Employee Safety

Employee Safety Committee

Membership

Steve Rondeau, Facilities, chair
George Aitken, Theatre
Cheryl Brewer, Information Technology
Lisa Briggs, Dining Services
Gail Burda, Hopkins
Jean Caprari, Library
Adriana Cozzolino, Vice President's Office, ex officio
Wayne Haskins, Facilities
Gary Lohnes, Art
Kris Maloney, Human Resources, ex officio
Pat Mancuso, Mears
Joe Moran, Facilities, ex officio
Pete Mazzacco Jr., Campus Safety
Jay Racela, Environmental Studies
Steve Rondeau, Facilities
Julie Seitel, Theatre (for Cosmo Catalano)
Marty Walden, Custodial Services
(last updated 10 Dec 2007)

Terms of Committee Members

Theatre - George Aitken, Senior Scene Technician – permanent
Faculty - Cosmo Catalano, Lecturer in Theatre – permanent
Information Technology - Cheryl Brewer, Budget & Facilities Administrator – permanent
Art Department - Gary Lohnes – permanent
Liaisons to administration
- Adriana Cozzolino, Assistant Vice President for Operations
- Kris Maloney, Benefits Administrator and
- Joe Moran, Manager of Safety and Environmental Compliance
Dining Services – Lisa Briggs, Cook's Assistant - 11/05-11/08 (3 year)
B&G (Grounds) – Steve Rondeau, Groundsman - 4/07-4/10 (3 year)
Alumni/Development – Pat Mancuso, User Services Specialist - 11/05-11/08 (3 year)
Security – Pete Mazzacco Jr., Campus Security Officer - 9/07-9/09 (2 year)
Hopkins Hall - Gail Burda – Dean of Faculty Secretary - 11/05-11/08 (3 year)
CES – Jay Racela, Technical Assistant - 11/05-11/08 (3 year)
B&G (Custodial) – Marty Walden, Custodian - 11/07-11/09 (2 year)
B&G (Fire Safety) – Wayne Haskins, Fire Safety, Security & Telecom Technician - 4/07-4/10 (3 year)
Sawyer Library – Jean Caprari, Interlibrary Loan Assistant - 4/07–4/09 (2 year)

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Williams College Employee Safety Committee ("the committee") is to promote the creation of a safe working environment at the College with employee involvement. It will give employees a direct voice in addressing safety concerns throughout the campus. The employees that become members of the committee will have the opportunity to work closely with management staff in solving critical problems. The members will be the representatives of all other employees of the College and should be the contact for employees that have safety concerns. It is important that the employees that become members of this committee are individuals that have good attendance and work records, have a good attitude, have good communication skills, are motivated and have a concern for safety.

To develop a fair representation of the College's various departments, the committee will consist of thirteen employees from throughout the College that will work directly with the Manager of Environmental Health and Safety, Assistant Vice President for Administration and Benefits Administrator. The committee members will meet monthly for approximately one hour to discuss safety concerns. The committee Chairperson will then meet as needed with the Risk Advisory Committee to discuss safety issues raised at their meetings.

The committee members will elect a Chairperson and a Secretary for the committee. The Chairperson is responsible for running the meetings and will be the representative of the committee at the Occupational Safety Committee meetings and the Risk Advisory Committee meetings. It will be the Chairpersons responsibility to develop an agenda for each meeting and ensure that it is followed. It is also the Chairpersons obligation to ensure that all safety concerns that are raised are followed through to an end result. The Secretary is responsible for recording the minutes of each meeting and distributing copies of these minutes to all members in a timely manner.

The committee will need to set the terms for serving on this committee for each member. Most committee members will serve for no more than three years, with the normal term running two years. Terms for each member will need to be staggered so that a complete turn over of the committee does not occur at one time. When there is a vacant position on the committee, the College will solicit nominations and it will be the responsibility of the committee to select new members from the nominations received. The committee will have very strict guidelines for attendance at committee meetings and if any member misses three consecutive meetings without a valid excuse, they will be dismissed from the committee.

The committee will tour work areas on campus with the Manager of Environmental Health and Safety to familiarize all members with the different types of jobs employees do and their work environment. The committee will try to identify areas where employees are at risk either through direct experience, through observation or through concerns brought to their attention by other employees. They will address the various issues identified and offer suggestions. The committee will also review safety suggestions made by other employees. It will be the committee's responsibility to prioritize the concerns and present their plans and suggestions to management. In addition, the members will do an annual review of all training programs related to safety and offer thoughts on how these programs can be best structured in order to be most effective.

It is important that it is emphasized that being a member of this committee is a very serious role. The cooperative effort between employees and management typically results in higher morale, lower accidents and injury rates, reduced workers' compensation costs, and, most important, joint ownership of the safety improvement process. Employee involvement is integral to creating a safe working environment.

Meeting Notes

2007: Nov. 20 — Oct. 23 — Sept. 18 — Aug. 21 — June 19 — May 15 — April 17 — March 13 — Feb. 20 — Jan. 16

2006: Dec. 12 — May 16 — April 18 — March 14 — Feb. 21 — Jan. 17

2005: Aug. 16 — July 19 — June 21 — April 19 — March 22 — Feb. 15 — Jan. 18

2004: Dec. 14 — Nov. 16 — Oct. 19 — Sept. 21 — Aug. 17 — July 20 — June 15 — May 18 — April 20 — March 23