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Environmental Health and Safety

Contractor Safety

EHS works with contractors, university project managers and others to ensure that contracted work at the university does not adversely impact the environment or the health and safety of university faculty, staff, students and visitors.

Contractor Responsibilities

  • Take all necessary steps to protect the safety and health of university faculty, staff, students and visitors during the performance of your work activities.
  • Comply with all applicable safety and environmental regulatory requirements, including but not limited to OSHA, EPA, SCDHEC and NFPA.
  • Immediately notify Buddy Harley at 803-528-8191 or wharley@mailbox.sc.edu in the event of a visit from a regulatory compliance officer to your worksite. This includes scheduled voluntary inspections.
  • The university has an asbestos management policy [pdf] that requires construction, renovation and maintenance contractors to sign a Permit to Work prior to beginning any project. The university project manager should provide you with the permit and ask you to sign it. This signed permit must be posted at the worksite at all times.
  • If the project requires the disturbance of lead-containing materials such as lead based paint, you are required to follow specific work procedures designed prevent lead contamination of surrounding areas. The university project manager will provide you with more information if your work impacts lead materials.
  • A Hot Work Permit is required for any maintenance or construction operation involving open flames or producing heat and/or sparks. The university project manager will assist you in obtaining this permit.
  • Immediately notify USC Law Enforcement at 803-777-4215 in the case of an emergency.

Worksite Inspections

Worksite visits may be conducted by EHS. These visits are conducted solely for the benefit of the university, and shall not relieve the contractor of responsibility for enforcement of, and compliance with the OSHA regulations.

In the event that work site conditions exist that potentially impact the safety of university faculty, staff, students and visitors, EHS will inform the university project manager so that the workplace condition can be corrected in a timely manner. If the unsafe conditions cannot be immediately corrected, represent a danger or have the potential to harm university faculty, staff, students and visitors then the university project manager or the university, EHS will:

  • inform the contractor of unsafe conditions that were noted, and explain the potential impact upon university faculty, staff, students and visitors
  • instruct the contractor to either stop working or implement measures to isolate the hazardous condition until the unsafe condition can be mitigated
  • issue a formal written report of the situation(s) to the contractor


Resources

Construction Safety Program

OSHA Construction Standards

OSHA General Industry Standards

Standards of Performance for Asbestos Projects[pdf]


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