EIU Office for Environmental Health & Safety

EHS Committee Operational Guidelines

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Environmental Health and Safety Committee

Operating Guidelines

(Approved by Environmental Health and Safety Committee April 12, 2005 – with changes suggested by JLC)

•  NAME

This committee shall be known as the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Committee.

•  PURPOSE

Eastern Illinois University Internal Governing Policy (IGP) Number 156 provides for various aspects of campus safety. The policy states that:

“The University Safety Officer, through the Vice President for Business Affairs, shall develop recommendations as needed pertaining to these responsibilities for consideration by appropriate officials and bodies.”

The Environmental Health and Safety Committee exists to promote a safe and healthy campus environment by advising and assisting the University Safety Officer in identifying health and safety risks to the campus community in a manner consistent with responsible environmental and fiscal stewardship. More specifically, the EHS Committee is established to represent university-wide constituencies and meet the following objectives:

•  Provide a forum for the free exchange of information related to campus health and safety issues at Eastern Illinois University;

•  Review existing environmental health and safety related policies and make advisory recommendations to the University Safety Officer for revised and/or new policies;

•  Review environmental health and safety incident reports and compiled incident data and make recommendations to the University Safety Officer as appropriate;

•  Assist the University Safety Officer in providing information to the campus related to health and safety issues/concerns.

•  MEMBERSHIP

Given that the Environmental Health and Safety Committee is established to represent university-wide constituencies on matters related to campus health and safety, the following provisions for membership are made:

•  Membership of the EHS Committee shall be composed of individuals who are interested in, knowledgeable about, and/or have responsibility for matters related to campus health and safety. Regular attendance and active participation is expected of all members.

•  University-wide constituencies shall be represented with Committee members as follows by area and appointing authority:

•  President's Area - 1 representative (President)

•  University Safety Officer (VP for Business Affairs)

•  Academic Affairs - 1 representative (VP for Academic Affairs)

•  Deans' Council - 1 representative (Council of Deans)

•  College of Sciences - 1 representative (Dean, COS)

•  Facilities Planning and Management - 1 representative (Director, FP&M)

•  Student Affairs - Student Health Services (Director, Health Services)

•  Student Affairs - University Police (Chief Public Safety Officer)

•  Student Affairs - 1 representative (VP for Student Affairs)

•  Business Affairs - 1 representative (VP for Business Affairs)

•  External Relations - 1 representative (VP for External Relations)

•  Faculty Senate (Chair, Faculty Senate)

•  Staff Senate (Chair, Staff Senate)

•  Student Senate (Speaker, Student Senate)

•  Additional persons may be invited as consultants to the committee by the University Safety Officer as needed to address special health and safety concerns.

•  All members are appointed annually and shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority without limitation on the number of re-appointments. The University Safety Officer shall make recommendations to the appointing authority regarding appointments or reappointments.

•  MEETINGS

•  The University Safety Officer shall establish a regular meeting time for the EHS Committee. It is expected that the Committee shall meet once a month during the regular academic year. The University Safety Officer may call special meetings and/or cancel meetings as warranted.

•  In order to have a meeting, at least seven (7) members must be in attendance.

•  The University Safety Officer will serve as Chair of the Committee.

•  A final agenda for each meeting will be determined by the Chair and provided one week in advance of the scheduled meeting time. Committee members may submit agenda items to the Chair for consideration prior to the distribution of the final agenda one week in advance of each meeting.

•  Minutes of each EHS Committee meeting shall be provided the Committee membership, the Vice President for Business Affairs, and posted on the web.

•  COMMITTEES

The Environmental Health and Safety Committee may establish sub-committees as needed to focus on special issues.

•  RECOMMEDED CHANGES

Recommended changes to the “Meetings,” “Committees,” and “Amendments” sections of these Operating Guidelines may be forward to the Vice President for Business Affairs with the approval of three-fifths of the Committee members. (The name, purpose and membership of the EHS Committee are established in accordance with EIU IGP Number 156 by the University Safety Office through the Vice President for Business Affairs.)