys, (91) general building evaluations, (4) noise surveys, and the remainder evaluations pertaining to lab safety issues. Many of these tasks were in response to occupant concerns about the indoor environment.

Sampling was also conducted in lab areas for parameters of concern and ventilation assessments were conducted in labs to verify effectiveness. Industrial hygiene expertise was also provided on many new lab construction projects including the installation of a metal powder 3D printer, biology labs and new clean room installations.

(258) Quantitative Respirator Fit tests were conducted on employees and lab staff that utilize respirators as part of their job.

(20) Trained on care and use of powered air purifying respirators (PAPR).

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Laboratory Safety Statistics (320) Lab assessments and reports for all lab-based PI’s covering (778) laboratories. (20) Lab incidents were investigated including uncontained spills, minor lab injuries, resultant

equipment damage and exposures/injuries that required medical treatment. (520) Drench showers and eyewash units were tested at six-month intervals to verify adequate flow and

temperature is provided before use. Testing was conducted by trained students hired under the University Student Hire program.

(90) Lab Safety Training sessions were completed for students and employees.

For departments operating laboratory or research spaces, a laboratory safety coordinator and training manager is appointed by the department chair. The role of the lab safety coordinator is to facilitate communication between the departments and EH&S staff. Monthly lab safety coordinator meetings provide an opportunity for EH&S to answer questions, communicate important new safety issues or regulations and to build relationships with the academic community. Annually, seven (7) meetings are held with (46) lab safety coordinators. The responsibility of these coordinators is to: Attend the Department Laboratory Safety Coordinator meetings and communicate information on health

and safety policies to the faculty and staff in their department. Assist faculty and staff members in implementing University safety and health policies. Report safety related incidents and potential safety problems to EH&S. Training managers keep the OWL training database up-to-date with current lists of laboratory personnel. They also remind those who are out of compliance on their initial classroom and subsequent annual

online lab safety refresher training.

In order to evaluate and reduce risks of chemical hazards to the campus community the EH&S department maintains a chemical inventory system called CEMS (Chemical Environmental Management System), in which all laboratory hazardous substances are bar coded and entered into a web-based database. Included in this process is the compilation of associated Safety Data Sheets and coding of the chemicals, in accordance with NFPA and Hazard Communication Standards. CEMS provides not only inventory information to laboratory personnel and EH&S, but supplemental safety and emergency response information as well. It provides first responders with the ability to view the hazards in any research building at UMass Amherst. The CEMS database has been expanded to include the University’s biological inventory, radiological inventory, controlled substances inventory and hazardous waste management. The system allows us to print laboratory signage door cards, which include key safety and emergency response information. Additionally, the system is used to track compounds that are regulated by the Department of Homeland Security. All chemicals are received at a central location in Lederle Graduate Research Tower, Room #179. We barcode the primary container, note any discrepancies, repackage it into the original shipping package (to comply with DOT regulations), and deliver it to the laboratories on the same day. We also pick up empty container log sheets biweekly to remove containers from the database and update the room’s inventory. In order to maintain accuracy of the database, laboratories are periodically re-inventoried on an “as needed” basis. Researchers can query the system to find a list of their chemical inventory, SDS sheets for each chemical, or search for surplus chemicals already on campus thereby reducing inventories and disposal costs. Laboratory safety supplies are also delivered through the CEMS program. In FY16 the CEMS area received (16,018) packages and processed (23,336) items within those packages.

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RADIATION SAFETY SERVICES

The Radiation Safety Services (RSS) group provides support for the safe use of radioactive chemicals, sealed radioactive sources, x-ray generating instruments and devices emitting lasers, microwaves or radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation. Of these radioactive chemicals, sealed radioactive sources and x-ray generating instruments require licenses or permits from either the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Radiation Control Program (MRCP) or the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC). These agencies perform announced and unannounced inspections of all licensed and permitted activities. Violations of regulations or licensing representations by the University of Massachusetts Amherst to the regulators could lead to the curtailing of research involving radiation, and for the most severe violations - an imposition of fines. RSS routinely audits licensed and permitted operations to ensure that deficiencies are addressed before an inspection by any regulatory agency. In addition to the main campus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, RSS provides support for off campus customers, including: Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory, the Gloucester Marine Laboratory, Amherst College and Mount Holyoke College. RSS also provides calibration services for personal radiation monitors owned by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP). Activities in FY16 Worked with the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance to appoint a Reviewing Official for

Increased Security Control items. The Reviewing Official is named on the UMass Radiation Use License, and has the authority to grant unescorted access to devices requiring Increased Security Controls.

Reviewed and presented recommendations to a group in Studio Arts who purchased a 90W CO2 Cutting Laser for their machine shop.

Reviewed and presented recommendations for the Radiation Safety Program at University Health Services.

Wrote and submitted license renewal documents to the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program (MRCP) for Amherst College.

Became Radiation Safety Services provider for Mount Holyoke College under the Five Colleges Consortium Agreement.

Interacted with MRCP regarding inspection of x-ray units at Mount Holyoke College, which lead to relief of inspector’s actions as the Mount Holyoke College x-ray units were not administered by the Massachusetts regulations referenced during the inspection.

Served on the MRI Steering Committee and wrote sections of the MRI Safety Manual. Wrote the X-ray Shielding Plan for the dental x-ray device being installed by the Animal Resource Center. Submitted documentation to MRCP and obtained registration documents for the dental x-ray device in use

at the Animal Resource Center. Performed battery calculations for the LSL Data Center Project that was submitted to Amherst Fire

Department for review. Calibrated hand-held personal radiation survey instruments for the Mass DEP. Measured and submitted a report for radiofrequency (RF) emissions from antennas at Mount Holyoke

College. MRCP inspected the UMass Radiation Use License. No violations were reported by MRCP.

MRCP inspected the UMass licensed security systems for the device requiring increased security controls. No violations were reported.

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Evaluated an incident involving skin contamination by a beta emitting radiotracer. Dose calculations were performed. The skin dose was not above regulatory limits or UMass ALARA limits.

Evaluated the use of a Crooke’s Tube during lectures in the Physics Department. Recommendations were made and a dosimeter was issued to measure x-ray radiation dose close to the demonstration table.

Wrote and submitted license renewal documents to the MRCP for Mount Holyoke College. Wrote shielding evaluation documents for the bone densitometer at IALS. Submitted documents to

MRCP as part of the registrations process. Evaluated lead apron types and sent recommendations to the Animal Resource Center.

Use of Radioisotopes, Sealed Sources or X-ray Generating Devices

Figure 8 – Areas in Service Figure 9 – Number of Radiation Use Permits

Two radiation tracking metrics are dictated by regulatory agencies: Maintaining an inventory record of the total activity of all radioactive material at all licensed sites to

ensure license limits are not exceeded. Recording the amount of radiation dose received by each researcher who uses radioactive material in

sufficient activity or based on the type of radiation being emitted to warrant the RSO to issue a dosimeter to that individual.

Inventory of Licensed Radioactive Material A certain number of radionuclides on the UMass Radiation Materials License have individual activity limits. The percentage of each license limit per radionuclide is presented below in Table 2.

241Am(1) 60Co(1) 137Cs(1) 137Cs(2) 55Fe 125I 63Ni(1) 32P 33P 35S 226Ra 239Pu(2)

<1% <1% 30.0% 32.6% <1% <1% 45.6% <1% <1% 10.7% <1% 93.7%

Table 2 - Percent of license limit for individual radionuclides at the end of FY2015.

