Resources for maintaining a healthy and safe facility.
At the North Campus Research Complex, protection of the environment and safety on the job is everyone’s responsibility. Here we provide you with multiple resources to ensure your office and lab space is safe at all times.
The University of Michigan is committed to preserving the health and safety of its faculty and staff. There are 3 ways to access ergonomic services at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor:
Prevention services are available to all faculty and staff interested in preventing physical discomfort while performing job tasks. There is NO CHARGE for the assessments, but purchasing of recommended office equipment or furniture will be the responsibility of the employee’s department.
- For Ann Arbor campus employees request a consultation
- For Medical School employees complete the Ergonomics Services Request Form
- For Health System employees contact Safety Management Services at 764-4427
- For more information please visit Environment, Health & Safety at U-M
Requests can be made on the website for Environment, Health & Safety at U-M.
Requests MUST come from the supervisor or their delegate. The delegate can be anyone the supervisor wants to appoint, but requests should only come from one person in a lab.
U-M EHS requires eyewash stations be inspected by lab personnel on a monthly basis. Part of that inspection includes flushing the eyewashes for 3 minutes or until the water runs clear. The majority of eyewash stations at NCRC are connected to an alarm system which notifies NCRC Security Post 1 in the event of an activation.
In order to continue efforts to support research and streamline communications with NCRC Security Post 1 it has been agreed that the inspections for U-M labs at NCRC will now be carried out by an onsite service provider starting November 2015. They will conduct the 8 point check, detailed below, on a monthly basis. They will sign off the EHS Eyewash Inspection Form that is, or will be, attached to each eyewash station.
EHS 8 Point Eyewash Check
- Eyewash access unobstructed (note any showers that are obstructed too)
- Eyewash covers in place
- Bowl and eyepieces clean
- Flow is effective and continuous
- Protective eyewash covers come off when activated
- Adequate flow from both eyepieces
- Water drains from bowl
- Flush eyewash for 3 minutes (or until water is clear)
The service provider has been instructed to carry out the inspection of all eyewash stations in U-M laboratories and support rooms at NCRC with the exception of space assigned specifically to ULAM or ASOR. Space within vivarium that is assigned to one or more PIs will be inspected by the service provider. If you would prefer to continue to inspect your own eyewash station(s) then please let Medical School Facilities know by emailing [email protected] with details of the location(s). Examples may be laboratories or support rooms with sensitive equipment where strict access control is required.
The EHS Representatives support this initiative but have agreed that responsibility for ensuring that the inspections are carried out rests with the laboratories. Labs should therefore monitor their eyewash inspection tags to confirm that they are being inspected by the service provider each month. Lab personnel should contact [email protected] immediately if an inspection has not been carried out by the end of any given calendar month. The labs maintain responsibility for ensuring eyewash stations and safety showers are unobstructed. U-M Plant Operations, Facilities Maintenance will continue to carry out annual tests of eyewashes and safety showers.
If you have any questions or wish to opt out of this service please contact [email protected].
Medical School Facilities will offer three waste containers from EHS to NCRC occupants.
These containers will be stocked by Research Services and will be located in Common Container Supply Rooms: B20/134W-B, B26/107E and B520/T112.
- Five Gallon Carboy: used to collect liquid wastes
- Five Gallon Chemical Waste Pail: used for the collection of solid chemical wastes
- One Gallon Glass Bottles: used to collect liquid wastes, supplied as 4/box. Do not break down box contents.
If other chemical waste containers or labels and manifests are needed, please continue to order those through EHS HazMat at 734-763-4568 or online at: https://ehs.umich.edu/haz-waste/request-collection-and-supplies
Please Volunteer for NCRC’s Building Incident Response Team
In an effort to promote coordinated emergency response actions, the NCRC participates in the University's Building Incident Response Team (BIRT) program. This program has also been successfully adopted by the College of Literature, Arts, and Sciences, Law School, Dental School, School of Social Work, School of Information and Rackham Graduate School.
