Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)

An accident prevention plan is a plan to identify, assess, and prevent hazards in our organization.

The Evergreen State College Accident Prevention Program 2025 (PDF 11.8 MB)

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs in rock and soil and was used in many building products for its heat and chemical resistance as well as fiber strength. As negative health effects associated with asbestos exposure emerged, asbestos was prohibited/eliminated from many building materials.

Asbestos Hazards

Asbestos fibers become hazardous when they are inhaled.  Exposure to asbestos increases your risk of developing a lung disease, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma.  Since exposure to asbestos requires it to be airborne, undisturbed asbestos does not pose a health risk.  However, damage to asbestos containing materials (ACM) can release asbestos fibers into the air which can become an inhalation hazard.

What You Need to Know

In order to comply with federal and state regulations and keep the campus community safe, all employees have a role to play in asbestos safety by understanding and following current policies and procedures.

Is There Asbestos in My Building?

While some areas on campus have been tested to see if they contain asbestos, many have not.  Without any testing information, it should be assumed to be in any building material that is not wood, metal, or glass.

Common asbestos-containing building materials on-campus include floor tiles, sheet vinyl flooring, mastics, wallboard joint compound, plaster, pipe insulation, ceiling tiles, textured walls and ceilings, and laboratory countertops and equipment.  Any possible ACM needs to be sampled by certified asbestos sampling staff before the material is disturbed.

Training Requirements

All employees are required to complete an Online Asbestos Awareness Training.  Please contact EH&S if you need help with training access.

Employees that take samples for asbestos analysis are required to have AHERA training.  If you need a sample taken to determine if asbestos is present, a member of the asbestos sampling team will be able to help you.

Evergreen requires only certified asbestos contractors may repair, remove, or encapsulate ASM.

Asbestos Exposure Prevention

Intact asbestos material does not pose a health hazard, but if the material becomes disturbed or damaged, asbestos fibers can be released into the air and inhaled.  To protect yourself and the community, observe the following safety measures.

• Complete the required online asbestos awareness training.
• Be aware that asbestos is present in many buildings on campus.  
• Immediately report damaged suspect asbestos building materials to your supervisor or fill out a work request form.
• Do not try to repair or renovate any building space yourself, no matter what size of the project.  
• Do not install equipment yourself that requires access above the ceiling, inside walls, in attics, or in crawlspaces.
• Do not fasten items to walls with screws, pins, nails, or hangars.
• Be careful not to damage walls, ceilings, or floors when moving furniture or equipment.
• Do not brush, sweep, or vacuum damaged building materials.
• Do not enter demarcated asbestos removal areas for any reason.

Questions?

If you have any questions about asbestos in your work area or need to have an space evaluated for possible ACM, please contact EHS@evergreen.edu.

Defining Chemical Waste

Hazardous chemical waste is defined as any liquid, gaseous, or solid chemical that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, toxic, or persistent, and is no longer useful or wanted. Examples of hazardous waste include:

• Non-empty aerosol spray cans
• Certain cleaning products 
• Laboratory chemicals
• Paints and solvents
• Electronics, batteries, and light bulbs

For more information on how to determine if you have a hazardous waste, check out the facilities chemical waste manual or Section 8 in the laboratory safety manual.  If you need help determining if you have a hazardous chemical waste, contact Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) at ehs@evergreen.edu 

Chemical Waste Collection

Once you have determined that you have a hazardous chemical waste, it is time to have it removed.  EH&S is responsible for the collection of chemical waste for the college.  You cannot contract with an outside vendor for your own waste disposal. You must work through EH&S. 

For periodic chemical waste collection please contact EH&S.
For a one-time chemical waste collection, you will need to:

• Label your waste with a Dangerous/Hazardous Waste Tag,
• Fill out the Dangerous/Hazardous Waste Collection form and return it to EH&S, and
• Provide an account to cover the cost

Note to faculty artists and laboratory researchers: Please work with the area staff to have your hazardous chemical waste removed. 

Should I Get Rid of Unused Chemicals/Cleaning Products?

Chemicals with faded labels, deteriorating containers, or if they are leaking should be disposed of.  These present a risk of exposure to employees and spills into the environment.  Additionally, if you no longer have a use for the chemical/cleaning product, do not wait until the container is compromised to get it removed; Avoid spill cleanups and accident reports down the road.

What If I Do Not Know The Contents of The Container?

It will need to be disposed of as hazardous waste.  Gather as much information as you can and contact EH&S for assistance.  EH&S will ask questions like:

• What do you think it might be?
• Where was the container when you found it?
• What kind of work is/was done in the area?

EHS may also want to schedule a time visually inspect the container. 

The Hazardous Waste Guide For Facilities Staff contains instructions for a list of specific facilities-related wastes as well as general guidance for spills and disposal. This guide was written for the Evergreen facilities, however, if other areas produce the chemical wastes discussed below, they can use this as well.

Hazardous Waste Guide For Facilities Staff (PDF 200 KB)

Have you spotted a hazard on our campuses? Reporting unsafe conditions helps us identify areas where accidents are likely to occur and will be used to prevent future incidents. Unsafe conditions can be reported anonymously using the Report a Hazard or Incident form. 

What to Do if Injury Occurs

Employees must promptly report all accidents, occupational injuries or illnesses and near misses to their supervisor and Environmental Health and Safety.

