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UNION-MANAGEMENT SAFETY COMMITTEE

April 2024 Meeting Minutes

The monthly meeting of the Union-Management Safety Committee was conducted on April 9^th, 2024 by the Environmental Health and Safety department with the following individuals in attendance:

Kathy Cain-Babbitt     A                     AFSCME

Cory Ghiringhelli        A                     Environmental Health and Safety

Mark Heeres               A                     Dining Services           

Devin Johnson            A                     Maintenance Services

Keith Pung                  A                     Environmental Health and Safety

Judy Slumkoski           A                     Custodial Services

Vince Renda               A                     Maintenance Services

Laura Weber               VA                  Legal Affairs, Risk, and Compliance

Mark Weiss                 A                     Environmental Health and Safety      

In-Person Attendance:        (A)

Virtual Attendance:            (VA)

OLD BUSINESS

Vince Renda provided an update to the safety concern regarding condition of large trees near the parking lot located west of the Goldsworth Valley I complex.  A recent near-miss accident involved a fallen tree which struck and severely damaged a parked Maintenance Services vehicle.  An employee was outside of the building and in close proximity at the time of the incident; fortunately, no personal injuries were incurred.  The fallen tree was cleaned up but it appeared that no further action was taken at that time.  Vince requested that a safety assessment be performed of the trees which surround the parking lot and nearby pedestrian areas.  Darrell stated that Tom Sauber and Devin Johnson have been effectively working through the situation.  A thorough inspection of the area was performed by an arborist which resulted in a recommendation of additional trees being removed.  A large tree adjacent to the vehicle parking area was scheduled to be cut down on the 3/12/24.  Additional trees, located deeper into the wooded area, were also identified for removal. Vince shared that some of the smaller trees have been removed but that a bigger work crew / equipment is needed for the larger trees. 

Devin Johnson provided an update to the safety concern involving access to overhead mounted air handling units located in the Paper Pilot Plant.  Vince Renda previously stated that air handling units 1 and 2 are suspended from the ceiling and do not have a catwalk leading to them.  An articulating aerial lift is kept stored in the Paper Plant or the loading dock of Floyd Hall that would facilitate safe access to the mechanical equipment, but operations within the Paper Plant would need to be paused to allow for usage.  Committee discussions involved potential installation of a catwalk system or communication between Maintenance Services and the Paper Plant regarding temporary interruption of operations.  Devin, along with other UMSC members met onsite and determined that installation of a catwalk was the most appropriate and safe method moving forward.  Devin advised that Maintenance Services has engaged talks with a contractor on the topic and are currently awaiting approval for a purchase order prior to moving forward with procurement and installation. 

Devin Johnson provided an update to the safety concern involving damage to walking/structural components of the Ellsworth Hall parking structure (#1) and associated crossover walkway.  Deteriorated concrete elements of the building structure were recently observed by Landscape Services personnel, who forwarded along photographic documentation of the situation.  Devin stated that the areas of disrepair will be worked on during parking structure repair efforts that are scheduled for some time in May. 

PROJECT LIST/TABLE 

No updates.

NEW BUSINESS

Judy Slumkoski introduced a safety concern regarding the prevalence of birds and bird feces in the Seeyle Center. Judy mentioned that the large exterior overhead doors are being left open resulting in birds entering the facility.  Accumulated feces have been observed on the catwalk and other elevated building components; these materials present a possible pathogenic hazard for building occupants and student athletes.  Mark Weiss will investigate, work with University Athletics in developing a mitigation plan, and provide a follow up.

SAFETY HAPPENINGS

Cory Ghiringhelli stated that tornado drills in occupied residence halls were recently completed; the last academic year fire drills are upcoming and 1 fire drill will be conducted this summer in occupied residence halls. He also expressed appreciation to Devin Johnson of Maintenance Services for helping resolve an issue with the fire alarm system located in Spindler Hall.  Cory relayed the concerns he received to Devin, who then immediately coordinated repair efforts with the alarm system contractor. 

Vince Renda mentioned that Landscape Services are in the process of ensuring their personnel have high-visibility articles of clothing that are to be worn when working in/near active roadways. 

Mark Weiss encouraged all personnel to stay vigilant and practice high situational awareness. Recent communications from MIOSHA indicate a high prevalence of “struck-by” injuries and fatalities.  Mark expressed the importance of watching students and others not paying attention when on their cell phones. 

Mark Heeres mentioned that building emergency signs that indicate fire evacuation routes and tornado sheltering locations have not been installed in The Student Center. 

Keith Pung shared that the National Safety Council recognizes Distracted Driving Awareness during the month of April.  Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an annual observance held each year highlighting that thousands of people are killed and hundreds of thousands more are seriously injured in distracted driving crashes each year.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 3,308 people died in distraction-affected crashes in 2022.  Being an attentive and alert driver can help prevent crashes that lead to unintentional injury and death. With the wide use of smartphones in the United States, distracted driving has become an important traffic safety topic. While cell phones and navigation devices often are the culprit when it comes to distracted driving, conventional distractions such as interacting with passengers and eating also contribute to crashes.  Further information can be found at: .

The next UMSC meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 14^th, 2024 in the shared conference room located on the ground floor of the E.W. Building at 10:00 a.m.; an invitation to attend via video conferencing platform (WebEx) will also be sent out with these minutes.  Please send a substitute representative if you are unable to attend.

Published: 4/30/2024