2.8.11 Occupational Safety and Health Policies

Ithaca College is dedicated to providing a safe and healthy working environment and promoting environmentally responsible practices in all college activities. This policy ensures the systematic integration of safety and environmental considerations into every aspect of college operations. It applies to all members of the college community, including contractors whose work is directed daily by college employees.

To achieve this standard of excellence, Ithaca College will implement management initiatives and best practices that incorporate safety and environmental considerations into all college activities. The college will comply with all applicable safety and environmental protection laws, regulations, and requirements, ensuring that college activities protect students, faculty, staff, visitors, the public, property, and the environment. Additionally, Ithaca College will maintain a comprehensive safety and health program aimed at preventing injuries, illnesses, environmental incidents, and property losses or damage. This program will include training, hazard assessments, inspections, corrective actions, record keeping, committee establishment, communication, and enforcement of work practices and rules. Achieving this goal is the responsibility of every member of the college community, with supervisors and managers having particular responsibility for the activities of their direct reports.

This policy must be clearly communicated to all members of the college community and college contractors. College expectations and commitments are outlined through various policies, procedures, guidelines, notices, and contract specifications. The format for communicating specific expectations may vary depending on the nature and severity of the hazards involved in the activities. Effective safety management relies on setting objectives and tracking performance to ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental requirements. The following safety principles are designed to guide safe practices from the planning stages through to the execution of activities

  • Safety management is founded on individual responsibility for safety and environmental stewardship. Supervisors and managers at all levels must demonstrate a commitment to implementing and sustaining all safety elements. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors support safety by understanding and applying these principles in their activities at the college. Everyone is directly responsible for their own safety and for promoting a safe, healthy, and environmentally sound workplace and community.
  • College employees who direct the activities of others are responsible for protecting faculty, staff, students, visitors, the public, and the environment, and for adhering to this policy. Accountability should be incorporated into job descriptions, performance evaluations, and contracts.
  • The college will establish clear and unambiguous lines of authority and responsibility for ensuring safety and environmental protection at all organizational levels within the college, including with college contractors.
  • Supervisors and managers will ensure that employees possess the necessary experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities to fulfill their safety and environmental responsibilities.
  • The college will allocate resources to address safety and environmental protection in all college activities. Protecting faculty, staff, students, visitors, the public, and the environment is a priority whenever activities are planned and performed.
  • Before conducting any activity with potential adverse implications for safety or the environment, a responsible party must evaluate the associated hazards and environmental impacts and identify the appropriate protective measures. This ensures the protection of faculty, staff, students, visitors, the public, and the environment. The principal responsibility for such evaluations lies with employees, supervisors, and managers. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety is available for consultation and will assist with identifying and implementing appropriate requirements, controls, and standards.
  • The college will implement a program of external communications, public participation, and stakeholder involvement to obtain safety-related input from interested parties, including regulatory agencies, funding organizations, local community groups, students, alumni, and emergency response agencies. This program will establish a safety communications network to address compliance and emergency situations.
  • The college will adopt engineering and administrative controls to prevent and mitigate hazards and environmental impacts. The strategy will focus on designing activities and controls to reduce or eliminate accidents, injuries, exposure, and unplanned releases of harmful substances into the environment.

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety will publish and maintain information, guidelines, and implementing instructions online, at https://www.ithaca.edu/public-safety-and-emergency-management/environmental-health-and-safety. These resources will cover each set of specific safety principles outlined in this policy.

Updated: January 28, 2025