(1) Based on the total number of sealed sources in inventory for this radionuclide, except as described below. (2) An individual sealed source with a separate license limit.

The total activity inventory of any radionuclide without an individual activity limit on the UMass Radiation Material License must be compared to individual limits in a regulations published by the MRCP. The amount of activity in inventory divided by the individual activity limits found in regulations represents the fraction of an

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individual limit per radionuclide. These fractions when added together must be less than 1 (defined as the “R” value in MRCP regulations). The ‘R” of Radionuclides without individual license limit was: 0.007 percent at the end of FY2015.

 

                

Figure 10 - Number of radioisotope packages received. Figure 11 - Number of sealed sources in inventory.

Radiation Dosimetry In tracking the radiation dose or lack thereof, received by the research staff, the RSO must record the dose per year from various pathways. In Table 3 below; is represented the highest individual dose as compared to each regulation or UMass ALARA(3) dose limit.

Whole

Body Dose

Skin Dose

Eye Dose Extremity

Dose

MRCP Regulatory Limit

5,000

50,000

15,000

50,000

UMass ALARA Limit

500

5,000

1,500

5,000

Highest Dose to an Individual for FY2014

2

54

426

< 30

Table 3 - Highest annual radiation doses for fiscal year 2016 (in millirem).

(3) ALARA is defined in 105CMR210(B) to be As Low as Reasonably Achievable. The ALARA limit for UMass is set by the RUC as 10% of any regulatory limit.

Figure 12 - Number of dosimeters issued by year. Figure 13 - Yearly number of persons issued dosimeters.

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Radiation Safety Services for Fiscal Year 2016:

Service

UMass Amherst

Amherst College

Mt. Holyoke

Total Surveys 4483 380 0 Annual Lab Visits 609 36 0 X-Ray Surveys 11 2 0 Body Dosimeters 786 48 0 Ring Dosimeters 610 24 0 Leak Tests 89 42 0 Thyroid Bioassays 0 0 0 Lab Audit Deficiencies

4 0 0

Radiation Work Permits

8 0 0

Radionuclide Deliveries

55 0 0

Radioactive Waste Pickups

38 3 0

Decay Waste Pickups

25 52 0

Sewer Disposal Over Limits

0 0 0

Calibrations 44 6 6 Table 4 – Number of radiation safety services by type and location.

Above in Table 4, we demonstrate the typical services that Radiation Safety Services have provided during the Fiscal Year of 2016.

Figure 14 - Total number of radiation surveys. Figure 15 - Number of labs commissioned/decommissioned.

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Training Radiation Safety Services performs training sessions for the safe use of radiotracers in laboratories and x-ray units such as; diffractometers, lasers like those used on optical benches, laser cutters and confocal microscopes.

Training Type Number of Sessions Total Attendees Radiation Safety 17 48

X-Ray Safety 14 27 Laser Safety 15 59 Laser Cutter 12 99

Confocal Lasers 1 5 Table 5 – Safety training session attendance for fiscal year 2016 by type.

Figure 16 - Number of training attendees by year and section.

CAMPUS SAFETY & FIRE PREVENTION

Campus Safety and Fire Prevention (CSFP) technicians provide the University with routine services and emergency response capability. In FY 2016, we had (2,242) Emergency and Service Responses in total. These calls were dispatched through UMPD and the EH&S Main Office. Technicians and other support staff respond to a variety of calls such as; fire alarm activations, odor complaints, hazardous material spills, hot works permit requests and other EH&S assistance requests.

(1,478) to Academic Buildings/Areas (764) to Residential Buildings

(67) Alarm Investigations; No AFD Response (243) Fire Alarm Activation

(253) Fire Alarm System; Pre-Alarm (639) Fire Alarm System Trouble/Supervisory

(90) Odor Investigations (19) Fire Responses; Fire, Smoke, Extinguished Fire

(32) Hazardous Materials (280) Other Incident Responses

(356) Hot Works Permits (95) Safety Investigations

(168) Other Assistance

Table 6 – Response to calls by category.

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Figure 17 – F1 and Fire Department response by fiscal year.

Inspections FY16

(585) Fire / Life Safety Inspections Conducted (259) Life Safety Inspections / (934) Deficiencies Found during Inspections

(36) Assembly Inspections (95) Academic/Service Building Re-Inspections

(146) Residence Hall Room Re-Inspections (14) Quarterly Inspections with AFD and HFD

(35) State Building Inspector Project Inspections

Table 7 – Fire and/or Life Safety inspections conducted.

21  

Fire Protection Systems – Inspection Testing and Maintenance

Each year EH&S staff inspects, tests and facilitates maintenance of our automatic fire sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, and fire pumps in order to meet regulatory requirements and assure operability. EH&S has coordinated this program with the Physical Plant and service contractors for nearly 40 years, at a tremendous cost savings to the University. In addition, EH&S staff partners with the Physical Plant to conduct testing of the fire alarm systems within academic areas and service buildings. New fire protection systems must be designed, installed and tested to meet national, state and local requirements. CSFP staff assists with communicating these requirements and verifying compliance.

(4841) Weekly Fire Protection System Inspections

(473) Fire Pump Weekly Inspections and Run Tests

(96) Sprinkler System Tests Conducted

(56) Annual Testing of Sprinklers in Residential Buildings

(40) Annual Testing of Sprinklers in Academic Buildings

(18) Fire Pump Capacity Flow Tests Conducted

(22) Fire Protection Project Engineer’s Tests

(21) AFD Final Acceptance Tests

(14) Hydrostatic Tests Witnessed

(116) Academic/Service Bldgs. Fire Alarm Tests

(64) Residential Fire Alarm/Emergency Power Tests

Table 8 – Weekly fire protection system inspections by type.

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4,866 Extinguishers Serviced: 4,376 Inspected 446 Hydro-test 41 Recharged 13 Replacement of Missing

259 Fire Evacuation Drills Conducted:

102 Residence Halls 116 Academic/Service Buildings 27 Child Care Fire Drills 14 Summer Camp Fire Drills

Table 9 – Fire extinguishers and fire drills.

Construction/Contractor Safety

 

During FY16 the University continued with an unprecedented amount of construction including; major projects at the Champions Center, the Athletic Performance Center, and the Furcalo renovations which were all completed. Other projects underway include; the South College Academic Facility, the Old Chapel renovations, and the Design and Physical Sciences Buildings, which both continue at an aggressive pace. In addition, new projects commenced including; solar array installations, Morrill Courtyard utilities, and a fit-out at the Life Sciences Building II.

CSFP staff monitor campus projects through a comprehensive construction safety management program which helps to assure site safety, and the health and safety of our campus community.

Aspects of the program include; contractor pre-construction safety orientations, site specific safety plan reviews, crane plan reviews, and issuance of excavation permits.

Staff regularly attend job meetings and perform site auditing with documentation and follow-up of deficiencies observed.

In addition, CSFP staff monitored a wide variety of maintenance contractors for OHSA compliance and appropriate follow-up, as necessary.