NCRC Building Incident Response Teams are led by Medical School Facilities and made up of volunteer faculty and staff members from each occupant group throughout the entire NCRC campus. Team leaders will be appointed as BIRT Liaisons, who will be expected to interface with first responders and coordinate the volunteer BIRT Members. Together, BIRT Liaisons and BIRT Members will assist in quickly evacuating buildings due to a fire condition or directing people to shelter in the event of severe weather.
Participants never will be expected to place themselves in any danger; rather, they will be an essential link in the safety chain. The BIRT program relies on its members being familiar with their immediate area, being familiar with evacuation procedures, maintaining a calm demeanor in an emergency, and assisting emergency first responders to identify individuals requiring special assistance.
The NCRC is requesting that each occupant group/unit assign at least one individual to this program. If an occupant group is located on more than one floor or in more than one building, then a BIRT Member from each separate location is needed.
More Information
If interested in volunteering, please contact Rhonda Sarkisian.
Other Resources
MCARDS: Why Do We Have to Use Them Every Time W Come In?
The University of Michigan DPSS makes the safety and security of their students, patients, visitors, faculty, staff and researchers a high priority. We appreciate the important work you do and thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. If you have any security concerns, please contact NCRC Security at 734-764-9000 and request to speak to a Security Officer. For further information about DPSS, you can also visit our website at http://www.dpss.umich.edu/.
Emergencies: Dial 911
Non-emergencies:
Dial 734-936-7890 for The Division of Public Safety and Security
For all police, fire and medical needs dial 911. No need to dial 9 before 911 from a desk phone. Dialing 911 from your cell phone will connect you to the county, inform them you are at the University of Michigan, they will then dispatch you to the Division of Public Safety & Security (DPSS).
Services DPSS Provides:
- Personal escorts to and from your vehicle
- Jump start dead car batteries
- Car unlocks
- Various reports, such as criminal incidents, noncriminal incidents, and misconduct
- Well being checks
- Community outreach for gun control, suspicious activity, and workplace violence
- 24/7 Police and Security Service, contact: Division of Public Safety and Security at 734-936-7890 or 734-763-1131 (either number will get the same response)
The following are all ways to stay informed of weather conditions threatening campus:
- Radio/Internet: NOAA Weather Radio or www.weather.gov/dtx, 89.1 FM, 102.9 FM, 107.1 FM, 1050 AM, or 1290 AM.
- Television/Internet: WJBK Fox Detroit or www.fox2detroit.com, WDIV Detroit or www.clickondetroit.com, WXYZ Detroit or www.wxyz.com, or local cable channel.
- The U-M Police Department (UMPD) will provide regular updates via www.dpss.umich.edu
Nearly all buildings are divided into fire compartments to limit the spread of smoke or fire. You will find them in laboratories, mechanical rooms, stairways, and at other building fire separations.
Fire doors serve an important function in helping to maintain the integrity of the compartments and should remain closed and latched at all times. Unlatched fire doors can be blown open by heat and smoke contributing to the spread of fire and increased damage to property.
There are several ways you can determine if a door is rated fire door:
- All fire doors have self-closing hardware.
- All fire doors have labels on the inner leaf indicating their listing and fire rating.
- Fire doors may have a wire-glass vision panel no larger than 100 square inches.
Fire doors help protect life safety and valuable research and should never be propped open. Any questions regarding fire doors can be directed to Fire Inspector [email protected].
When using a fire extinguisher remember to use the PASS Technique:
- Pull the pin
- Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
- Squeeze the handle
- Sweep the fire from side to side until it's extinguished
Remember that all fires MUST be reported to the University Police Department and NCRC Operations, no matter how small.
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are lightweight, battery-operated, portable devices that untrained bystanders can use to save the life of someone having sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). An alarm will sound when an AED cabinet is opened. Each cabinet also contains a First Aid Kit.
