Retail and Physical Support Service

Date: 
Thursday, January 21, 2016 - 9:15am
Location: 
AV Physical Plant Meeting Room
Minutes: 

Present: Steve Girvin, Matt Serino, Stan Nemec, Fred Plank, Hugh Briggs

Regrets: Mike Davis, Brian Cox, Rob McCluskey, Brenda Rojik

 

OLD Business:

       A)        The Ryan building stairway, closest to the library is very cold.  Mostly the area      from the 1st floor down. The housekeeping employee advised that once she washed            the stairs ice formed on the stairs.  She had to take a rag and physically wipe the stairs to prevent it from icing up.  Alex will put a work order in to check on the heater        and see what can be done about this problem.

  • Dec.18, 2014 -Ursula will check with housekeeping in January when the real cold weather returns
  • Oct.22, 2015 waiting for quotes to replace heating unit, traditionally trouble with the doors

January 21, 2016 Steve explained that the weather stripping on the bottom of the stairs has been changed and it appears that this has helped with this situation. The heater is also working fine. Stan advised that he has had no concerns with the area either unlike in previous year.  Ursula will check with housekeeping but perhaps this issue is now resolved.

B)        Asbestos update – remediation is occurring on annual asbestos abatement program.  Pulp lab in CB will be abated in December and some work in the old “Junction”/Post Office” area will be done in January 2016.  Discussions on program for dusting is ongoing with housekeeping staff, as per Hugh Briggs.

            The CB work is completed, the Junction/Post Office area is almost complete.

            C)        Housekeeping – lighting by the Library courtyard, CNFER and RC very low light levels and not pathway lights in that area.  Steve will ask security for any issues and price out the cost of installing some lights.

            Nov.19, 2015 -Security did not respond to Steve as of yet but the housekeeping member of the Committee confirmed that indeed it is very dark in this area. Someone suggested that it is possible that the lights at CNFER canopy are on a timer and go out when housekeeping staff are working.  Ursula will put in a work order to check to see if this maybe happening.  Pending results we may be looking at some other solutions.

            W/O # 154202

            The work order revealed that a breaker which supplied power for the lights under the canopy was shut off. The breaker was been reset which should now provide sufficient lighting in this area.  Ursula will check with housekeeping to confirm that the lights are working and the situation has been resolved.

            D.   Steve send an email to Lorne Clifford re procedures to be reviewed re: threat at ATAC in September. First in should be emergency respondents not LU personnel.

            Nov.19, 2015 – a long discussion ensued and Ursula advised that she will speak to Lorne about the concern expressed by the mechanical group.

            Hugh has spoken with Lorne and according to Lorne our employees when faced with this type of situation have every right to say no to the police officers.

            E.  Ursula spoke about GHS. The Ontario legislation has now been passed.  Ursula will updated the Committee more about this at the next meeting including any updates on training.

            F.  Steve and Matt have completed JHSC certification training Part 1. Part 2 of the training as soon as possible.

             G.  Steve reported that the floor in the Power house is breaking.  There are no vehicles allowed inside. The area is cornered off with signs advising of the danger, until such time as a decision is made how the floor will be fixed. Jan.21, 2016 Steve advised that this project will be put on a list of capital projects for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

 

Injury Report;

No injuries to report.

Near Misses:

None during this period

Inspections Outstanding;

  • Library  (Mike & Ursula)
  • Forestry Garage & Greenhouse (Matt & Stan)
  • University Centre (Rob & Mike)
  • PACI (Fred & Steve)

                                   

New Business:

1.  Matt advised that at times radios do not work in PACI especially in the basement/chiller room.

One way to address this problem is to install a hard wired phone.  Steve will put in a ticket

have a phone installed in this area.

2.  Hugh advised of the following projects;

  • One stop initiative – the first priority to move all current occupants to allow for asbestos abatement in the area
  • CNFER – the current occupants will be moved out by March 31, 2016. After that the space will undergo some work and the new place will be referred to as CASES (Center for Advancement for studies in Engineering and Sciences.)
  • ELP (English language program) – will be vacating the space in PACI but at this time no alternate location has been selected

3.  Hugh advised that a list from the 2015 asbestos audit will be complied in the next month or so.  This list identifies areas with highest priority for asbestos abatement.  Any work from this list will start in the new fiscal year (May 01, 2016.)