23  

Construction Safety Management Activities in FY 2016:

(44) Pre-construction Meetings

(88) Projects Monitored

(43) Excavation Permits Issued

(55) Site Specific Safety Plans Reviewed

(82) Crane Plans Reviewed & Monitored

(02) OSHA10 Classes Taught

(49) OSHA10 Certificates Issued

(24) Contractor Oversight Meetings Held

(05) Incident and Near Miss Investigations 

Table 10 – Construction safety management activities by type for fiscal year 2016.

Major contractor incidents in FY16 with EH&S follow-up included: 07/29/15 While excavating, contractor hit 2400V Electrical Duct bank at the Design Building Site. 10/29/15 While excavating, contractor broke water main in Lot# 65. 12/21/16 Eversource water main break at North Pleasant Street, while preparing to set a pole. 02/11/16 Roofer fell from the Old Chapel roof due to a medical issue. Worker was wearing fall

protection equipment.

Campus Projects  FY 2016 

 Building Demolition Projects Champion Center Chapel Renovation Conte Curtainwall and Roof Design Building DuBois Chiller Upgrades Furcolo Renovations ISB/North Collier Upgrades Isenberg School of Mgt. Addition John Adams Emergency Systems Life Science Laboratory 2 Life Science Lab. Data CT Lincoln Garage Structural 

Repair 

 Lot 25 and 44 Canopies LNG Plant Morrill Courtyard Morrill Renovations Montague House Physical Science Building PVTA Transit Lifts Residential Life Card Access Rooftop Solar Installations South College Student Union HVAC Tillson Substations UMass/Eversource Verizon DAS Building 

Table 11 – Campus Projects with significant EH&S involvement.

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Third Annual OSHA Summer Summit 2016

 

On June 23, 2016, the Environmental Health & Safety Department co-hosted the Third Annual OS HA Summer Summit which attracted over four-hundred (400) attendees. OSHA, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards, the OSHA Training Institute (Keene, NH), the Safety Council of Western New England and the American Society of Safety Engineers, all partnered to bring this day-long safety conference to campus. EH&S was pleased to announce that Maryanne Steele was presented with the

American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) CT Valley Chapter President’s Award on April 18, 2016 for her outstanding service to ASSE, and her efforts in coordinating the OSHA Summer Summit. She also served as Chair of the Western Massachusetts section of the ASSE. EH&S FY16 Training Data

Safety education and training are essential elements for successful injury and illness prevention programs. EH&S staff from all program areas deliver a wide variety of safety and health educational programs to the campus community. Fiscal Year 2016 was one of the most active years for the EH&S program delivery, with (523) classes and (8,779) participants.

Figure 18 – Training courses by fiscal year.

Figure 19 – Training sessions by department.

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Figure 20 – Total training sessions by EH&S group.

Figure 21 – Online training in OWL FY16 by topic.

1630 1592

1119

865

640539

349277

216 216 215 215112 98 96 61 51 24 23 21

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

8,359 OWL TRAINED

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Campus Safety/Physical Plant

Through a multi-faceted approach, Environmental Health and Safety maintains a formal occupational injury/illness prevention program under the Campus Safety and Fire Prevention Program area. Safety services are provided to the general campus, as well as to the Physical Plant through a dedicated Safety Office. Hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and control, education and training, program evaluation and improvement, are all key components of the program.

CSFP staff conducted: (62) Ergonomic Evaluations, (35) Machine Shop Safety Audits, (125) Informal Safety Inspections, (29) Contractor Inspections, and (74) Injury Investigations/Follow-ups. CSFP staff also served as a resource to the UHS and Residential Life Safety Committees. Lastly, the First Annual Shop Safety Committee meeting was coordinated and held with an overwhelming success. Other Safety Program Initiatives: Rand Theater Safety EH&S advocated for a comprehensive engineering studies which included; structural, rigging and fall hazards within the Rand Theater. As a result of these studies, significant equipment upgrades are planned for the next fiscal year of 2017. EH&S also developed a fall protection improvement plan to meet current national safety standards.

Injury Reporting Working with Human Resources, EH&S has changed the policy for reporting employee injuries to include an immediate notification to EH&S for all severe injuries that result in hospital treatment. This policy change reflects the new reporting requirements issued by OSHA and the Department of Labor. The goal of this change will be to ensure that EH&S is better informed about injuries on campus therefore, it can perform better occupational injury investigations and remediate hazards on campus.

Figure 22 – Injury comparison by fiscal year.

FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Injuries Reported 522 504 532 484

Lost Day Cases 99 75 135 124

Lost Days Reported 3332 3021 3127 3009

0500100015002000250030003500

FISCAL YEAR INJURY COMPARISON

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Figure 23 – Injuries by department percentages.

Figure 24 – Number of injuries by type.

0 50 100 150 200

Allergic Reaction

Crushing Injuries

Sciatica

Whiplash

Dizziness

Hernia

Animal or Insect Bite

Puncture wounds

Multiple Injuries

Chemical Burn

Other or Not Specified

Abrasions

Contusion

Sprain/Strain

FY16 INJURIES - NATURE

Academics11%

Administration5%

Athletics2%

Auxiliary Services34%

Information Technology2%

Physical Plant26%

Residential Life13%

UHS3%

UMPD4%

FY16 INJURIES BY DEPARTMENT

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Figure 25 – Injury by type of event.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM

The Environmental Health program assists the University in maintaining food safety and public health, environmental safety in residence hall housing, family housing and academic buildings for the campus community of over thirty thousand (30,000) students, faculty and staff.

The Environmental Health program encompasses; food protection and sanitation, housing conditions, water supply quality, swimming pool water quality, solid waste disposal, conditions of the child care facilities, and requirements regarding recreational camps for children.

Routine inspections of many operations are conducted to assure compliance with federal and state health, and sanitation codes. The intention of the Environmental Health program is to promote practical and attainable levels of protection for personnel, the community and the environment.

Retired Environmental Health Manager Larry Davis, is assisting part-time to meet the expanded training requirements for Auxiliary Enterprises. The new Assistant Director for the Environmental Health program is Alyssa Rusiecki.

Significant Initiatives in FY16:

Revised SOP’s for: Bed Bugs for Physical Plant Pest Control, Family Housing, and Residential Housing, F1 Response and Employees, and Environmental Health Response to Bed Bugs.

Used the flood trailer to mitigate water infiltration and damage. Assisted with developing strategies in dealing with the West Nile Virus and EEE problems for the

University. Assisted with developing strategies in dealing with the drought conditions relative to the Town of

Amherst and the University. Reviewed renovations for UClub, and the Computer Science Building Café. Assisted with a sanitation SOP for the UMass Wrestling Club.

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Contact with biological hazard

Injured by physical contact with person while …

Workplace Violence

Fall or jump from vehicle in normal operation

Contact with hot objects or substances

Exposure to other harmful substance

Roadway Collision

Chemical Exposure

Fall Lower Level

Overexertion

Overexertion, Lifting

Struck By

FY16 INJURIES BY EVENT

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Overview of Responsibilities:

Food safety training for employees and students. Food related trainings for student activities events. ServSafe Certification Classes. Right-to-Know training for Food Services and Residential Housing. Food Waiver revision initiated: reviews and approvals. Food facility inspections, consultation for the dining commons, retail outlets, auxiliary services and

outside vendors to minimize the risk of foodborne diseases. Foodborne illness investigations. Food allergy investigations. Vendor/caterer reviews and inspections. Campus Allergy Management programs. Housing related issues, sanitary conditions and Pet Policy. Evaluation of pest problems: cockroaches, bedbugs and mice. Campus Smoking Policy. Food Services Safety Committee member. Massachusetts Food Safety and Security Committee member. Testing air quality in ice rinks. Integrated Pest Management Practices evaluation. Monitoring and periodic testing of water quality in swimming pools. Athletic inspections and Infection Control training of employees. Summer camp application reviews and inspections. Potable water issues. Housing inspections for student apartments and providing information for residents. Oversight of construction projects for food facility renovations. SOP development for Environmental Health related issues.

