Sonoma State University

Campus-wide Safety Committee Meeting Minutes June 3, 2021

Minutes

  1. Meeting was called to order at 9:02 AM. Review of minutes from previous month were approved as written at 9:04 AM.
  2. Dennis Goss, whom works for the University as an Academic Scheduler, was introduced as the president of the CSUEU when Gina retires.
  3. Accident & Near Miss Review (Workers’ Compensation)
    1. Celeste was not present to report to the Council, however Ruth was aware of two incidents in May, one of which was a back strain.
    2. Ruth mentioned that EH&S will be conducting informal accident investigations utilizing an approved format.
  4. Standing reports:
    1. Sonoma State Police Department
      1. Sergeant Karl Mortenson reported police activity for May. There was a vandalism incident, a DUI, an illegal fire to roast crawdads, a fire in the wood chips by Beaujolais that the SSPD had out before the FD arrived, and some disturbing phone calls placed to admissions and the child care center.
      2. Bicycle abatement has begun on campus; abandoned bikes have been tagged and beginning on June 14th they will be removed from campus and consolidated for eventual permanent disposal.
    2. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
      1. The updated Asbestos Management Plan is available on the EH&S website. There are instructions for Class III maintenance work that was not in the previous plan.
      2. Safety Topics are now available for use on the EH&S website. Two Safety Topics were introduced during today’s meeting; Electrical Safety and Walking/Working surfaces. Ruth mentioned that electrical safety is very important to take note of as many areas are daisy-chaining power strips and using extension cords as permanent solutions, which increase load on circuits and can cause a fire.
      3. There is an app for phones that will tell you the current heat index and advise as to how work should be adjusted based on the heat index.
      4. Roof Safety will be going on the EH&S website.
      5. Chris Angle reported that the Hazmat Business Plan was reduced by a few lines of material based on bulk waste getting removed from campus during the recent lab pack. This is good because the campus has to show waste minimalization is occurring in a progressive manner. He encouraged everyone to assess their area and work with him to schedule pickup for everything that is no longer needed. Ruth mentioned that chemical storage of materials over 10 years old should be eliminated. The Biology Department has already taken that step.
      6. Chris mentioned that the electronic Annual Report (eAR) for the drinking water distribution system has been submitted, and acknowledged the BSE’s for their hard work.
    3. Facilities Management
      1. Dana Twedell reported that monthly Corp Yard Safety Meetings were going to be initiated.
      2. Dana also mentioned that the new Fire Marshall has been inspecting buildings, finding ~40 lines of violations per building. Most of the violations are for clutter, storage of items in aisles, blocked exits etc. He mentioned that materials stacked above eye level must be seismically braced and have 14” of clearance below fire sprinklers.
      3. Ruth mentioned that the campus Fire Safety program would be published in the near future.
      4. Missy mentioned that EMS wants to partner with Facilities and RMSS to develop protocols restricting personal items from work areas that violate Fire Safety standards.
    4. Student Affairs
      1. Ryan Henne mentioned that the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) team was on hiatus until the Fall. He mentioned that the Care team would be sharing information on support efforts from last year in July.
      2. Michael Eynon asked about medicine storage at the SHC during PSPS, some students were concerned about medicine remaining in their refrigerators without power. Several entities assured him that the SHC would store medicine for students when needed.
      3. Mike Hazen mentioned that the SHC should stock more needles in case students need them.
      4. Michael Enyon mentioned that he received a collaboration award, and acknowledged the Campus Safety Committee for their assistance.
    5. CSUEU/Teamsters
      1. Nothing to report.
    6. Emergency Services
      1. Missy Brunetta discussed OSHA’s approval of State COVID plans, below are some talking points
        1. The state is largely re-opening on June 15th, hopefully outdoor mask requirements will be alleviated.
        2. Indoor mask use, to some capacity, will likely continue at least until July 31st. There is talk of making mask use linked to vaccination status, and the group could see many things wrong with that approach.
        3. Plexi-glass barriers will most likely be okay to remove on July 31st. Dana mentioned that would only give Facilities 2 weeks to remove all of those barriers before the campus re-opens.
      2. No change to the hybrid-remote work model is expected at this time
      3. If the AQI exceeds 100 ppm based on fires, that will trump COVID protocols wherever conflicts might emerge. The University no longer has a supply of masks for the students, the small inventory remaining would be prioritized for employees.
  5. New Business / Roundtable Discussion
    1. Ruth mentioned monthly inspections of the Corp Yard would be implemented soon, with a goal of completing safety related work orders within 5 days.
    2. Missy mentioned that a controlled burn was being planned on Petaluma Hill Road by Rancho Adobe Fire. SGT Mortenson asked that SSPD be kept in the loop.