Facebook Pixel On & Off-the-Job Workplace Safety | Western Kentucky University

Safe Communities - Injury Prevention Programs


On and Off-the-Job Workplace Safety

 

Western Kentucky University is dedicated to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. Not only do the Environmental Health and Safety Department work to achieve this goal, but other departments are integral in achieving a safe community for the faculty and staff of WKU.

 

Environmental Health and Safety Department

The Environmental Health & Safety Department strives to provide professional guidance and leadership to the University and community and to help promote a culture of safety and to be responsible caretakers of our natural resources. Through our department we offer training to inform our new hire employees about safe procedures that should be used during their time in the workplace and at home. The Department of Environmental Health and Safety provides professional guidance and leadership to the University in achieving regulatory compliance, and promotes a culture of safety and environmental stewardship.

The department of EH&S is responsible for the annual, semi- annual and monthly inspections of all of the fire protection equipment (fire alarms, range hood suppression systems, and fire extinguishers). We conduct quarterly fire drills in residential halls.

 

WKU Police Department

The mission of the Western Kentucky University Police Department is to support the educational objectives of the University by crime prevention programming, preserving the peace, protecting life and property, and enforcing in a fair and impartial manner the regulations of the University, ordinances of Bowling Green, and the statutes of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Police Department:


  • Provides excellence in law enforcement to the university community, assisting each person served in finding solutions to their problems.

  • Provides follow-up investigation, including referral to community agencies and other law enforcement authorities in accordance with the needs of each person served.
  • Creates an environment of caring and support through education and accessibility. Individual training of all law enforcement personnel will be incorporated in daily roll call, and all professional development courses.
  • Is responsive to the needs of the university community, sensitive to issues, in modifying and expanding services to meet the needs of the community we serve.

The Western Kentucky University Police Department is a full service law enforcement agency, which operates 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The WKU Police Department fosters several programs that address workplace and public safety and include: WKU Police Leadership Academy, Police Explorer Post 825, and University Police Academy.

Crime prevention is a high priority for the WKU Police Department. Activities are based upon a dual concept of eliminating and/or minimizing criminal opportunities when possible and encouraging students, faculty and staff to share safety responsibilities.

 

Department of Facilities Management

The Department of Facilities Management (DFM) is a diverse group of innovative professionals who, guided by our shared value, is fully empowered to consistently exceed the expectations of the university to insure a safe, clean and stimulating learning, working and living environment for all involved. To this end, we will provide the most efficient and effective routine and preventative maintenance services needed to support the educational goals of Western Kentucky University.

  • Operations and Maintenance ensures the safety, health, and security of faculty, staff, students and visitors. This is accomplished through preventative and corrective maintenance of buildings to include interior/exterior lighting, custodial services, waste management and grounds maintenance for WKU campuses.
  • Energy Management strives to minimize energy consumption through environmental and sustainable approaches that seek to manage and minimize WKU’s energy usage.
  • The Safety Committee encourages and supports all DFM team members to work in a safe manner by meeting monthly to provide an open environment for the discussion and resolution of items regarding workplace safety. Committee members make recommendations to improve the safety, health and security of departmental processes through appropriate channels and monitor the progress of improvement projects.
  • Training is given to DFM employees regarding safety. Standard Safety Training Courses mandated by regulatory requirements, are designed to increase the safety consciousness of DFM team members and induce team members to be more proactive not just within the boundaries of the University and in their day-to-day life. Weekly training programs are provided in a written format and consist of topics that reinforce the monthly safety trainings or address seasonal concerns or other topics of interest involving personal safety. Many monthly training programs are provided to all DFM team members which include a variety of topics.
  • Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE is equipment worn to minimize exposure to a variety of hazards. Dependent upon the job hazard assessment conducted by the Environmental Health and Safety Department, job/task specific PPE is issued to employees.

 


Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.

 Last Modified 7/6/21