Activities for FY16:

Various Food inspections including: temporary food inspections, catered events, re-inspections, walk through and food complaints.

(52) Food waivers for student groups. (10) Training sessions including: Food Safety, Right-to-Know and Bed Bugs. (05) Food Safety Certification (ServSafe) courses to Auxiliary Services and the Center for Student

Businesses with (96) participants. (85) Miscellaneous inspections including: complaints about potentially unsanitary conditions, nuisance

problems, sewer backups in buildings, water quality, pest control, mold problems, residential life problems, MSDS reviews, ventilation issues, potable water and indoor air quality problems, swimming pool, UMPD lock up facility and recreational camp inspections.

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Other Activities:

Discussions with the appropriate administrator for corrective action on identified problems including, but not limited to: lead paint issues at Residential Housing, bed bug response for PP Pest Control, Family Housing and Dormitories, Auxiliary Services Safety Committee, the MA Coalition for Food Defense and Security, Massachusetts Food Establishment Advisory Committee, the Campus Center Safety Committee and renovation meetings.

ENVIRONMENTAL & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

Environmental and Hazardous Materials Management (EHMM) Services assists and guides campus departments in environmental compliance issues and acts as a liaison between campus departments and environmental regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations. EHMM works very closely with the Physical Plant, Design and Construction Management, Research and Engagement, Residential Life and Auxiliary Enterprises - not only on maintaining compliance, but also sustainability practices to reduce associated emissions and hazards. A summary of what we do includes the following: Permitting, tracking and reporting of air and water (waste, reclaimed, storm), and emissions. Sampling, inspecting, oversight and disposal of hazardous materials to include; hazardous building

materials, spills, solid waste and hazardous waste. Shipping of hazardous materials in compliance with DOT and IATA regulations. Oversight of environmental related equipment such as; storage tanks, generators and central heating

plant equipment. Providing Environmental Health and Safety training, consultation, and support to the campus

community on areas related to chemical spills, laboratory use, demolition, construction, sustainability efforts, equipment and maintenance.

Updating technical expertise, maintaining appropriate credentials and keeping current with local, state, and federal regulation. In order to ensure that the campus community is provided with the most current safety and regulatory information, strategies for management and ability to mitigate risk.

Central Heating Plant/Air Emissions

The University operates an award winning Central Heating Plant (CHP) which, utilizes natural gas and #2 fuel oil to produce steam for heating the campus. As well as, creating electricity with a combustion turbine generator which can cover about eighty percent (80%) of campus demand.

The CHP came on line in 2009, and utilizes the best available air emissions control technology that was available at the time. Coupled with the phasing out of coal combustion, this reduced UMass’ overall carbon footprint by over thirty percent (30%). The following reports summarize our air emissions.

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UMass submits an Annual Source Registration Report as required by campus Title V Air Operating Permit to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. EH&S in coordination with Utility personnel, compiles and reports information on; nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ammonia, volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. This report captures data associated with stationary emission sources across the campus including: the CHP boilers and combustion turbine, other small boilers, emergency generators, painting operations, fuel tanks, parts degreasers, hot water heaters and space heaters. Again a major emission reduction can be seen with the installation of the Central Heating Plant in 2009 which utilizes natural gas and low sulfur diesel.

Figure 26 – Source registration emissions by year per metric ton.

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called “Greenhouse Gases” (GHGs). There are several different kinds of GHGs but, for comparison purposes, they are converted to Carbon Dioxide equivalents (eCO2). EHMM is required to track GHG emissions to satisfy the following regulatory reporting requirements, as well as providing information for our sustainability initiatives:

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The UMass Climate Action Plan. The American College and University Presidential Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

Data captured for the GHG reports include:

Number #2 fuel oil and natural gas; used to power the Central Heating Plant boilers, turbine and heat

recovery steam generator. Gasoline, diesel and biodiesel used to fuel mobile sources including; buses, passenger cars, light duty

vehicles (trucks, mowers), and heavy duty vehicles (trucks, tractors, excavators). Propane, natural gas and Number #2 fuel oil for small boilers, emergency generators and space heaters. Fuels, gases and refrigerants used for Auxiliary Enterprises equipment (i.e., ovens, woks, grills),

refrigerants used for vehicle air conditioning and refrigerators, chiller repairs, carbon dioxide used in beverage dispensers, and VOC’s released in paint booths and gases used in laboratories, and welding operations.

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Figure 27 – Equivalent Carbon Dioxide by year per metric ton.

Given the increase in the number of new buildings requiring heat, including the energy intensive Life Sciences Laboratory, the University’s air emissions have stayed relatively steady. In 2014, the CHP turbine was replaced leading to increasing electrical generation from (10 MW) to (11MW), which can be seen with the eCO2 increase in 2014. As stated earlier, the CHP utilizes natural gas and number #2 fuel oil as combustion fuels. The Northeast has turned to natural gas as its primary fuel for electric generation (2001 at 30% vs. 2014 at 50%) and heating but, the natural gas pipeline infrastructure is not available to meet the spiking demand when extreme cold weather hits. Regulators have curtailed the use of natural gas by customers with the capability to switch fuels which includes the University. Given the Berkshire Gas curtailments, the University sited a temporary liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility with a storage capacity of (2,500) dekatherms adjacent to the Central Heating Plant (CHP), as a third fuel option to reduce reliance on the more expensive fuel oil during the winter heating season (November to April). We have utilized the temporary LNG from FY13 through FY16. The University is in the process of installing a permanent LNG site slated to be used for the 2016/17 heating season.

 ‐

 20,000

 40,000

 60,000

 80,000

 100,000

 120,000

 140,000

2012 2013 2014 2015

Metric To

ns

Equivalent Carbon Dioxide

Central Heating Plant BoilersCentral Heating Plant TurbineCHP Heat Recovery Steam GeneratorMobile (buses, trucks, cars, machinery)

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Potable and Reclaimed Water - Sanitary Sewer Over the last 10 years, the Amherst Campus used an average of three hundred-fifty (350) million gallons of water, per year. Approximately twelve years ago, the Town of Amherst Department of Public Utilities requested that UMass investigate ways to re-use the town’s Waste Water Treatment Plant’s effluent (reclaimed water) on campus. UMass commissioned a study to investigate the feasibility of reusing this effluent and confirmed that the reclaimed water could be used for boiler water make-up at the old power plant. The best path forward in this effort was to use proven technology, such as; multimedia filters, reverse osmosis membranes, and chlorination.