4.  The Asbestos Management program at Lakehead University is under review. An external consultant has been hired.  The consultant has visited the campus and will write his report based on information gathered.  This review was initiated by the Office of the President and as such it will be shared with the Senate and all other parties involved.  The consultant hired to undertake this work is Pinchin Environmental.

5.  Ursula reminded everyone that a while ago she send a copy Terms of Reference for the Committee. She has requested that members of the Committee please read the document before the next meeting so that we can review them and update as needed.

6.  Hugh advised thatLakehead University Physical Plant has determined that removing all or part of a false ceiling to obtain access to a work area in the CB, UC or RB buildings is likely to have asbestos containing materials lying on the surface of the false ceiling.  This is due to the age of the spray fire proofing material that has been used in CB, UC and RB.  Ontario Regulation 278/05 Asbestos Table 2 stipulates which type of respirator is required to be used upon the work category.  For the work described above an air purifying full-facepiece respirator with N-100, R-100 particulate filter is required. For further clarification please review the attached excerpts from the Regulation. Please also review the entire Regulation. Two attachments with the information will be provide with these minutes on this subject.

 

Meeting adjourned at 10:25 a.m.

 

NEXT MEETING:    Thursday, February 18, 2016 in Avila – Physical Plant meeting room at 9:00 a.m.

Retail and Physical Support Service

Date: 
Friday, April 1, 2016 - 10:00am
Location: 
AV Physical Plant Meeting Room
Minutes: 

Present: Steve Girvin, Stan Nemec, Fred Plank, Mike Davis, Brian Cox

 Regrets:  Rob McCluskey, Brenda Rojik, Matt Serino, Hugh Briggs

 

OLD Business:

      

  1.        A.  Ursula spoke about GHS. The Ontario legislation has now been passed.  Ursula        will updated the Committee more about this at the next meeting including any updates     on training.

            B.  Steve reported that the floor in the Power house is breaking.  There are no vehicles allowed inside. The area is cornered off with signs advising of the danger, until such time as a decision is made how the floor will be fixed. Jan.21, 2016 Steve advised that this project will be put on a list of capital projects for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

            C.  Matt advised that at times radios do not work in PACI especially in the basement/chiller room.

            One way to address this problem is to install a hard wired phone.  Steve will put in a work order in to have a phone installed in this area.

            April 21, 2016 – a phone has been installed in this location. A discussion was held and Fred advised that the issue with the radios will continue in certain areas.  The radio system is older and it will require a significant amount of money to purchases a new system.  Steve advised that many of his staff have started carrying cell phones.  Steve will speak with Hugh to develop a communications strategy, perhaps the way to deal with this issue are cell phones.

            D.  Hugh advised of the following projects;

  • One stop initiative – the first priority to move all current occupants to allow for asbestos             abatement in the area
  • ELP (English language program) – will be vacating the space in PACI but at this time no alternate location has been selected

            E.  Hugh advised that a list from the 2015 asbestos audit will be complied in the next             month or so.  This list identifies areas with highest priority for asbestos abatement.  Any             work from this list will start in the new fiscal year (May 01, 2016.)

            F.  The Asbestos Management program at Lakehead University is under review. An             external consultant has been hired.  The consultant has visited the campus and will write his report based on information gathered.  This review was initiated by the Office of the President and as such it will be shared with the Senate and all other parties involved.  The consultant hired to undertake this work is Pinchin Environmental.  April 21 – Steve advised that the report is completed and it is with Senior management for a review.

5.  Ursula reminded everyone that a while ago she send a copy Terms of Reference for the Committee. She has requested that members of the Committee please read the document before the next meeting so that we can review them and update as needed.

6.  Hugh advised that Lakehead University Physical Plant has determined that removing all or part of a false ceiling to obtain access to a work area in the CB, UC or RB buildings is likely to have asbestos containing materials lying on the surface of the false ceiling.  This is due to the age of the spray fire proofing material that has been used in CB, UC and RB.  Ontario Regulation 278/05 Asbestos Table 2 stipulates which type of respirator is required to be used upon the work category.  For the work described above an air purifying full-facepiece respirator with N-100, R-100 particulate filter is required. For further clarification please review the attached excerpts from the Regulation. Please also review the entire Regulation. Two attachments with the information will be provide with these minutes on this subject.

Injury Report;

January – none

February – none

March – 1 lost time (1.5 days). Employee (admin. asst) fell in parking lot 5 during a bad winter storm.  Employee hurt right hip and lower back.  Continues to seek treatment but has returned to work.

