Williams College Employee Handbook

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Safety and Public Health: Committees and Policies

Human Subjects Review Committee (HSRC)

The task of the Human Subjects Review Committee is to protect the rights and welfare of people serving as research subjects for Williams College faculty and students. This committee acts as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) for all projects involving human subjects. Investigators proposing such research must submit for evaluation by the IRB a project description and copies of the consent forms that the subjects are asked to sign. Sufficient time must be allowed for the IRB to reach a decision. The Human Subjects Review Committee usually consists of Williams faculty and two members of the local community, one of whom is usually an attorney.

Institutional Biosafety Committee

The Biosafety Committee monitors activities at Williams College specifically dealing with recombinant DNA research, in accordance with the guidelines set by the Department of Health and Human Services in the Federal Register. It reviews proposals from project directors, sets standards for containment protocols, and inspects facilities where recombinant DNA research is being conducted. The committee is composed of two members of the Williams science faculty, a member of the Williams staff, and usually an attorney and a physician as representatives of the local community.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee is an oversight committee mandated by federal regulations. The committee is composed of at least five members, among whom must be a person not connected with the College, a veterinarian, and at least one scientist whose research involves animals. The IACUC meets semi-annually and at other times as needed. The committee acts immediately upon all proposals submitted to it. The functions of the IACUC include:

reviewing annually the College's program for humane care and use of animals
inspecting annually all of the College's animal facilities
bringing about any changes in procedures or facilities necessary to rectify deficiencies found during reviews
reviewing any concerns involving the care and use of animals at the College
making recommendations to the pertinent College official(s) regarding the animal program, animal facilities, or training for those involved with handling animals
reviewing the use of animals in course laboratory programs
reviewing all research grant proposals submitted to federal agencies either to approve them, approve them with requested modifications, or reject them if there are significant issues or problems involving animal welfare
reviewing all proposed significant changes regarding the use of animals in ongoing research projects, either to approve them, approve them with requested modifications, or withhold approval
suspending an ongoing research project involving animals that is not in accord with rules set forth by the NIH

(Significant portions of this description have been taken from the College's "Animal Welfare Assurance Statement," which is on file with the NIH.)

Radiation Safety Committee

The Radiation Safety Committee is responsible for over-seeing the safe use of radiation-emitting devices and substances on campus. These include radioactive substances, lasers, and x-ray emitting devices that are used for research and teaching purposes. The committee ensures that the use of radioactive substances on campus complies with the provisions of the license issued to the College by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and that work involving lasers and x-ray units complies with the regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. All users of radioactive materials, whether from a sealed or unsealed source, must report use of these materials to the Chair of the Radiation Safety Committee.

Members of the committee include the College's radiation safety officer and all members of the faculty and staff using radioactive materials.

Safety Committee

The Safety Committee is responsible for the compliance by Williams College with a number of state and federal laws on safety issues. The immediate concern of the committee is those regulations dealing with involuntary exposure to hazardous materials, especially exposure by those who do not control the substance being used. The committee meets to review labeling, training, use, storage, and disposal techniques used by all College departments that deal with hazardous materials.

The Chemical Hygiene Officer supervises the temporary storage and disposal of hazardous chemicals for both academic and service departments. The committee is composed of the chemical Hygiene Officer and at least one representative of each department that uses hazardous materials for any purpose: teaching, research, or routine maintenance.

Non-smoking Policy

All members of the community and visitors are expected to comply with the College's regulations on smoking. Because both smoking, and its secondary effects, are known to be health concerns, the College prohibits smoking in all buildings, offices, and indoor facilities of the College. The two exceptions are in College-owned faculty/staff rental housing and in the individual student rooms of College-owned student housing.

In student housing, smoking is not permitted in any common space (common rooms, living rooms, kitchens, entries, stairwells, etc.). In individual student rooms, students may smoke as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others to a smoke-free environment. The College Council urges students to designate their smoking preferences in the annual room draw, particularly if they play to live in a suite, or double room.

In faculty/staff rental housing, in apartments and/or duplexes, smoking is not permitted in any shared areas (hallways, entries, etc.) of the facility, nor in fire or safety hazard exits.

Smoking is not permitted in College vehicles.