With approval from the Town of Amherst and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the University started utilizing reclaimed water in 2005 for boiler water make-up and the CHP Cooling Tower. The water use initiative reduced potable water consumption by approximately seventeen percent (17%). State regulations on reclaimed water were promulgated in 2010, and we were able to obtain a Class C Permit to utilize the reclaimed water for boiler water make-up only. Then in 2013, the University received approval from the MADEP to utilize reclaimed water for the cooling towers at the Central Heating Plant under a Class A Reclaimed Water Permit; returning us to the seventeen percent (17%) of water usage on campus. Given the increase in potable water and the calculated sewer fees, this has not only helped with water conservation but has saved the University a substantial amount of money. In FY2016, we saved approximately $620,000. On June 8, 2015, we received authorization from the DEP to maximize our reclaimed water usage during the summer months to include the Commonwealth Honors Residential Complex. The required connections should be completed for the 2017 cooling season, maximizing our current system at two-hundred thousand (200,000) gallons per day, throughout the year.

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Figure 26 – UMass water usage per fiscal year in millions of gallons.

Figure 27 – Reclaimed water savings in dollars, per fiscal year. The University works closely with the Amherst Waste Water Treatment Plant to minimize any disruptions to their system. Any non-standard discharge greater than one-thousand (1,000) gallons must gain authorization from the Town of Amherst, EHMM, and/or the Physical Plant. EHMM also works with campus departments to develop water efficient policies and programs that help reduce the quantity of water used and the amount of waste water generated. Storm Water

Unlike sanitary sewers, storm drains are not connected to a treatment plant and they flow directly to our local streams, rivers and lakes. Silt, soaps, degreasers, automotive fluids, litter, and a host of other materials washed off buildings, sidewalks, plazas, parking areas, construction areas, vehicles and equipment, can all pollute our waterways.

EHMM audits construction sites for the best management practices for Erosion and Sediment Control. Any sites impacting greater than one (1) acre of soil must have a written Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan and must obtain a Storm Water Construction General Permit.

The Central Heating Plant is required to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), multi-sector general permit which also requires a written Pollution Prevention Plan. This plan identifies any potential sources of pollution, what we have to do to mitigate these potential pollution sources, the location of potentially impacted retention ponds and waterways, and includes the monthly inspections and quarterly samplings of our drainage systems. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT Environmental and Hazardous Materials Management (EHMM) Services is responsible for storage, tracking and disposal of all hazardous waste generated by the campus. This includes: the Main Campus, and its satellite locations in South Deerfield, Hadley, Gloucester, Belchertown and Wareham. This includes: all waste generated by all departments, laboratories, Physical Plant, Auxiliary Service, Housing, and all construction sites.

The University has nearly nine hundred (900) laboratories with chemicals that are used in a variety of ways. But in the end, what isn’t used up must be disposed of. What makes laboratories more difficult compared to other

35  

generators on campus is the number of containers, and the many classes of chemicals which cannot be combined. In FY16 laboratories submitted (6,866) Waste Requests with the most prevalent requests coming from Polymer Science and Chemistry. EHMM is required by regulation to move these containers within three (3) working days to a hazardous waste central storage area. First, the containers must be picked up from each laboratory and packaged appropriately to be transported from the laboratory to a central location (*Note: many containers are glass).

Figure 28 – Chemical purchases and disposals by department.

Descisions are made on what will be packed as containers into a larger drum (lab packed) and what will be poured off into a drum (bulked). Most of the containers are mixtures, thus each ingredient is noted and containers are tested for various aspects, which determines what can be safely combined in each drum and where and how each drum will be disposed of. The contents and quantity of each container in a lab pack drum must be recorded, as part of the manifest and packed to prevent breakage and spillage. Bulk and lab pack drums must then be labeled and packaged according to the Department of Transportation and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations, and shipped for disposal to a Hazardous WasteTreatment Storage and Disposal Faciltiy. EHMM works with a full-time Chemist outsourced through our contracted hazardous waste vendor, in order to keep up.

Hazardous Waste Costs On the following page, in Figure 29; we demonstrate what the costs are associated with Hazardous Waste Disposal. However, this does not include hazardous material abatement costs. Standard disposal costs are largely dependent on the types of waste generated. Chemicals with BTU value (oils and solvents), that can be incinerated are much less costly than items which need to be landfilled, treated prior to disposal, or incinerated under extremely high temperatures.

36  

Figure 29 – Hazardous waste costs per fiscal year in dollars.

Satellite Accumulation Area Inspections Satellite Accumulation Areas are the collection points of hazardous waste, at the point of generation. The generator of the hazardous waste is responsible for their own weekly inspections however, EHMM audits various areas based on condition as well as, the volume of hazardous waste generated. We performed (457) assessments during FY16 however, the assessments are the easy part and we are focusing on corrective actions, and teaching lab personnel proper management of hazardous waste.

Figure 30 – Satellite accumulation area inspections by department.

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Universal Waste EHMM, in conjunction with the Office of Waste Management at the Waste Transfer Facility, manages and is responsible for the disposal of all Universal Wastes which include; lamps, batteries, paint and other Mercury containing items. ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT AND ABATEMENT Environmental Site Assessments EHMM assesses all construction projects throughout the Amherst Campus as well as, the UMass associated satellite buildings for environmental concerns including, but not limited to: asbestos, lead, cadmium, chromium, polychlorinated biphenyls and contaminated soils. Projects range from a hole in the wall, to the demolition of a building. Our job is to ensure the safety and health of the campus community and to maintain compliance with state and federal regulations. All Hazard Review (AHR) Inspections The All Hazard Review (AHR) is the inspection and review of any work conducted on the campus to identify if regulated hazardous building materials including: asbestos, lead, heavy metals, PCB’s, contaminated soils or other EH&S regulated materials such as; chemicals, biologicals or radiation which may be impacted by the work. The Site Assessment group performs the service for the Physical Plant, Housing, OIT, Alterations and Auxiliary Services for daily operations of the campus including; maintenance, custodial, renovations and emergency situations. A weekly meeting is conducted by the Physical Plant to review all new Service Requests (SR) and determine the progression of each request which includes whether an AHR is required. AHR Inspections are conducted by:

Contacting the person/party that submitted the request to review the details about the request. A review of all past sampling inspections relevant to the request. Visual inspection of the area, materials, equipment or unknown to be impacted by the request. If needed, the collection of samples for asbestos, PCB’s or lead determination. Interpretation of sample results. Progressing the SR in the Tririga System as positive or negative.

All Service Requests that go through the AHR process are tracked through the Physical Plant Tririga System, and can only be moved out of the AHR system by EH&S denoted personnel as: Hazard Assessment Negative. The work is cleared and given to the appropriate department to conduct the work.

Hazard Assessment Positive:

o Small Projects: The work is moved to the Physical Plant, Environmental Service Unit (ESU). The ESU is a select group of trained and licensed workers who conduct the work associated with the identified hazardous building material for small projects (broken floor tiles, broken pipe insulation), with oversite and clearance by EH&S.

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o Large Projects: If the abatement part of the project is larger in scale, the SR will be moved to Physical Plant Service Contracts, and the work will be conducted by an Abatement Contractor with oversite by EH&S.

A total of (1,845) service requests were reviewed and processed through the All Hazard Review process during FY16. A major initiative to reach out to Auxiliary Services, Alterations and OIT, this past year significantly increased the number of all hazard review inspections.

As part of the AHR process the collection of any questionable materials is performed by a Site Assessment MA licensed Asbestos Inspector, when past sampling data is insufficient to make accurate determination as positive or negative for containing asbestos or lead.

The samples are sent to ProScience Analytical for asbestos and lead determination. The lab results are then added to the Site Assessments database for reference on future Service Request AHR reviews. Figure 31 - Total All Hazard Review service requests. The samples may be collected for a routine Service Request or to address situations of concern such as:

The impact of an unintended or unplanned material by contractors or Umass personnel. Student or staff concerns for dust or deteriorated materials. Emergency situations.