March – Medical aid. Employee (shipping and receiving) while working with another employee unloading a cart from a shipping truck, the cart unexpectedly bounced off the ground. The handle of the cart struck the employee on the right cheek below the eye. The employee required stiches.

 

Near Misses:

Jan – none

Feb – a library assistant slipped and fell and hit head at the Circulation desk. The fall may have been caused by the loose gravel on the floor in front of the circulation desk.

March – Electrician scraped the top of the right hand between the thumb & pointer finger when removing a fuse in a very tight area. The employee was reminded by his supervisor to ensure to wear gloves which can protect the hands.

March – Housekeeping employee (residence). Employee on ice on the roadway on the way to work when crossing from parking lot. Employee hurt right side of her back, elbow and left shoulder.

March – Employee from a mechanical group twisted lower back when throwing out some old tubing into a BFI bin. It appears that there was ice buildup around the BFI bin causing the employee to slip and fall.

March – Housekeeping employee reported that she had injured herself while working on an event off campus. She stated that she pulled something in her back.

April – Faculty (NRM). Employee slipped on icy surface outside the MVA building. Employee advised that he had a sore right knee.

April – Mail Room & Print shop. Employee fell on icy surface outside the print shop. Employee advised that he had a sore right knee.

April – Admin. Asst. Nursing – Employee slipped on icy surface in the parking lot. Not certain of the injury.

 

Inspections Outstanding;

  • Library  (Mike & Ursula)
  • Forestry Garage & Greenhouse (Matt & Stan)
  • University Centre (Rob & Mike)
  • PACI (Fred & Steve)

New Business:

1.         Steve spoke about upcoming projects. 

Physical Plant will be digging a hole to replace a hydrant on Rheume Street which will involve closing part of the street to all traffic.

There will also be digging going on in parking Lots 13 & 14

2.         Steve also spoke about the new hearing protection regulation. Ursula will look into this             further to see how it effects LU and we can discuss it at the next meeting. The changes come into effect July 01, 2016.

3.         Stan brought up the issue of possibly changing the time of the safety meeting to 10:00   a.m. as the 9:00 a.m. comes into a conflict for Stan with another meeting.

 

Meeting adjourned at 11:50 a.m.

NEXT MEETING:    Thursday, May 19, 2016 in Avila – Physical Plant meeting room at 9:00 a.m.

 

Labs and Studios Minutes – May 20th, 2016

Date: 
Friday, May 20, 2016 - 9:00am
Location: 
AT 3004
Minutes: 

Present:           E. Searle, M. Moore, T. Moore, C. Surette, J. Joncas, J. Sylvestre, M. Sorokopud, T. Alderson, F. Appoh, K. Bhatia

 

TIME Commenced:     9:01 AM

1.0   Agenda : None

2.0   Review of Minutes : Deferred

3.0   Inspection Report: Deferred

4.0   Injury Report : None

5.0   Old Business:

5.1   Chem Stores Vault Fan – update deferred.

6.0   New Business:

6.1   Field work safety – Dean of Humanities requests to add committee member.  Work ongoing

6.2   Housekeeping Instructions – Labs without Instruction signs will not be cleaned.

6.3   HPTA – Application submitted, and we are awaiting review; considered compliant until notified otherwise.

6.4   Muffle Furnace in Biology – Current ventilation unsuitable and the unit requires a fume hood.

6.5   New Health & Safety Training Course

6.5.1          Now self-enrolment

6.5.2          Self-select appropriate stream based on position on campus

6.5.3          Only appropriate material is revealed, based on chosen stream.

6.5.4          Non-L akehead personnel can get username from CEDL.

 

7.0   Other Business: None

8.0   Next Inspections:

8.1   PaleoDNA – KB/MM

8.2   Geology – JS/CS

8.3   Instrumentation - TBD

 

9.0   Adjournment:  9:24 AM

Labs and Studios Meeting Minutes - March 2016

Date: 
Friday, March 11, 2016 - 9:00am
Location: 
AT 3004
Minutes: 

TIME Commenced:     9:02AM

1.0   Agenda : Approved (ES/CS)

 

2.0   Review of Minutes December 9, 2015: Deferred

 

3.0   Inspection Report:

3.1   Deferred until next meeting.

 

4.0   Injury Report : Injuries reported in

1)      Visual Arts (cut hand, fainting), no recommendations

2)      Visual Arts (fainting), no recommendations

3)      Chemistry (chemical splash to eyes):

  1. Written notice to Supervisor reminding of the liability should contraventions continue
  2. Document all contraventions T. Moore to increase inspections
  3. Recommend laminated signs to put on benches reminding people to put on their safety glasses.
  4. Cc Dean SES.

