Friday, November 16, 2001

Senate to vote on new committee
By Piper Huddleston
Staff Reporter

The Faculty Senate will vote Dec. 6 to establish a University Safety and Environmental Committee proposed by the Risk Management and Safety departments, Jill Laster, assistant vice chancellor for administrative services, said Thursday.

This committee would be charged with reviewing environmental health and safety issues such as indoor air quality, pollution reduction, exit drill and life safety training and any other concerns raised by the campus community, Laster said.

Laster said currently ad hoc committees are formed to address faculty and staff safety and environmental complaints individually as they arise. A standing committee would establish a base to address complaints more efficiently, she said.

Art Busbey, Computer and Telecommunications Committee chairman, said if a University Safety and Environmental Committee is formed, they may be able to answer questions and concerns about the long term risks of wireless telecommunications that have come up in his committee.

“This involves not only telephones, but also wireless computer networking and I think a Safety and Environmental Committee might have the expertise to truly pursue questions related to this issue,” said Busbey, who is also the Faculty Senate secretary.

The committee would also address ergonomics, the science of how a body interacts in a workspace, Laster said.

According to the TCU Risk Management Web site, ergonomics covers all aspects of a job. It ranges from physical stresses it places on joints, muscles, nerves, tendons and bones, to environmental factors which can effect hearing, vision and general comfort.

Laster said typing on a keyboard or the positioning of a desk may put physical strain on the body. She said environmental factors may include the lighting of a workspace or the air circulation.

“If someone works at a desk that is not appropriate for their body, it could cause injury,” Laster said. “More attention needs to be paid to how work stations are set up.”
Faculty and staff frequently have questions concerning ways to improve office ergonomics, Laster said.

The committee would also explore the possibility of making Automatic External Defibrillators accessible on campus, Laster said. According the American Heart Association Web site, Automatic External Defibrillators are devices that easily and accurately analyze cardiac rhythms during a heart attack. These machines are commonly found in public places such as airports, she said.

Heart attacks have not been a problem on campus, but with a large faculty and staff population, the committee would look into these machines as a precautionary measure, Laster said. Each AED costs $3,000, and the committee would have to decide where the most appropriate places are on campus for these devices and whether they are needed for the TCU community, she said.

The committee would consist of four faculty members, four staff members and two students who would be appointed by Chancellor Ferrari, Laster said.

Laster said if the Faculty Senate and Ferrari approves the proposal, the committee will hopefully begin work next semester.

Piper Huddleston
k.p.huddleston@student.tcu.edu