NCRC AED Locations
- B10 First floor lobby
- B14 First floor south stair outside room 171
- B16 Basement wellness center
- B16 Ground floor elevator lobby
- B16 First floor elevator lobby
- B18 Lobby entrance
- B18 Dining hall (includes infant/child pads
- B18 First floor outside room 122
- B20 First floor center corridor
- B20 Third floor center corridor
- B26 First floor north elector lobby
- B26 Third floor north elevator lobby
- B32 Lobby entrance
- B35 Ground floor outside room G491
- B80 First floor (Power plant)
- B90 Room 104 (Security Post 90)
- B100 Lobby entrance
- B300 Ground floor elevator lobby
- B520 First floor east elevator lobby (includes infant/child pads
- B520 Third floor east elevator lobby
How to Use an Automated External Defibrillator
The image shows a typical setup using an automated external defibrillator (AED). The AED has step-by-step instructions and voice prompts that enable an untrained bystander to correctly use the machine.
A list of MSF maintained AEDs available at the Medical School can be found on the MSA website [Requires access to Michigan Medicine Sharepoint].
In recent years, the University of Michigan has received several notices of violation of hazardous materials shipping regulations from the US Department of Transportation - Federal Aviation Administration (DOT-FAA). The most recent notice was received in the last two weeks; this recent incident was similar to those previous events. A package containing dry ice was found during a random inspection at the UPS sorting facility without the required identity of contents and proper labeling. Dry ice is regulated as a hazardous material when offered for shipment by air and as such has specific declaration, packaging, and labeling requirements to ensure it is moved safely. Dry ice presents hazards due to pressure buildup as it sublimates to carbon dioxide gas and it will displace oxygen in an area - both present a problem within a closed aircraft. We are sure you agree it is not acceptable for UM research operations to create a potentially hazardous condition for others in our community.
In earlier incidents the researchers who prepared the non-compliant packages for shipment were untrained and unaware of shipping requirements and associated paperwork. Since those earlier violations, the university has undertaken extensive outreach and training efforts to the campus community on issues of DOT-FAA compliance on packages and shipments of dry ice. We will continue those outreach and training efforts, and are currently vetting some possible service enhancements to assist with this problem, but it is imperative that everyone who may be shipping hazardous materials take responsibility for ensuring regulatory compliance. Financial penalties for failure to comply with hazardous materials shipping regulations have been severe in some cases, and the responsible units will be held liable.
Any campus employee who intends to ship hazardous materials, including biological specimens with or without dry ice, must be trained on the appropriate methods of preparing packages, labeling, marking, and manifesting. This includes those who prepare paperwork for hazardous materials shipments and those who pack the parcels for shipment. Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) offers certification training for shippers of hazardous materials, including dry ice. For questions or to sign up for training please contact EHS at 647-1143 or visit EHS Safety Training.
We urge you to share this message with all of your principal investigators, key staff members, research fellows and student research assistants who might ship regulated hazardous materials to help make them aware of this regulatory risk.
Winter weather is quickly approaching which leads to questions and concerns about snow removal. Below is a summary of services in place at NCRC to accommodate inclement weather.
The sidewalks and driveways at NCRC are serviced by U-M Grounds. Walks are cleared when accumulation reaches approximately 1/2". The crews will return if accumulation continues depending on the forecast and anticipated snowfall.
The priority entrances for snow removal are Building 75 (Childcare), and approaches to lobbies in Buildings 10, 16, 18, 32, and 520, including bus stops. The next priority are other entrances such as those in Buildings 14, 22, 100, 200/300 and 520 South. The crews move to emergency exits to ensure they are cleared. Beginning January 2018 buildings being activated for the Pathology renovation will be added to the service. All driveway and walkway snow and ice issues should be reported to the Facilities Service Center (FSC) at 734-647-2059 immediately.