 

5.0   Old Business

5.1   Field work Safety Committee

An inaugural meeting took place in late 2015.  A. Diochon is serving as chair.  Next meeting to be announced shortly, once T. Moore has drafted some documents for the committee members to review.

5.2   Chem Storage Vault

Fan is undersized for this space. S. Girvin to replace the fan in March.

6.0   New Business

6.1   Chemistry Incident

6.1.1         An incident that occurred on March 5 in CB 2040.  A bottle of mixed organic solvent waste ruptured and broke open concentrated acid and ammonia bottles stored in the same cabinet.  The resulting leak caused damage to the floor tiles and a mist (probably NH4Cl salt) to settle on lab surfaces.

  • Some question of availability to contact professor in charge, T. Moore to look into.
  • Waste bottle was old (generator long gone), and not inventoried, no waste request made.
  • Recommendations – proper storage of solvents and waste.
  • Prompt entry of waste into system (incident occurred 2 days after waste pickup).
  • Explore graduate student exit process to complement lab decommissioning.

6.2   Certification Training

6.2.1         J. Sylvestre and M. Sorokopud have both finished part 2 training.

6.2.2         J. Joncas expressed interest in being trained.

6.3 Awareness training for non-lab staff

6.3.1      T. Moore delivered Lab safety awareness training for physical plant staff in January.  Housekeepers will be receiving training shortly.

                6.4 Human Pathogens License

6.4.1      The License application has been submitted to PHAC, although the license has yet to be granted officially, we are in compliance and legally allowed to continue operations working with human pathogens in teaching and research.

 

                6.5 2015 Injury Stats

6.5.1      Injury stats for 2015 were discussed.  2015 had the lowest number of medical aid injuries in 8 eight years, but higher number of lost time injuries.

 

                6.6 Kinesiology Representative

       6.6.1      G. Togtema has left the University.  Kinesiology will be supplying the name of another elected representative.

 

6.7 Muffle Furnace

6.7.1      Concern regarding use of a muffle furnace in CB 3023 without adequate ventilation.  S. Girvin and T. Moore to investigate following the meeting.

 

6.8 Fire Testing Lab

6.8.1      Fire testing lab (in Lot 5) has been fully installed and is operational.  Some concern regarding SOPs being in place prior to research being conducted.  Additionally, annual inspections will be required for the crane and its components.  T. Moore working with supervisor to ensure appropriate safe guards are in place.

 

7.0   Other Business

 

8.0   Adjournment:  9:58 AM

 

9.0   Upcoming Inspections to be conducted the first Wednesday of each month at 9 am.  Members of the committee are asked to send T. Moore their availabilities for the remainder of the semester to ensure that we have worker members available to conduct these inspections.

9.1   BRI

9.2   Geology

9.3   Instrumentation

9.4   Kinesiology

9.5   Health Services

Office and Classrooms Minutes - August 20, 2015

Date: 
Thursday, August 20, 2015 - 10:30am
Location: 
Human Resources Board Room

Present:


Employee Members Management Members
Cindy Haggerty (COPE) Shanon Arnold (Schedule II)
Sue Viitala (Schedule II) Leslie Malcolm (Schedule II)

Faculty Members
Dr. Deli Li

Ursula MacDonald (Ex-Officio member)

Regrets:
N/A

Minutes: 

Ursula welcomed our new members.

1. Outstanding Business

• Ursula welcomed the following new members to our committee: Leslie Malcolm
(Schedule II Management); Dr. Deli Li, Faculty rep.

• Shanon Arnold volunteered for the position of Chair of the Committee

2. Inspections

• Regional centre; UC (except for basement as could not get access)
• Possible inspections next Friday, August 28th, 2015
• Next inspections for: Avila; ATAC; Fieldhouse; Centennial for winter break
• During inspections, we look for the following: electrical outlets; plugs; missing covers;
extension cords; power boxes (wooden); clean-up cables; ceiling tiles; broken cables, ie. live wires.