Figure 32 – Asbestos/Lead collected samples for analysis. A total of (391) samples were collected during FY16 for asbestos and lead determination from (103) Service requests. There was an increase in samples collected from last year, which directly corelates to the increase in service requests processed through All Hazard Review.

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Department of Environmental (DEP) notification

The Site Assessment team oversees and manages the submittals and review of all Bureau of Waste Prevention (BWP), Air Quality (AQ) and BWP AQ-06 notifications for any construction, demolition or renovation of a building. The notifications for the protection of public health and the environment by intending to prevent the release of dust of potentially hazardous air pollutants into the air. During periods of high construction activity (summer and intersessions), on average fifteen (15) notifications are submitted weekly.

The importance of the BWP AQ-06

Requires a Hazardous Materials survey be conducted by a licensed inspector before the project starts.

Requires the development and explanation of dust control plans.

Covers the personal negative exposure sampling for workers impacting materials with the potential to cause health risk.

The Site Assessment group submits an Asbestos Removal Notification to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (ANF-001 form), for any asbestos work performed under the UMass Asbestos Blanket held by the EH&S Department for work being completed by the Environmental Services Unit (ESU) department. When an SR is progressed to “Positive” for containing asbestos, the ESU Department submits a notification to the Site Assessment group requesting a DEP notification with the specific details of the job, including the start and end dates of the work. No work impacting any asbestos containing materials can be performed without a valid and active ANF 001 form. There were (445) Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) ANF 001 Asbestos Blanket Notifications submitted.

Figure 33 - Asbestos notifications submitted by year.

All ANF-001 notifications submitted by external asbestos abatement companies to perform asbestos abatement work for projects and renovations are reviewed by EH&S. No work impacting any asbestos containing materials can be performed without a valid and active ANF 001 form.

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After the ESU department completes the Asbestos Blanket Notified project the Site Assessment group completes a visual inspection of the project to ensure all work has been completed and conducts a final visual inspection, and if required, a final air clearance testing. The final visual inspection at a minimum is a requirement for all the ESU projects as stated in the DEP regulations 310 CMR 7.15 (8) “Visual Inspection Requirements”. Once the final clearance is conducted and passed, the site assessment progresses the Service Request through the Tririga System as “Cleared for Entry”. Site Inspections

Asbestos is a natural mineral fiber silicate (a form of rock), that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials for insulation as well as, fire retardant applications. The asbestos fiber was widely used because of its extreme resiliency against chemicals, heat, degradation, and the fibers ability to be broken down into microscopic levels which allows it to be added to any product.

Roofing  Insulation 

Floor Tiles  Ceilings 

Mastics  Coatings 

Adhesives  Fabrics 

Table 13 – Products containing Asbestos.

The asbestos fibers resiliency and microscopic size makes the fiber a dangerous health risk, specifically to the respiratory system. When asbestos containing materials are impacted or disturbed, the asbestos fibers can become unbound and airborne from the original materials. To ensure the safety from adverse health risks, the Site Assessment team provides licensed and trained oversite for all asbestos activities conducted at UMass. Site Inspections are conducted for any asbestos, lead or hazardous building materials work being performed on the campus and ensures that all state and federal regulations, and UMass compliance policies are enforced and followed. Site inspection projects include large scale Design & Construction Management (D&CM), the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), and the Physical Plant service contract maintenance projects. Site Assessment performed (1,040) Site Inspections on active asbestos and lead projects during FY16. Final Clearances After ESU completes the Asbestos Blanket Notified project, the Site Assessment group completes a visual inspection of the project to ensure that all work has been completed and conducts a final visual inspection and if required, a final air clearance testing. At a minimum, the final visual inspection is a requirement for all ESU projects as stated in the DEP regulations 310 CMR 7.15(8) “Visual Inspection Requirements.” Once the final clearance is conducted and passed, the site assessment progresses the SR through the Tririga system as “Cleared for Entry.” Site Assessment performed (901) Final Visual Inspections on ESU asbestos and lead projects. The past fiscal year has seen an increase in the amount of work the Site Assessment team has been involved in on the campus. The age of the majority of the buildings and infrastructure throughout the campus is requiring significant deferred maintenance upkeep and renovations to support the campus moving forward.

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The numbers show Site Assessment is taking a proactive approach of involvement and oversite to prevent exposures and incidents that will adversely impact the campus community. (See Figure 34, on the following page).

Figure 34 – ACM inspection sites comparison by year.

Emergency Response EHMM as part of the EH&S Hazmat team, responds to hazardous material emergencies and investigations which may cause injury or exposure, result in extensive property damage, or cause a release to the environment. Some of the responses are small cleanups while others require the need to bring in internal and external resources including; the district hazmat teams, fire departments and police. The largest percentage of calls involved laboratory spills, with Mercury being the most prevalent. A few memorable incidents are described below: Piranha etch over pressurization

Piranha solution is a combination of concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide used to clean organic residues off of various substrates. This solution is however, highly reactive and if allowed to cap before the reaction has finished - it will over pressurize the containment vessel and often crack or shatter the container. We have had a number of these incidents. EHMM are now distributing pressure relief caps to those creating piranha etch, which in turn has reduced these incidents.

0

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180

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

ACM Site Inspections

SI 2015 SI 2016

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Bulging drum at the hazardous waste depot

As stated earlier, EHMM works with Triumvirate to bulk or pour-off like chemicals to save money on disposal. If containers are improperly labeled, reactive chemicals could be combined resulting in a reaction or the use of a non-compatible bulk container.

Just like the piranha solution, over-pressurization burst the container. The picture (at left), shows the pressure build up causing this steel drum to bulge.

EHMM put this container into a walk in fume hood, cracked the bung just enough to let the pressure slowly release, and then allowed the drum to set for a while. Whatever was in the drum, completed its reaction.

Refrigerator spills requiring cleanup with Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

Housekeeping is highly important when working and storing hazardous chemicals. This year we had several incidents where freezers weren’t de-iced or were over packed causing an issue.

EHMM had to find and remove the broken containers and clean up any spilled residue. Some of these freezers contained dangerous chemicals and not knowing which containers were broken, we needed to enter the area assuming the worst case container was broken, while planning for potential reactions of mixed chemicals.

With some of these refrigerators and freezers, we aided the researchers to remove chemicals to fume hoods while in SCBA, so that the refrigerators or freezers could be cleaned. The next largest volume of calls consisted of campus related hazardous material incidents, with the bulk of these being gas, oil and/or antifreeze related spills from automobiles, or broken hydraulic lines. We also respond to building related issues such as battery fires or water leaks, which could impact other hazardous materials. Sometimes you never know what will happen.

Tractor Fire at Boyden Field

A lawn tractor caught fire at the Boyden fields, releasing hydraulic oil and diesel. The fire burned off the majority of the oil however, some of the oils were released into the soil. The soil was removed with the help of the Physical Plant and EHMM oversight. It was disposed of at Ondrick’s for asphalt batching.

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Milk dumped down the sewer

Sometimes, what people view as harmless cannot necessarily be dumped down the drain. It is important that any non-standard discharges be vetted through EH&S and the treatment plant.