Courtyards at NCRC are closed once inclement weather begins. Access will be restricted to these areas with the use of signage and temporary barriers. Occupants are discouraged from bypassing the barriers for their own safety.
Parking lots, structures, and docks are maintained by U-M Logistics, Transportation & Parking. These areas are usually plowed when accumulation reaches 2". Stockpiled snow may not be removed immediately and may take up parking spaces until it is removed or it melts. Any issues in the lots should be reported to Parking Maintenance 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday at (734) 764-1225.
Remember not to park over the sidewalks in the winter. This allows for a more thorough clearing of snow and reduces the risk of damage to vehicles.
- Wear proper footwear. Proper footwear should place the entire foot on the surface of the ground and have visible treads. Avoid a smooth sole and opt for a heavy treaded shoe with a flat bottom.
- Plan ahead. While walking on snow or ice on sidewalks or in parking lots, walk consciously. Instead of looking down, look up and see where your feet will move next to anticipate ice or an uneven surface. Occasionally scan from left to right to ensure you are not in the way of vehicles or other hazards.
- Use your eyes and ears. While seeing the environment is important, you also want to be sure you can hear approaching traffic and other noises. Avoid listening to music or engaging in conversation that may prevent you from hearing oncoming traffic or snow removal equipment.
- Anticipate ice. Be weary of thin sheets of ice that may appear as wet pavement (black ice). Often ice will appear in the morning, in shady spots or where the sun shines during the day and melted snow refreezes at night.
- Walk steps slowly. When walking down steps, be sure to grip handrails firmly and plant your feet securely on each step.
- Enter a building carefully. When you get to your destination such as school, work, shopping center, etc., be sure to look at the floor as you enter the building. The floor may be wet with melted snow and ice.
- Be careful when you shift your weight. When stepping off a curb or getting into a car, be careful since shifting your weight may cause an imbalance and result in a fall.
- Avoid taking shortcuts. Shortcuts are a good idea if you are in a hurry, but may be a bad idea if there is snow and ice on the ground. A shortcut path may be treacherous because it is likely to be located where snow and ice removal is not possible.
- Look up. Be careful about what you walk under. Injuries also can result from falling snow/ice as it blows, melts, or breaks away from awnings, buildings, etc.
Automatic sprinklers are always on duty to save lives and protect valuable research. Nearly all buildings at NCRC have automatic sprinkler protection. Sprinklers are designed to activate directly over a fire when the heat at the ceiling exceeds a pre-determined temperature. The liquid in the glass bulb expands, breaks the bulb, and water begins to flow. Contrary to popular belief, sprinklers do not turn on when you activate a fire alarm pull station. The following tips will help to ensure the fire sprinklers in your area are ready to respond in the event of a fire:
- Items should never be hung from a sprinkler head or sprinkler piping to prevent accidental activation.
- Items should never be stacked closer than 18 inches below the sprinkler heads so that the water can properly spray.
- Missing ceiling tiles can delay the activation of automatic sprinklers in the event of a fire and should always be reported and reinstalled right away.
Remember that all fires MUST be reported to the Division of Public Safety and Security, no matter how small.
For non-emergency situations in which the elevators are not functioning and a person is presently unable to take the stairs as needed to leave the building:
Please contact Plant Operations Call Center (734) 647-2059 for immediate repair, or at least to verify that they are aware of the situation. Do let them know folks are stranded. Please ensure you differentiate if there is a person trapped in a elevator car versus simply unable to leave from an upper floor. They will treat this as a high priority, but the repair may take some time. We ask that occupants try to wait for one hour, or until the repair has been completed.
If after one hour the repair is still ongoing or unable to be completed, then it would be appropriate for a stranded occupant to contact call 911. UMPD will contact Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA), who is equipped and trained for such moves. To be clear, HVA will bill the person requesting assistance. Also of note, if the person requesting assistance has extremely heavy equipment to accommodate, the equipment may be left in place, and the person needing assistance may be transported to their residence or hospital without it.
