To provide a structure to monitor and assess, as well as protect, promote, and maintain the public, environmental, and occupational health of students, employees, and visitors to campus.
Policy:
Policy
The Environmental and Occupational Health Unit of University Health Services:
Acts as an agent of Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) for the University of Wisconsin under Wisconsin Statutes 254.47 and 254.69 by providing licensing, inspection, and enforcement of all public health regulations involving food-service venues, recreational/educational camps, swimming pools, and lodging facilities owned or leased by UW–Madison. This policy, authorized by the Vice Chancellor for Administration, shall be considered the local public health ordinance as required under chapter 254.69(2) (g) Wisconsin Statutes.
Oversees policies, procedures and programs to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state environment, health and safety codes as well as accreditation agency requirements.
Coordinates with the Occupational Medicine Program on delivery of workplace health services, workplace health surveillance, review and development of medical response plans and post-exposure follow up.
Provides guidance to campus safety committees to develop campus policies regarding the monitoring and assurance of campus occupational, health & safety performance.
Advise campus leadership on risks and risk mitigation strategies.
Facilitates necessary actions to prevent the occurrence of illness or injury at UW–Madison and associated facilities. Such action may include ceasing work operations where an imminent threat to public health is determined.
Supports and promotes that students with exposures to hazards will be afforded the same training and health services as employees with similar exposures would receive.
Uses the most current edition Threshold Limit Values of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in evaluating suitability of workplace exposures at campus facilities.
UW–Madison Occupational Health Surveillance Policies and Procedures
Coordinated by: Director of Environmental & Occupational Health Reviewed: new Revised: new , replacing 8.02A Environmental Health Program Approved by ELC: August 2014
Procedure:
The Environmental and Occupational Health Unit will provide environmental & occupational health services as WI DHS agent and per federal OSHA and WI SPS public employee safety and health regulations.
The Environmental Health Program issues permits to inspect and regulate food service facilities, recreational/educational camps, public swimming pools, lodging facilities and vending machines which are part of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus.
Establish and maintain systems of foodborne illness prevention and control. Functions include, but are not limited to, inspection of all campus food service units and vending machines, food protection/sanitation training, investigation of suspected foodborne illness outbreaks, and review of new food service unit construction and remodeling plans. Enforce Wisconsin Administrative Code DHS 196 pertaining to food licensed food service facilities.
Conduct water quality surveillance and protection of campus drinking water supplies, swimming pools, beaches, cooling towers/evaporators, and indoor water features. Enforce Wisconsin Administrative Code DHS 172 pertaining to operation and maintenance of licensed swimming pools.
License and inspect campus guest lodging facilities associated with campus conference centers. Conduct health and sanitation surveys of campus residence halls. Enforce Wisconsin Administrative Code DHS 195 pertaining to licensed lodging facilities.
Issue permits and inspect all on-campus recreational/educational youth camps, ensuring compliance with and enforcing Wisconsin Administrative Code DHS 175.
Oversee implementation of the Personal Protective Equipment, Respiratory Protection, Hearing Conservation and Bloodborne Pathogens Programs for UW–Madison and associated facilities.
Coordinate the implementation of job hazard assessment for campus employees.
Coordinate with the Occupational Medicine Program on the provision of medical response plans, pre and post-exposure health services and respirator fit testing services to employees and students who are required to don respirators for work or class.
Provide ergonomic showroom, training and assessment services to campus employees. Make recommendations for proper work station design and operation.
Provide employee exposure monitoring and follow-up on indoor air quality concerns from facilities where University of Wisconsin–Madison employees are working.
Evaluate and test engineering controls designed for personnel protection of students and employees including but not limited to quantitative exposure testing of chemical fume hoods, snorkels, dust collectors, and canopy hoods.
Provide training, outreach and technical advice for maintaining a safe and healthful workplace to the campus community.
Review workers compensation and exposure incident reports from UW–Madison Risk Management for occupational health indicators.
Perform audits of potential storm-water runoff pollutions sources on campus property.
Perform a regular program review of the campus occupational health program with the Occupational Health Committee.
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