3. Injury and Accident Reports

A geology technician hurt knee at work; leaned on chair with wheels and fell.
May - nothing
No office injuries since June 2015
Ergonomic requests are ongoing; Ursula gets regular requests for new assessments;
Peter Watson is still doing them with approximately 30 per year. Assessments are
encouraged to avoid potential workplace injuries.

4. New Business/Open Discussion

1. Asbestos: Shanon said the asbestos report for 2015 will be ready in a month or so.
Inspections are ongoing. They are looking for asbestos you can see rather than being
invasive or destructive. The current removals were based on 2014 work. Once these
inspections are completed, they will tell you how to proceed and what to fix. People tend
to get "excited" when asbestos is mentioned and there have been several presentations
to the university community to answer any questions. Any concerns related to asbestos
should be directed to Ursula or Shanon.

2. Squirrel: The squirrel issue has been resolved. The holes have been plugged and it is
advisable to place food in containers outside of offices. This will discourage whatever
might be lurking in dark corners.

3. Training: Cindy asked a question as to where safety notices and updates were noted.
Green books are attached to all bulletin boards, ex. behind glass at Switchboard and
across from Security. It would be worth checking for them during inspections. They are
replaced as updates occur. The minutes are posted on the Heath and Safety website
along with everything else. Changes in legislation are emailed out to those who are
affected. Training should be completed by November.

Next meeting: November, 2015
Time: TBA in HR meeting room
Human Resources Meeting Room

Office and Classrooms Minutes - April 8, 2015

Date: 
Wednesday, April 8, 2015 - 10:30am
Location: 
Human Resources Office

Present

Employee Members Management Members
Cindy Haggerty (COPE)
Sue Viitala (Schedule II)

Ursula MacDonald (Ex-Officio member)
Regrets:
N/A

Minutes: 

Outstanding Business

In order to recruit new members who might be interested in serving on this committee, the following was decided:

• Tove will email Schedule II members to ask for:
a) an alternate for Schedule II and a management member
• Ursula will also talk to Laurie Forbes from LUFA with regard finding to a designate and alternate from faculty
• Ursula mentioned the an accessibility website is being developed; this might take longer than planned due to Tove's leaving.

2. Inspections

The Bora Laskin Building was done in December. The Centennial will be done this summer, (4th floor has been done). The Ryan Building is finished. May inspections will include: Braun Building-2nd floor; part of main floor; basement, finish Nursing, Psychology, Outdoor Recreation; Saunders Fieldhouse.

3. Injury and Accident Reports

Since December 2014, there have been various injuries. In March 2015, there were two
critical injuries.

4. New Business/Open Discussion

1. Asbestos: a faculty member found a "clump" of something in her office and brought it to
Physical Plant. Office was cleaned up and air testing was done; all was within
acceptable limits. Admin assistants' office as well as other offices were also tested with
the same results. Two holes in the CB were found and were plugged. It was suggested
that birds were getting in and disturbing the asbestos.
- Visible asbestos is checked once per year;
- an asbestos training "lunch and learn" has been planned; True Grit will be doing the
presentation regarding information on what to look for and how to handle if found.
- testing done in Avila - dust above light fixture tested and was found to contain fibres;
True Grit suggested area should be cleaned.

- top of glass case on 4th floor had sprayed on fire proofing containing asbestos; Type 2
cleaning was to be done; Shannon will take photos of the 4th floor and has taken pictures
of the ceiling; testing will be done on March 27.

2. Squirrel: A worker has been experiencing a "squirrel" problem in her office. North West
Pest Control was called in to investigate. They know where it is coming into the office
but not the building. Steve Girvin, Operations Manager, inspected the vent along the
wall; holes might be underneath vent. Ursula will follow up with Steve.
Will look for visible holes with Shanon; inspect exterior walls when snow is gone; talk to
Steve re: blocking off access to office via heat vents.

Next meeting: End of May 2015
Time: TBA in HR meeting room
Human Resources Meeting Room

Retail and Physical Support Service Minutes - November 19, 2015

Date: 
Thursday, November 19, 2015 - 9:00am
Location: 
Avila- Physical Plant meeting room

Present:
Steve Girvin, Matt Serino, Rob McCluskey, Stan Nemec, Brenda Rojik,

Regrets:
Hugh Briggs, Barb Figus, Mike Davis, Brian Cox

Time: 9:07 a.m.

Minutes: 

OLD Business:

A) The Ryan building stairway, closest to the library is very cold. Mostly the area from the 1st floor down. The housekeeping employee advised that once she washed the stairs ice formed on the stairs. She had to take a rag and physically wipe the stairs to prevent it from icing up. Alex will put a work order in to check on the heater and see what can be done about this problem.

