October 29, 2009
Nominations open for UW Health and Safety Committees — with changes in election process
Employees who serve on the UW Health and Safety Committees help ensure the safety of everyone in the campus community — and nominations are now open for the next two-year committee terms, which will begin on Jan. 1, 2010.
It’s an important role, said Michael Merrill, a technologist with the Environmental Health and Safety Department. Committee members can be elected by their peers, selected by a union or appointed by management. They review accident and complaint reports and departmental health and safety plans, identifying potential hazards to the campus.
Twelve organizational committees represent different parts of the UW and select representatives to an overall, Universitywide committee. New this year is a committee group to represent the new College of the Environment, and a separate committee to represent Harborview Medical Center and the UW Medical Center.
“There’s no way that EH&S can go out and know everything that’s going on. (Committee members) are well positioned to know what’s going on locally at their work places. It puts them in a position to do something about (potential problems), or at least bring awareness to them,” Merrill said.
She added that the representatives “are a conduit from their coworkers and units to the committee.” Safety updates and education also come from the committee and its groups back to constituents, so information flows both ways.
But Merrill added that with a change of leadership has also come a revision to the election procedures for campus health and safety committees.
The change, simply put, is this: Managers — or employees whose job includes management work — are no longer allowed to run for committee positions. They can be appointed, but they cannot run.
All other staff or faculty — full-time, temporary, hourly or even student workers — are eligible to run for and serve on the committee and its working groups. You can nominate yourself or any other eligible employee.
A committee’s nominations are followed by a ballot at the department or unit level. Many committee groups conduct their elections online; for employees who do not have Web access in their work area, the election announcement will indicate your voting method and starting and closing dates.
After the elections are complete, two members from each Health and Safety Committee will be selected to serve on the Universitywide Health and Safety Committee.
For more information about EH&S or the UW Health and Safety Committees, visit online at www.ehs.washington.edu.
