This agreement establishes the level of technical support provided by the Risk Management Department. It identifies the roles and responsibilities of the Risk Management staff in regards to general environmental health and safety concerns; workers’ compensation; and waste handling and disposal. This agreement will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary.

General Environmental Health and Safety Concerns

The Risk Management staff provides consultation services and guidance in addressing environmental health and safety concerns. Examples of such concerns are:

  • Regulatory Requirements: OSHA, EPA, DOT, etc.

  • Hazard Identification: Incident Investigations, Asbestos Assessments, Training Resources, Root Cause Analysis, etc.

  • Risk Containment: PPE selection, EHS Policy Development, Employee Management, etc.

  • Chemical Handling and Safety Data Sheets.

Workers’ Compensation

If a staff member is injured while at work, no matter how slightly, the injury must be reported immediately to your immediate supervisor and then the supervisor should contact the Office of Risk Management.

The Workers' Compensation system is in place to make sure that employees are protected by insurance, if they are injured on the job or contract a work-related illness. The Risk Management staff will be a liaison between the injured employee and the workers’ compensation insurance provider. The Risk Management staff will provide support to departments in conducting incident investigations and developing containment plans to address the root cause of incidents or injuries. The following steps outline the process for addressing an incident resulting in injury to an employee with step owner responsibility listed:

  1. Contain the incident scene to prevent injury to others. (supervisor or coworker)

  2. Access the injury and provide initial treatment. If the injury is severe call 911. (self medicate, supervisor, first responder)

  3. Conduct on-site investigation of the event listing facts of the event. (supervisor - note: Risk Management can assist if requested)

  4. If outside medical treatment is needed or requested by injured employee, notify Chris Smith in Risk Management to coordinate. The employee’s supervisor should provide details of the injury causing event to aid in the processing of workers’ compensation paperwork. (supervisor)

  5. Employee will complete the Workers Compensation Packet. (Risk Management)

  6. Risk Management will file a claim with the workers compensation insurance provider and coordinate medical treatment directly with the employee or through the employee’s supervisor. (Risk Management)

Hazardous, Non-Hazardous, and Universal Waste Management

The Risk Management staff will assist the labs and Plant Physical Services in the disposal of hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste, and universal waste. Each waste type (referred to as a waste stream) is evaluated and/or tested by a disposal vendor to determine waste classification. This waste data is listed on a waste profile. Each waste generated for disposal by a waste vendor must have a waste stream profile. Risk Management will assist in obtaining a waste profile through a disposal vendor for any new wastes. Risk Management can schedule the pickup of existing waste streams through a disposal vendor. Risk Management will provide consultation on the handling and packaging of waste streams per Department of Transportation guidelines for pickup of waste. When a new waste stream is identified or assistance is needed on how to dispose of a waste, contact Chris Smith at ctsmith@sewanee.edu. Each department or lab that generates waste is responsible for:

  • keeping an accurate inventory of the waste on hand and amount generated by month;

  • packaging the waste for shipment according to disposal vendor guidelines; and

  • labeling the waste for shipment as required by DOT.

Risk Management will work with individual departments and labs to coordinate the pickup of waste in a timely manner.