  • Dec.18, 2014 -Ursula will check with housekeeping in January when the real cold weather returns
  • Oct.22, 2015 waiting for quotes to replace heating unit, traditionally trouble with the doors

May 29, 2014 - since it is summer now and last winter was especially harsh, this concern will be revisited in the fall/winter. Should the same condition occur the only option will be to install a heater over the stairs?

Jan. 15, 2015 -Ursula spoke with housekeeping and they advised that it may not be the heater or lack of heat in that area but rather the fact that the doors (from the outside) don't close properly, especially if there is an accumulation of snow. Steve Gervin said that he will put a work order in to have the doors checked.

April 16, 2015 – Steve will check on the door

B) Asbestos update – remediation is occurring on annual asbestos abatement program. Pulp lab in CB will be abated in December and some work in the old "Junction"/Post Office" area will be done in January 2016. Discussions on program for dusting is ongoing with housekeeping staff.

C) Ursula advised that the WHMIS program will be replaced by GHS. We are looking at purchasing on online training program for the training purposes. Ursula will speak more about this at the next meeting.

D) Housekeeping – lighting by the Library courtyard, CNFER and RC very low light levels and not pathway lights in that area. Steve will ask security for any issues and price out the cost of installing some lights.

Nov.19, 2015 -Security did not respond to Steve as of yet but the housekeeping member of the Committee confirmed that indeed it is very dark in this area. Someone suggested that it is possible that the lights at CNFER canopy are on a timer and go out when housekeeping staff are working. Ursula will put in a work order to check to see if this maybe happening. Pending results we may be looking at some other solutions.
W/O # 154202

4. Steve send an email to Lorne Clifford re procedures to be reviewed re: threat at ATAC in September. First in should be emergency respondents not LU personnel.
Nov.19, 2015 – a long discussion ensued and Ursula advised that she will speak to Lorne about the concern expressed by the mechanical group.

Injury Report;
No injuries to report.

Near Misses:
A grounds employee was removing snow on a wooden ramp leading to BB when his foot slipped and he jarred his knee. Fortunately, there was no lasting injury and the employee returned to work immediately.

Inspections Outstanding;
• Lot 5 House (Mike & Ursula)
• Library (Mike & Ursula)
• Physical Plant Building Maintenance (Steve & Rob)

New Business:

1. Ursula spoke about GHS. It appears that in spite of the fact that Ontario has not passed the GHS legislation some jurisdictions have, including Federal gov't. As a result some manufactures have begun supplying chemicals with new labels and MSDS sheets. By law until the Ontario gov't passes the new legislation the employer has until 2018 as a transition period. In spite of this, we have begun receiving chemicals with new information. Ursula has one source CCOHS website where training on GHS can be completed, it is an e-learning course. She will take the training and advise if it is something that others should be doing.

2. Steve and Matt will be taking JHSC certification training Part 1 starting Dec.8 to 10, 2015. This is a 3 day training course. They will then have to take Part 2 of the training as soon as possible.

3. Stairs between the RB and the Library (outside) there are often bicycles locked to the stairs and at least once the handle bars were creating a tripping hazard. All concerns with bicycle traffic should be reported to Security immediately.

4. Steve reported that the floor in the Power house is breaking. There are no vehicles allowed inside. The area is cornered off with signs advising of the danger, until such time as a decision is made how the floor will be fixed.

5. A discussion was held in regards how the University (i.e. Health and Safety, Security and the mechanics) respond to calls of "bad smells." Ursula advised that bad smell calls have been more frequent this fall but only in one instance has the smell been traced to activities in the lab. Ursula advised that although it is time consuming the mechanics are a crucial part of this process, as we rely on their expertise in terms of mechanical systems.

6. A power failure in the City a few days ago cause several buildings go to without power. 1294 Balmoral was one of those buildings. It has been noted that the Emergency Exit lights are battery operated and the batteries last 20 minutes only. It appears that some employees did not leave the building when the power went out and were then leaving the building when it was completely black. Ursula and Steve will look into this concern.

7. A long discussion was held about how Police and the administration responded to a recent threat against the University. Some members of the University expressed their concern that although the police presents on campus was very visible the University did not issue any information until later in the day. Ursula and Steve G advised that they were told that this was done on purpose at the directive of the police. In these types of situations the University will always adhere to the guidance of the police.

