Employee Handbook – Section 208 Health and Safety

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208 Health and Safety

Boston University endeavors to provide a safe and healthful environment for its employees, students, visitors, and other personnel while on University premises.

208.1 General Responsibilities

Supervisors are responsible for establishing procedures, practices, and programs that minimize the risk of personal injury to the employees that they supervise, as well as students, visitors, and other personnel who use University facilities and/or equipment under their control or jurisdiction. Supervisors are also expected to report immediately any potentially unsafe or hazardous condition to the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

Employees are required to follow the procedures and practices that have been established for their safety and the safety of others. This includes but is not limited to the use of safety and environmental protection devices when required and adherence to procedures outlined in the Boston University Safety Emergency Instructions. Employees are expected to report immediately any potentially unsafe or hazardous condition to their supervisor.

208.2 Injury Sustained in the Course of Employment

Supervisors of employees injured in the course of employment are required to report immediately each such occurrence to the Office of Risk Management.

The forms that must be completed, reviewed, and returned to the Office of Risk Management can be found online here.

The Office of Risk Management will review and monitor all reports of workrelated injuries and will be responsible for obtaining any required medical documentation.

Employees who are injured in the course of employment and who are absent  from work for such reasons are subject to and paid in accordance with the  provisions of the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Law. Employee absence during statutory waiting periods for Workers’ Compensation may be charged to an employee’s accrued Sick Leave. Employees will be paid under the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Law for absences that occur after the statutory waiting periods have been satisfied. Employees may elect to use accrued Sick Leave to supplement their weekly Workers’ Compensation benefits to the extent that the employee’s total compensation does not exceed his or her regular pay (see Policy 302, Sick Leave).

Employees who are injured in the course of employment must be evaluated at the University’s Occupational Health Center, located at 930 Commonwealth Avenue for employees at the Charles River Campus, or at Occupational Emergency Medicine located at 850 Harrison Avenue for employees at the Medical Campus. If the injury requires emergency treatment at a hospital, or if the injury occurs when the Occupational Health Center is closed, the employee must call the center within twenty-four (24) hours to schedule an appointment at the center.

Employees who witness a personal injury or an accident on University premises or at a University activity are expected to report promptly the incident to the Office of Risk Management. Employees who receive any form of communication, correspondence, or inquiry from any source concerning an observed injury or accident are expected to notify immediately the Office of Risk Management. Employees should not provide any oral or written statements or reports concerning an observed injury or accident to any attorney, investigator or other party without first contacting the Office of Risk Management.

208.3 Returning to Work Following a Work-Related Injury

Employees who are injured on the job may be provided with temporary job modifications to allow them to resume employment. The job modifications must be based on medical restrictions that are directly attributable to the injury. Most job modifications will be temporary in nature and can be made within the employee’s own department.

Each request for a job modification will be handled on its own merits. Any modifications made will be monitored periodically with the goal of assisting the employee to resume his or her regular assignment as soon as medically possible.

208.4 Security and Crime Prevention

Personal safety and physical security are the shared responsibilities of every employee at Boston University. All supervisors and employees should be alert to security procedures, such as the care and custody of keys, the placement of valuables in areas where they could easily be stolen, the use of alarm systems, and the reporting of suspicious persons and activities. Employees should not approach suspicious persons; rather they should report all suspicious persons and incidents as soon as possible to the Boston University Police Department at 617-353-2121 on the Charles River Campus and 617-638-5000 on the Boston University Medical Campus.

The Boston University Police Department has a full-time Crime Prevention Unit available to assist departments in developing programs for personal safety and departmental security. The Crime Prevention Unit conducts security audits of facilities; presents educational programs in the area of personal safety, physical security, and crime prevention; and provides information and recommendations for promoting a safe environment. The Crime Prevention Unit at the Charles River Campus can be contacted at Boston University Police Headquarters, 617-353-2121. The Crime Prevention and Investigations Unit at the Boston University Medical Campus can be contacted at 617-638-6880.

In accordance with federal regulations, a copy of the Boston University Annual Security Report, which provides information about campus security programs and policies and relevant campus statistics for the past year, is available on the Boston University Police website.

208.5 Related Considerations

Supervisors are encouraged to contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety and/or Human Resources for assistance in improving safety procedures, practices, and programs.

Employees with questions concerning any financial, legal, or other aspect of an occupational injury should direct such questions to the Office of Risk Management.

Supervisors and employees are encouraged to contact the Occupational Health Center for assistance with the prevention of occupational injuries and with treatment of occupational injuries when they occur.

Employees who are unable to report to work should be placed on Family and Medical Leave in accordance with the FMLA Policy.

 

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THIS POLICY STATEMENT IS PART OF THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, AND SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL OF THE POLICIES THAT COMPRISE THE HANDBOOK. THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT AND DO NOT ALTER THE AT-WILL STATUS OF AN EMPLOYEE.

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