IIPP background: In 1991, the state of California passed legislation requiring businesses and institutions to implement an Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). In response, Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) developed the campuswide IIPP document (PDF) (Word file).

The IIPP has 5 main goals:

1. Protect the health and safety of employees.
2. Improve employee morale.
3. Reduce workers' compensation claims.
4. Reduce the time spent to replace or reassign injured workers.
5. Minimize the potential for code-violation penalties from regulatory agencies.

Department responsibilities:  Responsibility for maintaining a safe workplace has been delegated from the chancellor to department heads, managers, and supervisors.

Responsibilities are broken down into 6 main duties:

1. Hazard identification and awareness: Conduct periodic safety inspections of all spaces.
2. Accident investigation: Investigate all accidents, injuries, and near-misses, and make appropriate changes to minimize recurrence.
3. Hazard mitigation: Correct conditions that are discovered during inspections or reported by employees.
4. Training: Know the hazards employees face and ensure they're trained to perform their work without illness or injury. The backbone of IIPP training is the IIPP class, required for every UCSD employee. EH&S also offers specialized safety training in many areas.
5. Communication: Ensure a free flow of safety information through bulletin boards or periodic discussions. Encourage employees to report potential safety problems.
6. Documentation: Keep safety training, inspection, and accident investigation documents in a centralized file so they're handy for inspectors. Remember, if you don’t have the paperwork, it didn’t happen.

Need an expert? Contact EH&S safety training coordinator, (858) 822-5974.