This is what happened to the tanks at the Amherst Waste Water Treatment Plant after (100) gallons of expired milk was dumpeddown the drain.

EHMM also responds to spills created by contractors. In most cases, the responsibility for clean-up and reporting fall under the contractor however, we often provide consultation and immediate services to prevent a spill from further entry into the environment, and aid in keeping the public away from the spill.

The majority of these responses are hydraulic leaks from equipment, however we have also responded to gas leaks and other hazardous material incidents.

Mercury spill when removing piping from old lab

Some of our labs on campus are rather old, and are now in the process of being renovated or turned into other usable space. The contractor was warned of potential Mercury that could be in the old pipes. Unfortunately, when they dismantled the pipes, they did spill some of the Mercury that was trapped inside them. The spill was small enough, so that we could go in and clean up the contamination and provided guidance for the removal of the remaining piping.

In order to perform these cleanups, EHMM organizes monthly trainings for the EH&S Hazmat team and has organized tabletop discussions and exercises with outside agencies, as well. This year, we performed a Hazmat drill in Conte with local and regional authorities.

Contaminated Areas

EHMM oversees the monitoring and cleanup of University hazardous material sites on and off the Amherst Campus. Many sites can be cleaned up with minimal effort under the direction of EHMM and a Licensed Site Professional. Other sites cannot be completely cleaned up and have to be periodically monitored.

The following are some of the significant accomplishments for FY16:

Shipping of Hazardous Materials

EHMM provides services to ship dangerous goods and/or research samples both domestically and internationally. Shipments must comply with the DOT (ground) or IATA (air) regulations, and have the correct packaging, labels and bills of lading. Major improvements for this program included; resolving certain billing issues, and adding research affairs to help with the challenges of meeting export regulations. EH&S implemented ESHIP Global to further improve our handling and shipping of dangerous goods. A total of (259) packages were shipped via EShip Global during FY16.

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Design and Construction

EHMM is an integral part of the design and construction for new buildings and building renovations on campus. As mentioned earlier EHMM is involved in all environmental site assessments. EHMM also provides environmental health and safety comments during the design phase of projects and attends various construction meetings to provide EH&S oversight.

Some of the major projects that EHMM covered in FY16 include: the design and construction of new buildings to include the Physical Sciences Building, the Design Building, the renovation and addition to South College, Life Science Lab II fit out and the addition to the Isenberg School of Management and other renovations that are too numerous to list here.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & BUSINESS CONTINUITY

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM). This past year emergency preparedness programs at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst earned the University a “StormReady” designation from the National Weather Service - the first awarded to a public university in Massachusetts.

To be recognized as StormReady, a university must establish a twenty-four (24) hour warning point and emergency operations center: have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts, alert the public, create a system that monitors weather conditions locally, promote the importance of public readiness through seminars, and develop a formal hazardous weather plan which includes; training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

Local, state, federal and National Weather Service officials came to campus to conduct the on-site evaluation for the accreditation process. Participating campus units included; the Office of Emergency Management, Environmental Health and Safety, UMass Police Department, and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments.

During the assessment, UMass Amherst was recognized for its emergency preparedness program, 24-hour warning point capabilities for severe weather, and the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) Project, led by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments. The university was also praised for the ease of transition from severe weather events to all-hazards planning in its emergency preparedness program.

Grants

System-wide Active Threat Exercise

OEM applied for and received a grant for $131,200 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Office to conduct a System-wide Emergency Preparedness Functional Exercise that ran in March of 2016.

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The functional exercise promoted preparedness, validated plans, policies and procedures, the emergency notification system, and determined the effectiveness of the command, control and communication functions from a system, campus, local, regional and state-wide perspective. This was a multi-venue tabletop exercise at the five University of Massachusetts campus emergency operations centers (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, Medical School), and the President’s Office.

This is the first ever functional system-wide exercise. During the evaluation of the exercise areas of Strengths and areas of Improvements were noted for each campus and for the system, as a whole. With surplus grant funding, each campus and the President’s Office received video conferencing equipment that can be used in the campuses’ EOC’s.

Department of Higher-Ed Active Threat Grant

OEM submitted a grant application on behalf of the Department of Higher Education and was successful in receiving $100,000 funding to develop a customized Active Shooter video to enhance each of the twenty-nine (29) public higher education campuses current emergency preparedness programs by providing visual guidelines for students, staff and faulty to prepare for and survive an active shooter situation specifically designed for their individual campuses.

The five UMass campuses and the President’s Office are partnering with the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE), the fifteen (15) Community Colleges, and nine (9) State Universities on this grant to develop a video called “Preparing for and Surviving an Active Shooter Situation.”

Each of the (29) campuses in the public higher education system in Massachusetts, have a variety of emergency procedures, law enforcement training programs and emergency notification systems that help the campuses prepare for and respond to an active threat/shooter situation. UMass Amherst will be the lead agency on the planning and execution of this grant and the final development of the video training resource.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

In FY16, EOC was activated seven (7) different times for events big and small, planned and unplanned. This record of activations demonstrates the critical need to have a team ready, willing and able to respond at a moment’s notice.

The EOC Team meets quarterly to prepare for their respective roles with training exercises used to test the Campus Emergency Management Plan and the EOC Team’s specific objectives.

The University continues to partner with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for planning, training and incident response.

In collaboration with MEMA, OEM hosted a “Sport and Special Event Risk Management” training program that many campus and community partners attended. MEMA representatives routinely attend EOC activations and offer a link to the state’s resources when needed.

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Point of Distribution Exercise

OEM, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), conducted a Point of Dispensing (POD) exercise simulating a mass distribution of relief supplies.

The drill was aimed at preparing Western Massachusetts emergency staff for scenarios that might require the distribution of bottled water and pre-packaged food to communities in need. Volunteers from local community emergency response teams participated in the exercise, which involved the distribution of meals ready-to-eat (MRE’s), provided by FEMA.

After Action Direction

OEM frequently assists in the evaluation of incidents and responses on campus during “After Action Meetings,” even when the incident does not rise to the level of EOC operations. During FY16, there were a number of these venues ranging from facilities failures, construction incidents, weather-caused incidents, research laboratory-driven situations and a fire response that were reviewed. Acting as a third party, OEM can guide discussions while remaining an uninvolved party.

The benefits of this activity allows OEM to look from outside the situation and assist in identifying strengths, areas in need of improvement, and action items to guide the situation to a positive resolution. This exercise in data collection during an After Action Meeting also helped to gather, categorize and document the information discussed.

Interaction with faculty, staff and students

Throughout FY16, OEM tabled at the Campus Center to promote Emergency Preparedness and campaigned for students, faculty and staff to sign up for UMass Amherst Alerts. OEM also tabled at the UFest, U-Safe Fair and the annual Employee Health Fair. A campus Emergency Response Handbook was produced and over (25,000) copies have been given to faculty, staff, students and parents.

Working with UMPD, OEM provided programs to Residential Life Staff on Personal Emergency Preparedness and campus ENS that reached over two hundred (200) staff members. Active throughout the summer and winter break, OEM participated in on-going programs with the New Students’ Orientation fairs reaching hundreds of students and parents. The one-on-one interactions during these events provide discussion on personal emergency preparedness and the UMass Amherst Alerts.