Meeting adjourned at 10:25 a.m.

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, December 17, 2015 in Avila – Physical Plant meeting room at 9:00 a.m.

 

Retail and Physical Support Service Minutes - April 16, 2015

Date: 
Thursday, April 16, 2015 - 9:15am
Location: 
Avila - Physical Plant meeting room

Present:
Ursula MacDonald, Steve Girvin, Brian Cox, Mike Davis, Barb Figus, Fred Plank, Matt Serino

Regrets:
Brenda Rojik, Hugh Briggs, Rob McCluskey, Stan Nemec

Minutes: 

OLD Business:

A) Ursula also requested that Physical Plant have a look at a sidewalk which leads from UC/CB side door to Lot 5. There is a section of the sidewalk by the canon that floods each spring/fall. Grounds places wooden planks in the area as pedestrians are unable to cross due to water and ice. The sidewalk has been like this for many years and it really should be fixed.

B) The Ryan building stairway, closest to the library is very cold. Mostly the area from the 1st floor down. The housekeeping employee advised that once she washed the stairs ice formed on the stairs. She had to take a rag and physically wipe the stairs to prevent it from icing up. Alex will put a work order in to check on the heater and see what can be
done about this problem.
• Dec.18, 2014 -Ursula will check with housekeeping in January when the real cold weather returns

May 29, 2014 – Since it is summer now and last winter was especially harsh, this concern will be revisited in the fall/winter. Should the same condition occur the only option will be to install a heater over the stairs?

Jan. 15, 2015 -Ursula spoke with housekeeping and they advised that it may not be the heater or lack of heat in that area but rather the fact that the doors (from the outside) don't close properly, especially if there is an accumulation of snow. Steve Gervin said that he will put a work order in to have the doors checked.

April 16, 2015 – Steve will check on the door

C) Physical Plant projects;
Prettie Residence conversion is on hold due to minimal funding available, although some work continues, ongoing

D) A small fibrous material was discovered recently in a CB 4th floor faculty office. Testing of the material confirmed that it contain asbestos. Air quality testing was immediately completed. The testing was conducted in the office and an additional office was tested as requested by the occupant. The results came back negative. There were no elevated levels of asbestos in the air. The air quality report is readily available in the office of Human Resources for anyone who wishes to obtain a copy. It appears that the asbestos containing material may have been disturbed by birds, which have recently been flying in certain sections of the CB.

The University has taken the following measures to address these concerns;
• two spots on the outside of CB were repaired (a possible entry route for the birds)
• two more spots on the other side of CB were identified and will be fixed but this will require the assistance of a boom truck
• regular inspections of the 4th floor offices will continue with specific focus on ceilings
• asbestos awareness training and education campaign to take place in the new year
• random air quality testing throughout the CB maybe undertaken during the year as a precautionary measure

Injury Report;
There were no injuries in April.

Near Misses:
None reported this period.

New Business:
No new business

Inspections Outstanding;

  • CB
  • Avila Centre (Brian Cox and a worker)
  • LU Radio (Rob and Mike)
  • Power House
  • ATAC

Meeting adjourned at 10:12 a.m.

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, May 21, 2015 in Avila – Physical Plant meeting room at 9:00 a.m.

 

Labs and Studios Minutes – January 21, 2015

Date: 
Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - 9:00am

Present:
K. Bhatia, M. Moore, T. Moore, C. Surette, J. Sylvestre

Minutes: 

1.0 Agenda : Approved
1.1 Add 6.6 – eRPortal

2.0 Review of Minutes November 19, 2014: Accepted (J. Sylvestre, C. Surette)

3.0 Inspection Report:
3.1 KIN
3.2 Chem Eng
3.3 Cardio Lab
3.4 Civil Eng
3.5 Mech Eng – Follow up with Dean re: contractor safety
3.6 Forestry

4.0 Injury Report
4.1 None

5.0 Old Business
5.1 PHAC Compliance Promotion Visit – Overall very helpful and cooperative.
5.1.1 Biology Teaching – minor physical deficiencies, corrected
5.2 Lab Decommission Policy
5.2.1 Submitted, awaiting approval

