Safety Requirements for Contractors | Facilities Management

Contractors working on the Michigan Tech Campus are reminded that they must take into consideration the health and safety of Michigan Tech employees, students, and visitors, as well as their own employees. Consequently, we have outlined aspects of our campus safety program that apply to the contactor’s activities. All Michigan Tech buildings are smoke-free except designated areas in residential facilities.

I. Michigan Tech Safety Program

a. MTU attempts comply with MIOSHA, safety, health, and construction standards in all phases of operations, both on and off campus. It is expected that contractors will consider this in the performance of their contractual efforts.
b. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has been designated the office which leads the Michigan Tech effort in the conformance to these standard.
c. EHS can be reached by telephone: 906-487-2118.
d. EHS has no authority to modify construction procedures, but does have the authority to stop any practices that endanger Michigan Tech employees, students, or visitors.
e. A representative of EHS will accompany any State or Federal Safety investigator visiting the site of any construction job on Michigan Tech properties, whether the visitor is responding to a complaint or not. The contractor will notify EHS before beginning any such safety investigation.
f. All accidents involving personal injury or property damage must be reported immediately to the Department of Public Safety and Police Services and followed by a written report within 48 hours.
g. The contractor must comply with all aspects of the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Standard for Confined Space Entry when the project involves entry into areas designated by Michigan Tech as permit required confined spaces or into confined spaced where the work itself results in an actual or potentially serious safety or health hazard. EHS and Facilities Management must be notified prior to any such confined space entry.
h. The contractor must provide EHS with a copy of all Material Safety Data Sheets for materials that will be used in a building or are occupied by Michigan Tech employees, students, or visitors. This will be done before the work has begun and preferably at the time of the preconstruction meeting.
i. All hot work will be performed in accordance with a hot work program approved by the University or in accordance with the Michigan Tech hot work program.
j. Equipment lockout procedures will be coordinated with Michigan Tech in accordance with the MIOSHA Lockout Standard.

II. Michigan Tech Emergency Procedures
All contractors and their employees have an obligation to report emergency situations to the proper campus authorities. Emergencies such as fire, explosions, chemical spills, building failures, etc., fall into this category. All contractors’ employees and employees of subcontractors must be informed of these emergency response procedures and should know how to identify an emergency situation. By definition, an emergency situation is one that affects the health and/or safety of one or more people and/or buildings or structures on the campus. Decisions must be made quickly since disaster is often controlled during the first few minutes.

Reporting any Emergency from any telephone

1. Dial 911
2. Say: “This is an emergency at Michigan Tech University” and give a description and location of the emergency.
3. Remain on the phone until released by the operator.

**Note: the nearest emergency room is located at UP Health Systems Portage in Hancock.

Reporting a fire, explosion, or chemical spill where there is impending danger to the occupants of the building

1. Evacuate the building by pulling the nearest fire alarm box, typically located at the ends of each hallway.
2. Alert occupants in the area.
3. Dial 911 from a safe location and report the emergency as outlined above.

At the sound of an evacuation alarm, all building occupants, including contractor’s employees, must evacuate the building to a point at least 100 feet from the exit and remain outside the building until given the all-clear by a Department of Public Safety and Police Services or Fire Department Officer.

III. Miscellaneous Obligation of the Contractor
If work is proceeding in areas occupied by Michigan Tech employees, students, or visitors, the following apply:

a. Barricades must be erected to isolate hazardous areas.
b. Exit routes and doorways will be kept free of obstructions.
c. Access to firefighting or other emergency equipment will not be obstructed or rendered inoperable.
d. The use of explosives will be coordinated by Facilities Management.
e. The application of foam or mineral fiber insulation in areas occupied by Michigan Tech employees, students, or visitors will be coordinated by Facilities Management and EHS.

IV. Identification of the Contactor’s Safety Officer
Each contractor will identify a safety officer for each project. The name will be sent to Facilities Management and EHS.