OEM staff also provided Incident Command (ICS) and Emergency Preparedness training to UMEMS members and College of Nursing students in several different programs totaling nearly two hundred (200) people. OEM also partnered with the Medical Reserve Corps and University Health Services to provide MRC orientation training to upperclassman and second bachelor students in the College of Nursing. These totaled over one hundred-fifty (150) participants.

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Emergency Dispensing Site Exercises

OEM facilitated a Table Top Exercise with the Five College Consortium to allow the individual campuses of Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts, the opportunity to review and collaborate on individual and collection Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS) planning.

This Table Top allowed the planners from the campuses to discuss roles and resources, and to begin formulating how each facility would respond to an incident needing an EDS, and how each could help to support the other campuses.

This Table Top was the precursor to a larger functional exercise to test plans for a mass vaccination in the event of an outbreak within the student body.

The larger workshop/exercise was co-hosted by Environmental Health and Safety, the Office of Emergency Management, UMass Amherst’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and University Health Services (UHS).

More than three hundred-twenty five (325) volunteers and emergency response partners participated in the event, which simulated a large-scale vaccination clinic for a Meningitis outbreak.

During the program keynote speaker Robin Izzo from Princeton University, focused her presentation on the real life efforts there to vaccinate their student population during a Meningitis outbreak in 2014.

Campus affiliates were joined by regional planners and response agencies including: Western Massachusetts and Hampshire County MRC units, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Community Emergency Response Teams, Hope Therapy Animals, the Amherst and Hadley Health Departments, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, and the Hampshire Emergency Planning Committee.

The exercise was funded by the Hampshire Public Health Preparedness Coalition, the Western Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps and the University of Massachusetts.

Emergency Procedures on “Living at UMass” App

The Office of Emergency Management has partnered with Residential Life to include emergency procedures information on the popular app: “Living at UMass”. In this app, students can view interactive procedures for potential situations such as: an active threat, severe weather and fire. Additionally, it is possible to report an incident and to update emergency contact information through the app. It is our hope that students will use these resources to increase their level of preparedness.

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UMass EMS

In the non-employee injury category, the student run Emergency Medical Technician Unit and UMass Amherst EMS, cared for a number of sick or injured people at on-campus events throughout the year.

There were a total of (215) patient contacts in fiscal year 2016. A small decrease in numbers from the previous fiscal year 2015 figure of (259) patient contacts. A total of (59) requests for ambulance transport were initiated by UMass Amherst EMS. Also a small increase of the previous fiscal year’s number of (56). Fiscal Year 2015 yielded twenty-two percent (22%) transport, while FY2016 yielded a twenty-seven percent (27%) transport. It appears this increase in the transport percentage was generated by a very similar number of transports from FY15 to FY16 but, with a noticeable reduction in patient contacts not requiring transport.

The group worked (~450) events in this time period, varying in size from one (1) member standby shifts to twenty (20) member deployments. This fiscal year marked the continued use of the agency’s large event incident command structures at Mullins Center concerts, McGuirk Stadium football games and undergraduate commencement exercises. Continued training and use of this structure has led to nearly consistent and predictable patient contact data for these large scale events while minimizing the use of off-campus resources.

A chart of patient contacts by event category is presented in Figure 35. The data is further divided into Care-only Contacts (patient was treated and released) versus Transport Contacts (an ambulance was requested to transport the patient to a hospital). Due to the volume of patients from Men’s and Women’s Rugby, a separate category was created to clearly compare activity at these events.

The Mullins Center shows the highest volume in comparison to any other category, but do consider that this venue hosts the highest number of attendees per year, compared to any other category. The combined Rugby data shows that this sport created a similar amount of patient contacts as all other UMass Amherst EMS-covered athletic venues combined (excluding the Mullins Center), while demonstrating a reduction from the previous fiscal year (in FY15 Rugby numbers exceeded all other athletic venues).

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Figure 35 – Care of patients versus transport per venue.

While all other values in this data collection were very similar there was a marked reduction in the number of Care-only contacts at Commencement and Home Football Games. The reduction of these isolated values both lowered our total Patient Contacts and increased the Out-patients Transported percentage. It is believed that these two sets of events were directly affected by adverse weather, when compared to the same events in FY15.

Patients with minor medical complaints resulting in Care-only contacts, are more likely to leave the area than seek medical care on-site during inclement weather. It is also believed that if the weather had cooperated with these events our overall numbers for these categories would have been more in line with FY15.

The breakdown by complaint categories for this fiscal year did show some marked changes from FY15. The percentages of Fainting/Syncope and Minor Medical complaints were half of their FY15 values respectively (11% - 5% and 13% - 6%) while the percentage of Slip/Fall patients doubled (4% - 8%). There was also an increase in the percentage of Medical Emergency patients (51% - 60%).

The number of listed Alcohol/Drug Related cases appears low due to the use of updated ICD-10 Standard Chief Complaints by the EMT’s as required by the Department of Public Health regulations, where most intoxicated patients are labeled as “Altered Mental Status” and subsequently included in the Medical Emergency category. It is hoped that once the agency institutes an electronic patient care report to the system, this value will be more accurately tracked through NEMSIS/MATRIS data fields within the report.

UMass Amherst EMS at the request of Disability Services, continued to provide scheduled assistance in the Fine Arts Center. The group trained, scheduled and performed stair-chair services. The EMT’s primarily used the newly purchased electric-assist stair climber device for this purpose but, also used traditional EMS stair chair devices, as necessary.

This agency continued to provide valuable training to both its members and the campus community as a whole during FY16. Logged data shows a total of (823) students that received training in CPR, First Aid or EMT Level Continuing Education. The agency was able to log (1,519) person-hours spent training on current skills

Fine ArtsCommencement

RugbyStudentUnion

AthleticVenues

HomeFootballGames

MullinsCenter

OtherVenues

Transport 1 0 2 2 6 3 42 3

Care 4 5 11 2 12 13 105 4

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40

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140

160

# of patients

Care‐Only vs. Transports Divided by Venue for FY16

Care Transport

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and working towards renewal of their EMT certifications. Often times, these classes were open and shared with area public safety partners, including but not limited to: the Amherst, Hadley, Leverett, Shutesbury, Granby, and South Hadley Fire Departments, as well as, the UMass and Amherst College Police Departments.

Table 14 – EMT type of treatment percentages.

The off campus reach of UMass Amherst EMS was larger than previous years. Volunteers from the agency participated in providing medical coverage to both the Boston Marathon and Head of the Charles events. Members continued to be active with the National Collegiate EMS Foundation, sending delegations to conferences in both Boston and Philadelphia.

The conferences allowed the members to network with other collegiate EMS services, train under leaders from the EMS profession, and provide lectures to other attendees on large scale event management on college campuses. All of this was achieved while still providing well over (2,000) volunteer hours to shift coverage, event preparation and equipment maintenance on-campus.

UMass Amherst EMS continues to provide a valuable service to the campus community at both large and small scale events. The group had focused this year on; updating equipment to better meet the pre-hospital care needs for patrons at campus events, more in-depth training for skill mastery, and outreach to the community and area public safety partners. Student groups, departments and outside agencies holding events on campus recognize the cost effective option UMass Amherst EMS offers to provide for the emergency medical needs of their planned activities and the consistent, positive results from those services.

Sports injury18%

Fainting/Syncope5%

Minor Medical6%

Slip/Fall8%

Alcohol/Drug Related3%

Medical Emergency60%

FY16 EMT TREATMENTS AT EVENTS (215 TOTAL)

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52

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