Berkeley Logo Human Resources, University of California, Berkeley

Site Map

·Home· About Us/
Contact		 ·Benefits· ·Careers· ·Compensation· ·Contracts· ·HRMS· Perf Mgt ·Policies· ·Resources· Staff Equity ·Training·

Managers, Supervisors and HR Professionals

Guide to Managing Human Resources

Chapter 17: Health and Safety

Contents
Summary

The campus is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for its faculty, staff, and students. You play a special role in making sure this commitment is carried out. You are the front-line expert who best knows your workplace, the employees, and the demands they face. Therefore, you play a critical role in identifying possible health and safety problems in your workplace.

You are a key link to campus resources which have been set up to handle workplace health and safety issues. While you are not expected to know everything about workplace health and safety issues, you should know when and how to use campus resources.

You are a role model and motivator for employees in your department. The importance you place on workplace health and safety issues is conveyed to them by your actions as well as your words.

Guiding Principles

Your goals in health and safety are to:

  • Foster a safe and healthy work environment by providing training and proper equipment and by modeling and rewarding safe and healthy work practices
  • Prevent injuries and illnesses to reduce the human and financial costs associated with Workers' Compensation, disability, and health care
  • Recruit and retain the best employees by being a supervisor who cares about the well-being of faculty and staff
University Health Services

The goals of the University Health Services for Faculty and Staff (UHS) are to protect and improve the health of campus faculty and staff and to promote a healthy work environment that supports the University's mission. The UHS provides consultation to the campus administration on campus policies that promote a safe and healthy work environment, as well as preventive services, direct treatment, and disability management for employees through the Occupational Health Clinic (OHC), CARE Services for Faculty and Staff, HEALTH*MATTERS, Workers' Compensation, and Vocational Rehabilitation. (See also Chapter 18, Disability Management.)

Occupational Health Clinic

The Occupational Health Clinic provides these direct treatment and preventive services to employees:

  • Consultation on campus health problems, including environmental, occupational, ergonomic, and general health concerns
  • Urgent medical care and ongoing treatment for work-related injuries and illnesses at no charge to the employee
  • Periodic medical screening and immunization programs for employees who are exposed to potential health risks on the job
  • Medical consultations for individuals with medical concerns related to laboratory and other exposures
  • Specific screening and training programs on occupational health issues, such as hearing conservation

The Occupational Health Clinic is located on the second floor of the University Health Services-Tang Center, 2222 Bancroft Way.

Your Role
  • Learn about occupational health issues relevant to your workplace.
  • Assess potential health risks at your workplace regularly and act promptly to correct hazardous situations in accordance with your department's Injury and Illness Prevention Program (see Environment, Health and Safety in this chapter).
  • Discuss workplace health and safety issues at staff meetings.
  • Provide health and safety training for your department.
  • Ensure that employees participate in medical screening and immunization programs applicable to their jobs.
  • Assure employees get appropriate medical treatment for work-related injuries and illnesses.

See Chapter 18, Disability Management, Workers' Compensation for more information on what to do if an employee is injured on the job. If an employee is seen at the OHC, be sure to follow the instructions on the Medical Evaluation for Work forms. If you have questions regarding these instructions, contact the Occupational Health Clinic clinician.

Consult with the Occupational Health Clinic in special circumstances, such as:

  • If an employee's medical problem may be causing a health or safety hazard
  • If there may be a need for medical evaluation of a problem that is impairing job performance
Questions and Answers
Can employees come to the Occupational Health Clinic or University Health Services for medical care that is not work-related?

Employees should see their own health care provider for health care problems that are not work-related, except in the following situations:

  • Medical Emergencies: For life-threatening medical emergencies, such as a heart attack, dial 9-911 from a campus telephone to arrange transport to the nearest emergency room.
  • Urgent Care: The University Health Services is available for urgent first aid for anyone on the Berkeley campus, including faculty, staff, visitors, contract employees, and others. People receiving emergency first aid care that is not related to University employment will be seen on a fee-for-service basis.
  • Health Net: The UHS is also available by appointment to UC faculty and staff Health Net members who have previously selected a UHS doctor as their Personal Care Physician.
CARE Services for Faculty and Staff

CARE Services is the employee assistance program. CARE offers a wide range of services to faculty, staff, and their family members.

Counseling: CARE offers free, confidential counseling on a variety of issues, including work and personal stress, emotional issues, family and relationship difficulties, elder care concerns, substance abuse problems, and pressures resulting from financial and legal matters.

