[Minor revision—posted 5/5/21 (replaces 8/22/17 edition)]
[PDF Version]

 

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 60.29: Departmental Safety Officer Supplemental Compensation

DATE: May 5, 2021

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to provide guidance for the provision of supplemental compensation for departmental safety officers.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in May of every fourth year by the Assistant Vice President for Research (Environmental Health & Safety) with substantive revisions forwarded through the Associate Vice President for Research (Responsible Research) to the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  Intent

The intent of this OP is to provide compensation for the work of department safety officers (DSOs). This work was previously assigned and not compensated or described in the position description of the appointed DSO. This has created difficulties with active participation in safety programs from these positions and, in turn, from the departments, colleges, or institutes they represent. It is vital that Texas Tech University Environmental Health & Safety (TTUEHS) has a department- and college-level point of contact to implement university-wide safety programs at the college, department, and laboratory/studio level. In addition, many of the DSOs are faculty who are not compensated during the summer months when TTUEHS and compliance committees need to perform many critical safety audits and corrective actions for programs.

2.  Administration

This supplemental compensation would be an annual $1000 payment provided by TTUEHS funds to each of the DSOs in September. This payment would go to a single DSO from each listed department or institute who 1) was appointed by the department chairperson or college dean, 2) is from the department listed below, 3) has served in the role for at least six consecutive months, 4) is in good standing with TTUEHS with respect to the responsibilities and duties identified by the departmental safety plans and programs, 5) during the preceding year actively participated in biannual DSO meetings or met with TTUEHS personnel directly to receive meeting information, and 6) whose primary job description does not include safety.

Department Safety Officers are required from the following areas:

Department of Biological Sciences

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Department of Environmental Toxicology

Department of Geosciences

Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management

Department of Physics

Department of Agricultural Education and Communications

Department of Animal and Food Sciences

Department of Natural Resources Management

Department of Plant and Soil Science

Department of Chemical Engineering

Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Department of Industrial Engineering

Department of Petroleum Engineering

Department of Nutritional Sciences

School of Art

College of Architecture

 

Attachment: Duties of Department Safety Officers

OP Categories

01 Chancellor
02 Development
04 Audit Services
10 President
30 Academic and Student Affairs – General
32 Academic Policies – Faculty
34 Academic Policies – Students
36 Academic Programs
40 Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
48 Communication Services
52 Information Technology
60 Environmental Health and Safety
61 Facilities Management
62 Financial and Accounting
63 General Services
64 Graduate Programs (Faculty and Students)
65 Research Accounting
66 Libraries
67 Mail Services
68 Communications and Marketing
69 Payroll and Tax Services
70 Human Resources
72 Purchasing, Contracting, and Payables
74 Research
76 Security
77 Student Services and Registrar
78 Traffic and Parking
79 Travel
80 Vehicles