Q: What is Safety On Site (SOS)?
A: Safety On Site (SOS) fulfills the employee portion of UC Irvine's new implemention of the Injury & Illness Prevention Plan. SOS integrates safety into the workplace, a role ALL employees have at UC Irvine.

Q: Why is SOS important?
A: The importance of SOS is emphasized by:

• Cal/OSHA - California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3203, Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) states that every employer shall establish, implement and maintain an effective IIPP.
• The University of California Presidential Policy on Management of Health, Safety and the Environment.
• Chancellor Drake's communication regarding UC Irvine Safety Practices.

Q: What are my responsibilities in the SOS program?
A: The IIPP program document includes a description of your specific responsibilities based on your role as a campus employee and as a SOS program participant.

What employees need to do:

Q: What do managers/supervisors need to do:
A: Managers/Supervisors need to:

Q: What is a SOS work unit?
A: A SOS work unit is the lowest level work group of individuals that

• Includes at least one of the following persons:      

• Holds periodic staff meetings.
• Includes people who work closely on a regular basis.
• Has unique training needs in order to safety and successfully perform unit specific procedures.

The determination of who is in which work unit is very flexible. Typically, a work unit would have between 7-25 persons. The following are some examples of possible work units:

• A plumbing superintendent and the plumbing staff.
• A building maintenance supervisor and building maintenance.
• A principal investigator and the lab staff.
• An Management Services Officer/Health Sciences Administrator and the department support staff.
• A manager and their staff.

For assistance in determining your work unit, please contact your academic school coordinator. Non-academic areas contact EH&S at 824-6200 or safety@uci.edu.

Q: Can a person be in more than one work unit?
A: Yes. A person could have work duties that merit being a member of more than one work unit. For example, a person might work part-time for one supervisor in a laboratory environment and part-time for another supervisor in an office environment. Both supervisors would include the worker in their respective work units.

Q: I am an UC Irvine employee, but I report to work at UCIMC. How does the UC Irvine SOS program involve me?
A: The UC Irvine SOS program works to ensure that all UCI workers' safety needs are adequately met and recognizes UCIMC work units as equivalent to UCI work units. For assistance, please contact your school coordinator at (949) 824-6200.

Q: What is a SOS Representative (SR)?
A: The supervisor or Principal Investigator identifies the SOS Representative (SR) for the work unit. The SOS Representative has the following qualifications:

• Competency in office/administrative work activities or area of research
• Ability to communicate safety procedures
• Completion of the appropriate EH&S Core Safety training:
• Core Safety, for UCI workers who do not work in a laboratory environment, or
• Laboratory Core Safety, for UCI workers who do work in a laboratory environment
• For SRs in laboratories, a background in chemical, biological, and/or radiological safety issues

Q: What are the SOS Representatives responsibilities?
A: The work unit SOS Representative is responsible for the following actions:

• Ensure that you and your work unit complete all EH&S required safety training based on the Safety Training Self-Assessment available through (TED) - www.ted.uci.edu.
• Complete the Hazard Assessment and Corrections Tool for your work unit at least every 3 years, or whenever your work environment changes significantly. Ensure that identified hazards are addressed and corrected.
• Conduct work unit specific training identified in the Hazard Assessment and Corrections Tool at least every three years, for new employees or whenever your work environment changes significantly.
• Develop Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as necessary.
• Maintain written records for work unit specific training.

Q: What is the Hazard Assessment & Corrections tool and how does the SOS Representative (SR) complete it?
A: The Hazard Assessment & Corrections tool is designed for specific work environments to help SOS Representatives (SRs) inventory work unit specific hazards, and devise methods of correction (including work unit specific training). The Hazard Assessment & Corrections tool should be reviewed and updated periodically but no less than every three (3) years.

Q: What are Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)?
A: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are written documents that highlight safe procedures and steps for hazardous work processes in which employees are involved. EH&S maintains an SOP Library to assist work units in creating work unit specific SOPs, including templates and specific SOP examples.

Q: What is work unit specific training?
A: Work unit specific training is safety training that addresses hazards and processes found only in that work unit, and is beyond the standard EH&S course offerings. It is provided or organized by the supervisor or SOS Representative (SR).

Q: Does the work unit need to keep records for SOS activities and for work unit specific training?
A: Yes. The work unit may be asked to provide documentation of the following accomplishments:

• Completed Hazard Assessment & Corrections tool
• Records of work unit specific training
• Records of work unit performed inspections

Q: How does the work unit maintain the records?
A: The method is decided by the work unit. Records may be maintained electronically or on paper, but must be available upon request. EH&S has designed an optional binder for organizing SOS records. This binder is available upon request by contacting EH&S at 824-6200.

Rev. 05/07