CARE counselors are a diverse group of licensed professionals, and they include an experienced Elder Care specialist and a Spanish-speaking counselor. All counseling services are strictly confidential and absolutely voluntary.

Consultation: CARE assists managers, supervisors, Deans, Directors, and other campus representatives who are concerned about someone at work. The concern may be related to job performance, working relationships, personal problems, or traumatic events.

Education and Training: CARE offers workshops on numerous topics, including those scheduled each semester (open to all faculty and staff) and those conducted in response to specific requests from departments. CARE also sponsors brown bag lunch programs and speaker series on personal, work-related, and family issues.

Groups: CARE can facilitate educational groups to assist individuals and work groups to understand and cope with reorganization, illness, death, or other significant events. CARE also offers support groups to provide peer support to participants with shared concerns.

CARE Services is located in the Tang Center, University Health Services, 2222 Bancroft Way, Room 3100. For more information, contact CARE Services at 643-7754 or visit the CARE Web site.

Your Role
Because CARE counseling services are strictly voluntary, it is important to educate your staff about CARE’s free, confidential counseling program. Display publicity materials about CARE Services and keep a supply of CARE Services’ brochures available. Encourage staff to seek help for personal and interpersonal problems as you would any other problem or concern.

Consult with CARE Services’ staff when you have concerns about an employee. Your role is to help support employees with personal problems, but don’t confuse this with personal counseling. Supervisors can undermine their effectiveness by diagnosing or counseling an employee or by lowering standards or expectations to address performance concerns by. CARE Service’s licensed counselors can help you to effectively support and manage employees facing personal or work-related problems.

Consider the needs of other employees affected by a co-worker in need of assistance, or affected by a significant event. Consult a CARE counselor about what services can be provided. For example, CARE can provide grief counseling to co-workers following a medical diagnosis or death of an employee, or workshops on change and transition following major unit reorganizations.

How the Service Works
Counseling Services

Any UCB faculty member, staff person, or their family members may call CARE Services for an appointment. Meeting times are typically available the same day or within three working days, and urgent/emergency situations are responded to immediately. Appointments are available during normal business hours, during lunch hours, and immediately before and after work. There is no charge for meeting with a CARE counselor.

All counseling services are strictly confidential according to the law. CARE offers one to three sessions to clarify and assess problems; resolve problems through short-term counseling as indicated; and refer individuals to community and health plan resources if specialized or longer-term help is needed.

Assessment: CARE counselors assist in clarifying issues, prioritizing immediate concerns, and developing an approach to resolving the problem(s).

Short-Term Counseling: CARE provides short-term problem-solving services when it appears that the concern(s) can be alleviated or resolved within 3 sessions. These sessions are free of charge.

Referral: If the problem(s) require longer-term or more specialized attention, or if an individual simply wants information about community and health plan resources, CARE provides information on various agencies, programs, practitioners, and other resources. Fees for these other resources vary, and in some instances are covered under health plan provisions.

Consultation Services
Any UCB manager, supervisor, Dean, Director, or other campus representative may call CARE Services for consultation regarding concerns about someone at work. The CARE counselor will help the caller with information, referrals, and/or guidance to help support and assist the person with whom the caller is concerned, and to address the needs of other coworkers as indicated.

Consultation is also available when there are concerns about an entire work group, such as in the aftermath of the death of an employee or major department reorganization.

Education and Training
Education, training and support groups are offered on a variety of issues, by open enrollment in CARE programs offered to all faculty and staff, and by request from managers and supervisors for specific departments.

Lending Library
CARE has a small library of books, videotapes, audiotapes and hand-outs on the full range of personal issues that can affect faculty and staff.

For more information, call CARE Services at 643-7754.

HEALTH*MATTERS
HEALTH*MATTERS, the worksite health promotion program for faculty and staff, helps to create a campus environment that improves the health and quality of life of Berkeley faculty and staff. The wide range of programs offered target individual faculty and staff, as well as managers and supervisors, to help our workforce be healthy and at work and to contribute to higher performance, morale, and job satisfaction.

HEALTH*MATTERS is an interdepartmental program coordinated by the University Health Services. Department sponsors include the Human Resources Benefits Unit; Office of Environment, Health & Safety; Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports; Physical Education Program, and the University Health Services: CARE Services for Faculty and Staff, Health Promotion, Occupational Health, and Workers' Compensation & Vocational Rehabilitation.

