I. POLICY:

It is the policy of the Division of Administration that all employees are provided a work environment, which is as safe and accident free as possible. Employee safety is a legal and moral obligation, and is therefore, one of the top priorities of this agency. It is instructed that each employee devotes daily attention to making safety an integral part of his or her routine operations.

II. PURPOSE:

To authorize the implementation of a safety program for all employees which will:

• Promote a safe, productive work environment for all employees, and
• Prevent injuries, which are painful and potentially disabling.
• To be in compliance with Title 39 of the LA Revised Statutes, Sections 1527 through 1544, which mandates that "...all state agencies must implement a program to prevent and reduce employee job related accidents, injuries and loss of state property, thereby reducing the direct and indirect costs to the State of Louisiana."

III. APPLICABILITY:

This policy applies to all employees of the Division of Administration.

This policy shall be applicable to all sections within the Division of Administration both general appropriation and ancillary appropriations.

IV. RESPONSIBILITY:

The Deputy/Assistant Commissioners are responsible for:

Creating a safe work environment for all employees in their area of supervision.

Holding each Section Head accountable as an aspect of job performance for the establishment and maintenance of an effective safety program in their section.

Insuring compliance with the policy and procedures of the Safety Program by all Section Heads and employees under their immediate supervision.

Communicating and demonstrating support for the Safety Program and the Safety Managers in their sections.

Authorizing necessary expenditures for the implementation of the Safety Program whenever possible.

Supporting efforts to remedy unsafe work conditions existing in work environments under their area of supervision.

Periodically participating in safety meetings of supervisors and Safety Managers in their area of supervision.

Section Heads are responsible for:

Establishing and maintaining a safe work environment for all employees in their sections.

Holding supervisors accountable as an aspect of job performance for the establishment and maintenance of an effective safety program in their units.

Appointing a Safety Manager for their section and providing that appointee the necessary authority to implement and manage a successful safety program.

Holding the Section Safety Manager accountable as an aspect of job performance for the management of a successful safety program.

Communicating and demonstrating support for the Safety Manager and the Safety Program in their section.

Facilitating any training necessary to assure safe operation of equipment or performance of job duties by employees in their section.

Insuring compliance with the policy and procedures of the DOA Safety Program by all employees.

Authorizing necessary expenditures for the implementation of the Safety Program whenever possible.

Supporting efforts to remedy unsafe work conditions in their work areas.

Participating in quarterly sectional safety meetings, as well as other safety meetings of supervisors and Safety Managers in their section.

Assuring that each employee, current and new, is made aware of this policy and its contents as well as any forthcoming revisions.

Supervisors are responsible for:

Creating and maintaining a safe work environment for employees in their area of supervision.

Working with their employees to develop a Job Safety Analysis as needed on tasks under their supervision.

Making every reasonable effort to provide any equipment necessary to assure the safety of employees on the job.

Assuring that all safety policies and procedures are distributed to and understood by their employees through training, meetings, discussions, etc.

Ensuring that employees understand the Emergency Evacuation Plans.

Ensuring that their employees follow all safety rules, policies and procedures.

Conducting or providing safety training for each new employee and for current employees who must perform new tasks, operate new equipment, or where safety performance is not satisfactory.

Counseling with employees regarding safety violations or unsafe work habits, documenting counseling, and recommending disciplinary action where appropriate.

Immediately reporting any and all unsafe conditions and practices to the Section Safety Manager.

Correcting any unsafe conditions in the work area if it is within their means to do so.

Obtaining prompt first aid for injured individuals.

Assisting the Section Safety Manager to insure that proper investigation procedures are followed when investigating all accidents, which occur in their areas of responsibility during the shift upon which the accident occurred.

Assuring that corrective action is recommended, immediately after assuring care of any individual injured.

Reporting all accidents and near misses to the Section Safety Manager by completing and signing the "Incident/Accident Investigation Form.

Reporting all accidents which require medical attention to the Section Safety Manager by completing and signing the "Employer's Report of Occupational Injury or Disease" sometimes referred to as "Employers' First Report of Injury."

Considering safety as a part of the performance criteria of each employee on a daily basis and during periodic official evaluations.

Maintaining all safety records required by the program and distributing required reports in a timely fashion.

The DOA Safety Coordinator is responsible for:

Coordination of the Safety Program for the Division of Administration with the authority of the Appointing Authority.

Coordinating the Division of Administration Safety Program with various sections within the agency.

Monitoring the Safety Program and coordinating safety activities, quarterly safety meetings, and safety inspections through the Section Safety Managers.

Compiling and submitting all applicable Division-wide reports on a timely basis to the appropriate authority.

Acting as liaison between the Division of Administration and the Office of Risk Management/State Loss Prevention Program.

Facilitating training, whenever possible, on safety issues for Section Safety Managers, supervisors and/or employees of the Division.

Serving as a member of the Division Safety Committee.

The Section Safety Manager is responsible for:

Serving as liaison between the Section Head and the DOA Safety Coordinator in the establishment and maintenance of DOA Safety Policies and Safety Program.

Coordinating the DOA Safety Program in their section.

Assisting and monitoring the supervisors within their section in the performance of their safety responsibilities.

Assuring that all supervisors are given copies of all safety procedures applicable to their area of supervision.

Facilitating training, whenever possible, on safety issues for supervisors and/or employees of the section.

Assisting in investigations of incidents, accidents, and near misses and preparation of the applicable reports when requested.

Compiling and routing to the appropriate authority all applicable reports reflecting safety performance, compliance, and accident trends.

Serving on the Division Safety Committee.

Employees are responsible for:

Recognizing that safety will be considered an aspect of job performance in periodic performance evaluations.

Exercising safe work habits as an element of satisfactory work performance.

Observing all safety rules and regulations.

Accepting personal responsibility for his/her own safety and well-being.

Reporting any potentially unsafe condition and/or work practice to the Section Safety Manager and their immediate supervisor.

Seeking training or instruction prior to operation of any office equipment or machinery he/she cannot operate or prior to performing any duty he/she is not trained to perform.

Asking for assistance or further explanation in safety related matters when needed.

Taking all available and effective action to minimize risk to self and others when hazards are recognized.

Helping achieve goals of preventing personal injury and avoiding loss of State property due to accidents.

Making suggestions to improve safety.

Reporting to the supervisor immediately if involved in an accident or injury.

Completing the Employer's Report of Occupational Injury or Disease with the assistance of the supervisor when involved in an accident or injury, which requires medical attention.

Completing the required Incident/Accident Report when involved in an incident, accident, or near miss.

Reporting to the supervisor after providing any necessary assistance if a witness to an accident or injury.

V. EXCLUSIONS:

There will be no exceptions to this policy.

VI. QUESTIONS:

All questions concerning this policy should be directed to the DOA Safety Coordinator in the Office of Risk Management at 342-2066.

VII. VIOLATIONS:

Employees found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.