Members of the community are asked to comply with and to enforce these policies. Complaints or questions should be directed to the appropriate Senior Staff member: for faculty, the Dean of the Faculty; for students, the Dean of the College; for any and all others, the Vice President for Operations.

AIDS Policy

The College policy, when Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or infection with the HIV virus (as indicated by a positive antibody test) has been diagnosed in an employee, is that standard medical rules of confidentiality will apply; i.e., the privacy of the employee will be protected in accordance with the procedures stated below. This policy applies also to any external requests for information about an employee, such as applications for health insurance, references, et al.

Prospective and present employees are not required to report diseases to the College. Should the fact that an employee has AIDS or is HIV-positive come to the attention of the Director of Health, the Director will confer with the employee to make sure that an appropriate medical care plan has been established with the employee's primary physician, but the College will ordinarily take no administrative action regarding the employee. Should the employee wish to have his or her medical condition knows to others, the employee may do so. Since AIDS is a reportable disease, the Director of Health must confirm that the Massachusetts Public Health Service has been informed.

A diagnosis of AIDS/HIV-positive by itself is not a clinical cause for termination or for a change in conditions of employment, including location of employment. The concern of the College shall be for the employee and his/her risk of exposure to primary and secondary infections. In cases of requests by fellow employees for changes in jobs for fear of acquiring AIDS, the person with AIDS or HIV-positive diagnosis will not be displaced, and the fellow employee(s) will be provided with education and counseling about the disease. No transfer should be assumed.

Any judgment about an employee's continuation at the College based on his/her health or risk to others will be made by the Director of Health in consultation with the appropriate supervisor, Director of Human Resources, members of the President's Senior Staff, and legal counsel.

Ordinarily, information about an employee with AIDS or who is HIV-positive will be given to no other person or office at the College without the employee's permission. Should the Director of Health feel that others need to be informed, he/she will work with the employee in a confidential manner to encourage the employee to inform that person or office.

The medical staff of the College Health Service is available to answer questions from any member of the Williams community about AIDS/HIV and to discuss antibody testing. The Health Service will provide medical treatment to students and will refer employees to other primary care physicians with whom they may develop a medical care plan. Area physicians and dentists are available for referral and treatment. Other area medical services available to those with AIDS or who are HIV-positive are the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of Northern Berkshire, the North Adams Regional Hospital, and the Berkshire Medical Center. Additional referral and counseling services include the American Red Cross in Pittsfield and the Bennington AIDS Project.

Individuals with questions or concerns should feel free to contact the Director of Health, the Health Educator, the Director of Human Resources, the Dean of the College, the Vice President for Operations, the Dean of the Faculty, or the Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity. Additional information can be obtained by referring to "What Everyone Should Know about AIDS," which is available through the College Health Service.

Drugs and Alcohol

In compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug Free Schools and Communities amendments of 1989, the policies governing the use of drugs and alcohol at Williams College are as follows:

College Standards of Conduct and Sanctions

Williams prohibits the abuse of alcohol and expects members of the College community to abide by federal, state, and local regulations concerning the possession and use, purchase, and distribution of alcohol. The College prohibits the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of illegal drugs, or the unauthorized use of prescription drugs.

Members of the College community charged with violations of the standards of conduct are subject to disciplinary action through the established disciplinary procedures of the College. When violations are determined to have occurred, the College will impose disciplinary sanctions on students and employees, consistent with local, state, and federal law. Depending upon the circumstances of the case, the sanctions available to the College include warning, probation, suspension, expulsion or termination of employment, or referral for prosecution by public authorities. The College may also require satisfactory completion of an appropriate drug or alcohol rehabilitation program before reinstatement or continued employment.

Additional Requirements of Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1989

Employees receiving federal grants or contracts and student recipients of Pell Grants are required to certify to the funding agency that they are drug-free before receiving any awards.

In addition, any employee, including a student, who participates in any federal grant or contract must notify the Provost within five days of any criminal drug conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace. The Provost is required to notify the funding agency within ten days of receiving notification of the conviction.

Further information may be obtained from the publication "Alcohol, Other Drugs and You at Williams," distributed annually. Questions regarding these requirements may be directed to the Provost, the Health Educator, or the Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity.

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