HEALTH*MATTERS offers a variety of programs to build awareness, educate, and promote behavior change in support of the development and maintenance of a healthy workforce:

  • Classes and workshops on topics such as computer health, nutrition, fitness and exercise, relaxation skills, back care, healthy lifestyle habits, smoking cessation, and women's health
  • Ergonomics training for campus computer users and departmental computer workstation evaluators
  • Incentive-based exercise programs, including the HEALTH*MATTERS Walking Program
  • Self-care educational materials and guides on a range of health topics available confidentially through campus mail and on the HEALTH*MATTERS Web site
  • Health and safety fairs for departments
  • Healthy Choices, includes heart-healthy food choices at the Faculty Club and Eating Out, Eating Lean, an annual guide to lower fat choices at restaurants on and around campus
  • HEALTH*MATTERS also supports managers and supervisors in their responsibility to provide a safe and healthy work environment:
  • Healthy Office Supervisor's Packet, which includes reproducible fact sheets on computer workstation design, stress in the office, back care, and personal safety. Also includes healthy office tips for supervisors and a campus resource guide.
  • Excellence in Supervision . . . Promoting a Safe and Healthy Work Environment, a 3-1/2 hour training for departments, developed to help managers and supervisors fulfill the Administrative Vision principle of providing a safe and healthy work environment. Co-facilitated by EH&S and HEALTH*MATTERS.
  • Wellness Workshops for Departments: These 15-30-minute workshops are designed to help managers and supervisors create a healthy office environment. Topics include: Take a Stretch Break, Relaxation Skills, and Fitting Fitness In. Computer Health Matters, a 1 1/2 hour workshop, is also available upon request by departments.
  • Consultations for managers and supervisors available upon request.

How to Support Health in the Workplace

  • Post and distribute HEALTH*MATTERS program flyers and mention upcoming classes and workshops in your staff meetings.
  • Support staff in attending health and safety training and events.
  • Designate a wellness area on department staff bulletin board and/or establish a health and safety library in your department or unit.
  • Familiarize yourself with the available health education materials and self-care guides available through campus mail or the Web site.
  • Incorporate health and safety training into performance objectives.
  • Support flexible work arrangements for health activities (attending classes or walking programs at noontime, later arrival, or early departure to exercise).
  • Organize a Computers at Work class for the department or a wellness workshop for a staff meeting.
  • Highlight your openness to participation in wellness activities and use of flexible work arrangements.
  • Advocate for a wellness representative on your department’s health and safety committee.
  • List wellness programs as one of the many University benefits.
Environment, Health and Safety

The management of overall safety is governed by the Injury and Illness Prevention Program Manual (IIPP). In the Manual, the Chancellor states: The University of California at Berkeley is responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy environment for its faculty, staff, students, visitors, and surrounding community members......In order to implement the campus Injury and Illness Prevention Program, each campus department or unit must have a written IIPP, and establish a safety plan with its own procedures, activities, and records.

Departments have different needs for their safety programs depending on the focus of the unit. As a supervisor, you need to be familiar with your department's programs . You are expected to know and understand safe work practices in your occupation. A comprehensive knowledge of job safety is as important as the ability to organize and carry out work assignments.

Implementing the IIPP

  • Have a system for ensuring that employees comply with safety programs.

  • Have a system for communicating with employees about health and safety issues.
  • Have procedures for identifying and evaluating workplace hazards.
  • Investigate on-the-job injuries or illnesses.
  • Correct unsafe or unhealthy conditions.
  • Provide training and instructions and keep written documentation of the training.
  • Keep written records of all of the above for three years.
Making the Workplace Safe
  • Make sure employees know the location of safety information and safety equipment.
  • Make sure employees have the necessary training, licensing, or certificates to perform a job.
  • Do periodic written safety inspections of the workplace, including follow-up entries explaining what was done to mitigate all deficiencies.
  • Make sure all hazardous substances are properly labeled.
  • Make sure that employees are trained about the hazardous nature of substances they work with. Keep a file of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
  • Keep a written inventory of all hazardous substances for inclusion in the Campus' Hazardous Materials Management Program (HMMP) as required by law.

If there is an Accident or Injury
(See also Chapter 18, Disability Management.)

  • Get aid to the employee.
  • See that the employee gets the necessary Workers' Compensation forms.
  • Investigate the cause of the accident.
  • Make sure all staff are familiar with departmental emergency response procedures (for bomb threats, fires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters).
Other Resources

© UC Regents 1996 - 2007             Contact Human Resources