Safety Plan & Resources

Emergency Action Plan

The purpose of this plan is to assist in moving employees and/or visitors within the installations occupied by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas Tech University (TTU) to a safe location in the case of an emergency. This plan also serves to provide information for employees, students, visitors and first responder personnel to facilitate a rapid and efficient response to various types of emergency situations which may arise in or around the installations occupied by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas Tech University (TTU). Some examples of serious hazards which might create an emergency include, but are not limited to:

•  Fire
• Bomb Threat
• Flood
• Tornado
• Active Shooter/Armed Subject

Health And Safety Officer

Contact Kim Zinsmeyer

Science Building

This building is classified as an education and research use building and is occupied by the departments of Geophysics, and Physics and Astronomy. The Department of Physics and Astronomy occupies rooms in the first two stories above ground level of the Science building and in the basement below ground level. The Texas Tech Police Department (TTPD) has primary responsibility for response to public safety issues in and around the building. Fire, hazardous material response, and emergency search and rescue services are provided by the City of Lubbock Fire Department. The building has a fire alarm system. Utilities for the building are managed and maintained through Texas Tech University Building Maintenance and Utilities, a division of the Texas Tech University Physical Plant. Power for the building is provided by Lubbock Power and Light. The majority of the building is dependent on commercial power only. The building population is made up of faculty, staff, students, and visitors. The building population is generally highest during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Areas

Each area within the Department of Physics and Astronomy shall ensure their employees have been fully informed of this plan, participate in drills, post any required documentation and assign Emergency Action Coordinators (EAC):

• Department Chair Office Area
• Instructional laboratories
• Research laboratories
•  In addition to those areas listed above, the following areas may routinely occupy the Science building outside of normal business hours:
  • TTU Custodial Services
  • TTU Building Maintenance, Construction and Utilities
    
    
    

Building Emergency Manager

The Building Emergency Manager (BEM) is responsible for implementing the Emergency Action Plan. The BEM will designate backups for the role. The BEM is expected to normally be available upon short notice during what are considered to be "normal" work hours (typically, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday with the exception of holidays). If the BEM anticipates that he/she will be unavailable during these hours, he/she should notify the backup BEM.

• Hannah Webb (806-577-7171) to serve as the Building Emergency Manager (BEM) for the Science Building.
• The first backup to the primary is Debra Boyce (806-834-6352).
• The second backup to the primary is Catherine Massengale (806-834-1145).
• In the event that none of the designated BEM's are available the TTPD (9-1-1 or 806-742-3931) will coordinate the emergency action response.

The primary duty of building Emergency Action Coordinators (EACs) is to raise the alarm, help individuals in their area move to a place of safety appropriate to the emergency, and report the status of such individuals to the BEM during an emergency or emergency exercise.

• Our EAC's for Physics and Astronomy will be Keith West, (806-577-3592) and Chris Perez (806-441-6847).

Evacuation

In the event of an emergency that requires evacuation of the building (such as a fire, significant toxic gas release, explosion, etc.), first:

• Rescue: Try to rescue any personnel in immediate danger if it does not put you in imminent danger.
• Alarm: Activate the building fire alarm (by pulling a fire alarm pull station) and/or call 9-9-1-1 or 9-1-1. All of the fire alarm pull stations are labeled. If you talk with a 911 operator, state your name, address, and nature of the problem. Speak slowly and clearly. Wait for the dispatcher to hang up before you hang up.
• Confine: Close all doors, windows, and other openings that would aid in the spread of fire or toxic fumes.
• Evacuate: Evacuate the building.

For further information on Evacuation see pages 9-12 of the full Emergency Action Plan.

Laboratory Safety Procedures

Objectives: The purpose of this document is to provide students, faculty, staff, and visitors with an explanation of general safety procedures that should be followed when working in the undergraduate laboratories. These procedures are intended to reduce risk of injury and to make the laboratory experience more enjoyable.

General Safety

• Wear proper footwear (closed-toe shoes, with skid-resistance) when working in the lab.
• Smoking is never allowed inside the building, including the laboratory.
• Food and drinks are prohibited in the lab area.
• Eye Protection must be worn when operating power tools, machinery, and lasers. Goggles can be found in the labs.
• Do not work with wet hands or large amounts of metal jewelry.
• Keep work space clean and free of clutter.
• Horseplay can lead to serious accidents, especially in the laboratory. Act in a mature manner and respect your group members.
• The use of chemicals must be pre-approved by the Labs directors. Always wear eye protection and other safety equipment for these cases.