LTC - Greater Acadiana Region 4
Safety and Loss Prevention Program

One of three basic responsibilities contained in the Greater Acadiana Region 4 Loss Prevention Program is the establishment of emergency procedures to lessen the impact of emergencies and potentially disastrous events to our campus. Emergency plans are developed for the purpose of establishing LTC – Greater Acadiana Region 4’s response to emergencies. These procedures are a "plan of response" for general emergency situations that may threaten Greater Acadiana Region 4 buildings and inhabitants.

The second responsibility is the prevention of accidents. Incorporated into this "safety plan" are recommendations and procedures to aid in establishing a safe work environment. The guidelines and measures to be taken to preserve and protect the lives of personnel and students and the assets within the buildings are identified.

In the event of an emergency; it is anticipated that adhering to the steps developed in these plans will maximize the opportunity for the safe protection and, if necessary orderly evacuation or relocation of all occupants. Safety of building occupants is the primary concern of any emergency plan. The preservation of the building and contents is secondary.

The third responsibility is the implementation of effective loss prevention programs to protect and preserve campus resources and property. Managing and maintaining facilities and equipment assures the continual success of the campus and provides a safe work and learning environment. These programs also offer a means of proactively preserving valuable resources.

The success of our efforts to prevent or respond to accidents and preserve resources requires a team effort by administration, faculty, staff, and students. Certain portions of our plan are presented as being generic to the campus as a whole, with standard guidelines applying to all campus departments. Other portions are developed to be specific to the particular environment in which they are applied. With this in mind, the manual is presented as a basic structure of emergency action, safety programs, and loss prevention contingency.

The following plan is also presented as a framework around which individual safety plans are developed in each department and/or program area. These should be expanded to be location-specific to the environments and circumstances found within those locations. Also incorporated into the safety manual are procedures which have been established to assure compliance with federal, state and local statutes related to safety and environmental issues.

Purpose of This Manual

This general Loss Prevention Safety and Health Plan encompasses the following purposes:

1. To establish the LTC – Greater Acadiana Region 4 Safety Program.
2. To provide a basic source of policies, procedures, and guidelines to assist Administrators and employees in carrying out their responsibilities for implementing the Safety Program.
3. To assure, so far as possible, a safe and productive environment for the well being of students, employees, and guests affected by operation of this agency.
4. To provide basic safety and health information for use in reducing accidents; which may affect insurance premiums, workers compensation rates, lost employee services and overtime.
5. To encourage management of minor repairs or adjustments that prevents major building and equipment repairs and replacements.

Objectives

• To provide protection to life and property by prevention of all types of accidents, including fire, occupational diseases and hazards, explosions, hazardous chemicals/materials/substances, and other accidents resulting from equipment or personal failure.
• To provide a safe environment in which to pursue educational goals of the college.

Distribution

• A copy of the Greater Acadiana Region 4 Safety Manual is made available to all faculty and staff during orientation. Information will remain available via internet/intranet or additional hard copies and/or a CD version may be requested from the administrative office.

Please note that amendments and additions to the campus Loss Prevention Plan and this Safety Manual are ongoing. Check with the administrative office for the most up-to-date copy.

Health and Safety Principles

In order to fulfill this purpose, particular attention is required in providing:

• A safe and healthful work environment that meets the requirements of college policy, government regulations, sound management practices, and applicable standards.
• A suitable level and quality of information, instruction, training, and supervision to all employees and students, to empower them to fulfill and be accountable for their health and safety responsibilities.
• Appropriate procedures to monitor and audit compliance with college health and safety policies.
• Appropriate processes to identify, assess and control the risks associated with college activities.
• The leadership and encouragement needed to continually nurture an appropriate safety culture and to instill safe work ethics in all education and support activities.
• Health and Safety committees as appropriate.

Using This Manual

The scope of this manual is limited. All possible loss prevention hazards and safety requirements cannot be covered in this document. To be complete, each educational program and agency department should cover the specific hazards and requirements for the workplace; including specific procedures, tools, machines, and equipment.

These policies, suggestions, and information are presented as a guide and intended for use in an ongoing Loss Prevention Safety and Health program. The importance of integrating safety and health into the total educational program and daily agency functions cannot be overemphasized. Employees and students should be constantly reminded that safety and health must become an everyday consideration in learning and working.

In short, the college recognizes that safety is an essential component of all its activities which shall be managed in such a manner as to avoid, reduce or control all foreseeable risks to health and safety.

This manual is available to assist Administrators, supervisors, and instructors in planning and implementing safety and loss prevention goals that will result in a safe and productive environment. Proper use of the materials presented combined with accepted industry safety information should result in quality activities through which employees and students become safety and health conscious.

Moral Reasons for Safety Programs

The ultimate reason for having an effective safety program is the "moral" reason. Basically, it presumes that every employee is also a caring human being, and as such, has an innate desire to care for and to protect others, perhaps especially those who are younger or less informed, as students often are. The definition of the moral aspect, therefore, states that employees of this agency should naturally possess a predisposition to do all they can to prevent others from receiving injury or illness and the subsequent suffering.

Financial Reasons for Safety Programs

The adage, "It costs more to have accidents than it does to safeguard against them," is true! This applies to education as well as to businesses. Consideration must be given to monetary losses that could result from injury to students, employees, and visitors as well as from property damage, destruction of tools and materials, legal counsel, loss of jobs, etc.

More specifically, financial losses could be suffered in the event of an accident, including, for example, replacement of tools or equipment, reconstructing and equipping buildings, or repairing broken items. Administrative time required to fill out accident reports could also result in financial loss. Obviously, if an employee or Campus Administrator were judged to be legally liable for injury to others, he or she might be required to pay medical costs or fines, or might even face possible imprisonment.

In the long run, accident prevention programs are less expensive than accidents or loss of health resulting from neglect or improper action.

Legal Reasons for Safety Programs

Legally, employees and Administrators are responsible for the health and safety of those entrusted to their care. Students are considered by law to be under the charge and guidance of the educator to whom they are assigned at any given time. They look to the educational "system" for training and examples, which the law expects educators to provide.

Likewise, Administrators and supervisors are expected to effectively manage the safety and well being of those in their charge. Effective training and safety prudence is expected and legally required. The law also demands implementation of safe practices and hazard prevention with immediate resolution of identified hazards.

Further, certain safety regulations and provisions are required by local, state and federal governments. In some cases, judges or juries might find an educator responsible for an accident or could convict him or her of failing to act in a "prudent and responsible manner."