Send all information including date, time, what equipment was in use (if any) and other pertinent details to ehs@evergreen.edu.

The employee and/or their supervisor will complete an OSHA's 301: Injury and Illness Incident Report for all accidents resulting in occupational injuries and illnesses. 

Supervisors and/or employees must report any major injury/accident resulting in a hospital visit, amputation or death within eight hours of the incident.

Accidents resulting in equipment damage must also be reported through the Hazard or Incident form.

Seeking Treatment

Ensure that the injured employee gets appropriate medical treatment right away. Your work area should have a first aid kit for treating minor injuries. Call 911 for serious injuries.

The injured employee can be treated by an off-campus healthcare provider for more serious injuries.

• Check to make sure the provider is authorized by Washington State Labor and Industries.
• Employees cannot use the on-campus Wellness Center.

Filling Out and Submitting the Injury Report Form

If possible, the injured employee should fill out the Injury Report Form. If the employee is unable to fill out the form, their supervisor will fill out the form to the best of their ability.

Once the form is completed, copies should be distributed to the following within five business days:

• Environmental Safety & Health – Taylor.Slaughter@evergreen.edu
• Human Resources – HRMedical@evergreen.edu
• Business Services – HoltL@evergreen.edu
• The injured employee

Accident Scene Preservation

The scene of the accident may need to be secured and preserved in some instances. Review full protocols for how to deal with a workplace injury.

More Information

• Complete protocols for how to deal with a workplace injury.
• Guide for those injured at work.
• Accident Prevention Program

Stormwater at Evergreen (PDF)

Find out how to protect storm water at Evergreen from pollution.

Campus Stormwater Information

• Stormwater Management Plan (PDF)
• Storm Drain Map (PDF)
• 2024 Stormwater Report (PDF)

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and plants, buildings, and other material. The primary concern with exposure to wildfire smoke is that it contains fine solid particles (also known as particulate matter) that are 2.5 micrometers (PM_2.5) in size or smaller. These tiny particles are harmful because they can reach deep into the lungs.

Breathing in wildfire smoke can produce harmful health effects and can impact individuals with certain preexisting health conditions and those who are sensitive to air pollution. Breathing wildfire smoke can cause:

• Itchy throat or eyes
• Coughing or phlegm
• Runny nose
• Headache
• Difficulty breathing
• Reduced lung function
• Aggravated asthma
• Heart failure
• Early death

Air Quality Reporting

Air quality information is reported primarily in two ways:

• Fine particulate matter called PM_2.5.
• Air Quality Index, or AQI for PM_2.5. AQI factors five major air pollutants including PM_2.5 into its measurement.

Check the Air Quality Index - AirNow.gov

When the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 72 (PM_2.5 20.5 µg/m³)

When the AQI is at 72 or higher, the college is responsible for:

• Having a written wildfire smoke safety plan.
• Determine employee smoke exposure levels before work and periodically during each shift when smoke is present.
• Training employees on wildfire smoke hazards, as well as training supervisors on how to respond to health issues caused by wildfire smoke.
• Informing employees of available protective measures against wildfire smoke.

When the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 101 (PM_2.5 35.5 µg/m³)

When the AQI is at 101 or higher, the college is responsible for:

• Alerting employees of the smoke levels.
• Providing respirators and encouraging their use.
• When feasible, limiting employee exposures to wildfire smoke.

When the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 351 (PM_2.5 250.5 µg/m³)

When the AQI is at 351 or higher, the college is responsible for:

• Alerting employees of the smoke levels.
• Distributing respirators and encouraging their use.
• When feasible, limiting employee exposures to wildfire smoke.

When the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 849 (PM_2.5 500.4 µg/m³) and Beyond

When the AQI is at 849 or more, voluntary use of N95s is no longer sufficient, and employees must be enrolled in the respiratory protection program. Please contact EH&S if working in smoke conditions at AQI 849 or above is necessary for your job.

Training

Personnel must be trained on information regarding wildfire smoke before work that exposes the individual to AQI of 69 (PM_2.5 levels of 20.5 µg/m³) or higher, and at least annually thereafter.

The Wildfire Smoke Safety Training course is available as a module through HSI.  If you need access to HSI or have this or another module added to your safety training requirements please contact EH&S.

Need assistance?

EH&S is available for consultation during wildfire smoke events that impacts the college campuses and facilities. To request assistance from EH&S please contact us.

Visit the Washington Smoke Blog for updated outdoor air quality information.

For more information on the requirements from Washington State Labor & Industries to keep workers safe, visit Wildfire Smoke & Workplace Safety and Health.

No Smoking Policy

No Smoking Policy

The goal of our smoking policy is to meet the needs of smokers while respecting the right to avoid second hand smoke by non-smokers. While the college core is smoke-free and smoking inside campus buildings and within the campus core is not allowed, the College permits smoking outside the campus core in "Designated Smoking Areas". Evergreen's smoking policy is peer enforced. For more information about the smoking policy, contact Environmental Health and Safety.

Designated Smoking Areas

Smoking is allowed only in designated areas. The smoking shelters campus map shows the locations of all four designated smoking areas.

Smoking Shelter locations

• In front of the Carving Studio
• Behind the Library
• Behind the Housing Community Center (HCC)
• Behind the Communications (COM) building, next to the Central Utility Plant (CUP)

Campus Map - Smoking Shelters (PDF 2.4 MB)