6.0 New Business
6.1 Electrical Safety Inspections
6.1.1 Electrical safety inspector conducting inspections in Labs. Have completed basement and first floor of CB to date.
6.2 Worker definition under the occupational health and safety act has changed. Tiffany to contact MOL to get clarification, and also look for any changes to WSIB for these workers.
6.3 New Mercury legislation – new regulations regarding manufacture or importing of mercury containing substances. Tiffany has forwarded the bill to Chemistry for input.
6.4 Revised Compressed Gas policy – no additional changes suggested.
6.5 Revised Emergency eyewash/shower policy – no additional changes recommended.
6.6 eRPortal
6.6.1 C. Surette wondering if MSDS could be uploaded to server, so would be available to all.
7.0 Other Business - None
8.0 Adjournment: 9:50 AM

Labs and Studios Minutes – September 16th, 2015

Date: 
Wednesday, September 16, 2015 - 9:00am

Present:

E. Searle, K. Bhatia, M. Moore, T. Moore, P. Alderson, S. Girvin, C. Surette, M. Sorokopud, J. Joncas, J. Sylvestre

TIME Commenced: 9:00AM

Agenda: 

1.0 Agenda : Approved (KB/ES)

2.0 Review of Minutes May 20, 2015: Accepted (JJ/JS)

3.0 Inspection Report:
3.1 PHYS – Suspected Asbestos-containing items found during lab cleanup. Physical Plant notified, and occupants reminded of asbestos reporting procedure to limit accidental exposure.
3.2 Student Health & Counselling – Re-inspection deferred to 2016; move to Prettie residence complete.
3.3 BIOL – CB3005 New researcher is to move into this lab. 3005 was evaluated for residual radioactivity by Mike Campbell (TBRHSC) since previous occupant worked with H3 and I125. It was indicated that levels are very low, and a thorough cleaning of all surfaces would negate any hazard. Other issues to be rectified before new occupant can begin work include: improper chemical storage and segregation, excessive clutter, expired chemicals and poor condition of storage bottles.

4.0 Injury Report :
4.1 GEOL - Geology 4161 Field School
● Ankle sprain
● Student wearing shoes with no ankle support
● Footwear not addressed during prep talk
● Medical suggestion for student to withdraw from course.
MOTION: The Committee recommends a communication is sent to all Departments directing them to review all field lab requirements for staff and student footwear. (JS/ES)
4.1.1 The Committee may request information from Departments concerning their review findings.

5.0 Old Business
5.1 Animal Handling
5.1.1 Re-evaluate Animal Handling SOPs
5.1.2 Letter referring to Animal Handling Practices
5.2 Eyewash policy/tags
5.2.1 Ready for distribution
5.2.2 Users should use dry-erase markers to for entries.
5.3 Policy Review Status
5.3.1 LASER Policy reviewed and submitted for approval
5.3.2 WHMIS Policy reviewed and submitted for approval
5.3.3 One policy review left for 2015
5.3.4 Documents for Policy Review will be saved and shared via Google Docs to facilitate Committee member commenting.
5.4 Plumbing in Civil Eng
5.4.1 Previous occupant of space created a sink drain that led to a damaged sanitary sewer cleanout.
5.4.2 Cleanout cap was damaged.
5.4.3 Physical Plant to repair the cleanout cap, and the sink has been disconnected.
5.5 Perchloric Acid Use
5.5.1 Perchloric Acid use is rare in Universities due to the damage it can cause
5.5.2 Ducting has been damaged from strong acid use
5.5.2.1 It is unclear if there was damage from the perchloric acid, since other strong acids have been used in the same fumehoods.
5.5.2.2 Some perforation of the ducting
5.5.2.3 Potential for fume leaks
5.5.3 Stainless steel ducting will be installed in areas with frequent strong acid use, to slow ducting corrosion.
5.6 Fumehood certifications and repairs
5.6.1 HEPA completed all certifications for 2015, with one repair.
5.6.2 Some user confusion over 12" Test height stickers and safe working height
5.6.3 Users informed that safe working sash height is anywhere below the alarm point, due to the variable rate fans.
5.6.4 Any fumehoods that do not pass safe levels are locked out.

6.0 NewBusiness
6.1 Biosafety Cabinet Certifications
6.1.1 24 Units were certified in 2015
6.2 LASER Safety
6.2.1 New ANSI Standard
6.2.2 T. Moore has requested a copy for our LASER operators.

7.0 Other Business – None

8.0 Adjournment: 9:50 AM

9.0 Upcoming Inspections
9.1 Visual Arts
9.2 Physics
9.3 Biology
9.4 Geography

 

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