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UNION-MANAGEMENT SAFETY COMMITTEE

November 2024 Meeting Minutes

The monthly meeting of the Union-Management Safety Committee was conducted on November 12^th, 2024 by the Environmental Health and Safety department with the following individuals in attendance:

Cindy Beebe               A                     Custodial Services

Darrell Junkins            A                     Landscape Services

Lindsey Myers            VA                  Sindecuse Health Center

David Prellwitz           A                     Landscape Services

Keith Pung                  A                     Environmental Health and Safety

Vince Renda               A                     Maintenance Services

Juanita Snell                A                     Custodial Services

Jacob Woods               A                     Environmental Health and Safety

In-Person Attendance:        (A)

Virtual Attendance:            (VA)

OLD BUsINESS

Devin Johnson previously provided an update to the <safety concern regarding condition of stairwell/steps located at the central loading dock of Goldsworth Valley #1.  Maintenance Services personnel from the Region Shops located in the basement utilize this dock and building entry point. The concrete exterior steps are deteriorating and require repair-replacement.  Devin mentioned that necessary repairs to the stair tread of the interior stairwell steps were recently completed by Maintenance Services and that they will further investigate the exterior steps. 

Committee discussion provided an update to the safety concern involving a need to apply new paint to a concrete curb located in between parking lots #81 and #60, just West of the Valley Dining Center.  It was confirmed that permanent parking bollards were installed near curbing of parking lot #81.  The curb, painted during construction of the facility but since faded, had been observed by Dining Services personnel to damage vehicles that attempted to drive over it. 

Jake Woods provided an update regarding the safety concern involving the lack of emergency evacuation and building information signage at the Student Center.  It was mentioned during the July meeting that said signage was only present in some of the employee-only corridors and entryways.  Jake confirmed that Mark Weiss received the necessary signage from Barb Vader of Facilities and is now working to get them installed in areas where they were not hung during building construction. 

Previous committee discussions provided an update to the safety issue involving the granite walkway slabs located outside of the Student Center becoming uneven.  The developing trip and fall hazard observed by employees, seemed to be increasing in severity.  It was mentioned during previous meetings that the nearby water feature incurred a water leak that subsequently caused soil erosion under some of the walkway slabs. Discussions revealed that a contractor has been engaged by Facilities Managed to reset the affected slabs.

PROJECT LIST/TABLE 

No Updates, Bernhard Center demolition project nearing completion. 

 NEW BUSINESS

Vince Renda reintroduced the issue involving large trees near the parking lot located west of the Goldsworth Valley I complex, an area that is frequented by Maintenance Services personnel.  Vince inquired whether the situation had been fully resolved or if further assessments by an arborist will be completed. Darrell Junkins will investigate and provide a follow up. 

Darrell Junkins informed the committee of a recent situation involving two white-tailed deer that jumped off of the Lawson Dr. vehicle bridge; both animals died on impact in the Howard St. median. Darrell mentioned that Landscape Services / Facilities Management are opening a dialogue to investigate installation of a fence-cage system; similar to what was installed on the pedestrian walking bridge. 

SAFETY HAPPENINGS

Jake Woods shared the following from Laura Weber.  Laura wanted to share to the committee that the campus’ property insurance engineer, David Tiller of Zurich, recently completed his inspections and commented that WMU’s facility staff do a great job of taking care of campus.  She also wanted to thank Facilities Management for all that they do. 

Lindsey Myers shared that flu vaccinations are now available at Sindecuse Health Center.   Please call (269) 387-3287) or visit the online  (https://healthmanager.wmich.edu/login_dualauthentication.aspx) for scheduling.

David Prellwitz encouraged everyone to be aware of their surroundings in light of a recent off-campus armed robbery that involved a WMU employee.  Employees are encouraged to sign-up for emergency alerts and advisories that are issued by the WMU Department of Public Safety. Further information can be found at: .

Keith Pung encouraged all employees to attend the Benefits and Wellness Expo that is being held in The Student Center on Wednesday (11/13) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Cindy Beebe advocated for employees to be situationally aware when around wild animals, particularly white-tailed deer during late fall. While friendly in appearance, deer are strong animals who may lose inhibition toward human interactions during their fall mating season. 

Jake Woods shared that the National Weather Service recognizes November as Winter Hazard Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about how to improve safety before, during and after a winter storm. Winter weather too often catches people unprepared. Researchers say that 70 percent of the fatalities related to ice and snow occur in automobiles, and about 25 percent of all winter related fatalities are people that are caught off guard, out in the storm. Further information can be found at: .

The next UMSC meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 10^th, 2024 in the shared conference room located on the ground floor of the E.W. Building at 10:00 a.m.; an invitation to attend via video conferencing platform (WebEx) will also be sent out with these minutes.  Please send a substitute representative if you are unable to attend.

Published: 11/26/2024