Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Committee

Purpose

The EHS Committee represents University departments regarding health and safety issues and advises MSU senior leadership.  The Committee supports the work of SRM and ORC toward these goals and strives to develop a positive attitude toward safety in the faculty, staff, and students.

Committee Duties
The University EHS Committee:

1. Reviews and/or recommends updates to the institutional EHS Policy;
2. Reviews and/or recommends the adoption of programs that fall under the EHS Policy and are related to Occupational Health and Safety;
3. Reviewing occupational injury and illness records to identify and communicate lessons learned and to prevent recurrence;
4. Advising the University’s senior leadership on the status of EHS programs and their needs; and
5. Communicating EHS information to University departments.

Relationship to Other Committees

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) oversees focused EHS Committees including the Institutional Animal Care and Use, Biosafety, Institutional Biosafety, and Radiation Safety Committees.  ORC Programs have developed appropriate polices, standards and procedures to ensure a safe and compliant environment in these areas of research and study.

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) and Safety & Risk Management (SRM) also oversee the Laboratory Safety Advisory Board that meets semi-annually to inform and advise MSU leadership on issues surrounding holistic laboratory safety.

These entities operate exclusively to the institutional EHS Committee, but updates from them are shared with the institutional committee as needed, and vice versa.

Membership

Membership is intended to represent the broader campus community, with at least six (6) members from campus departments who are involved in campus safety, who have expressed an interest in membership, and/or who are recommended by the committee.

Ex-officio members shall also be appointed by each of the following University functional areas: Safety and Risk Management, Internal Audit, Office of Legal Counsel, Human Resources, Student Success, and Facilities.

• Chair:              Mary Cloninger (appointed/elected)
• Vice Chair:      Director of Safety & Risk Management (ex officio role)

Meeting

• Meetings are held quarterly, typically February, May, August, and November.