Overview

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office is responsible for planning and recommending programs that adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Environmental Health and Safety office is governed by UNC System Policy Chapter 300, Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) Model Programs, Chancellor’s Statement, and EHS Policy 703 with the following responsibilities:

  • Act as the institutional liaison with the UNC System Office, North Carolina Department of Labor (NC DOL) Occupational Safety and Health, and OSHR on matters relevant to the scope of responsibility.
  • Prepare a campus safety and health plan, in accordance with the standards and requirements of the NC DOL, G.S. 143-582, and the OSHR Workplace Requirements for Safety and Health. This plan shall be shared at least annually with the institutional board of trustees.
  • Conduct periodic risk assessments of institutional operations to ensure that occupational health and safety hazards are assessed and that hazards are mitigated.
  • Prepare such reports and maintain such records as required by the System Office, NC DOL, and OSHR.
  • Provide assistance to supervisors for implementation of environmental health and safety programs in their areas.  
  • Maintain appropriate accident records and publish such reports as may be required or deemed necessary.  
  • Curtail or stop work posing a clear and imminent danger to the health or safety of the University community.  
  • Perform workplace inspections, review injury and accident records, support training initiatives, review specific departmental training records, and perform other appropriate functions as required.  Periodic findings on all of the above will be reported to the Health and Safety Committee.  
  • Serve as a resource person to departments in the interpretation of standards as they affect each of the workplaces on campus, making recommendations for the most expeditious and economical means to bring the areas into compliance.
  • Prepare each calendar year an annual report summarizing the significant activities and accomplishments of the department.

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

The EHS program is designed to provide not only a safe and healthy working, teaching and learning environment, but also an atmosphere of safety and health awareness through training and employee and student involvement.  To be effective, the program must be proactive and must embody the proper attitudes toward injury and illness prevention on the part of all members of the University community.  Traditional EHS management approaches are often reactive – that is, problems are addressed only after a major catastrophic event, new standard or regulatory agency inspection.  At Charlotte, we recognize that identifying and remediating hazards before they cause injury or illness is a far more effective approach.  Therefore, we focus on the following management practices:

  • Leadership Commitment
  • Worker Participation
  • Hazard Identification and Assessment
  • Hazard Prevention and Control
  • Education and Training
  • Program Evaluation and Improvement
  • Communication and Coordination

The EHS office is divided into seven (7) operational teams focused on implementing the management practices. The teams are listed below:

  • Administration
  • Program Support & Outreach
  • Environmental & Contractor Safety 
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Health & Safety  
  • Injury Prevention
  • Laboratory & Research Safety 

Prevent harm to the ENVIRONMENT    –   Promote better HEALTH     –    Protect your SAFETY

Because we care about people, property, and the environment.