Safety and Emergency Prepared Environmental Health & Safety The Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS) is a service organization dedicated to provide the UHD community with a safe and healthy learning and working environment. EHS interprets regulations from federal, state and local agencies, conducts inspections and investigations to proactively prevent accidents, consults with employees and vendors on projects and activities, and provides safety training to protect occupant health and environmental safety. The Environmental Health and Safety programs can be reviewed on the Environmental Health and Safety website. Contact EHS by emailing ehs@uhd.edu, call 713-221-8040, or visit the office in the One Main Building, Room S-621. Weather Related Emergencies As part of the University’s Disaster Preparedness Plan, UHD receives information regarding storm movement from the media and the U.S. Weather Service. When the possibility of a storm hit is predicted within 96 hours, UHD’s Emergency Management Team is placed on Emergency Alert to monitor the situation. When a hurricane or tropical storm is expected to impact the Houston area, the President or his/her designee will decide whether the University will close so that faculty, staff, and students may leave to prepare for the storm. An Emergency Preparedness Checklist, published by the State of Texas, provides information on how to protect yourself and cope with disaster by planning ahead. The checklist may be printed for use at home and in the office. Additional information on Safety and Emergency Preparedness for employees, families, and pets is provided on the Texas Ready website and on various local websites. Emergency Closing While every effort will be made to maintain normal operations at all times, there may be instances when emergencies warrant closure of UHD. Emergency situations include, but are not limited to hurricanes, flooding, fire, tornadoes, ice
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storms, chemical releases, explosions, violence, and other situations that affect the overall operation of the University. In the event of an emergency situation that has the potential to subject all or part of the University community to danger, the primary concern will be the safety of all members of the University community. Assessing the Emergency—when an emergency or a potential emergency affecting UHD develops, UHD will activate its Emergency Management Board. Assessing the Emergency—when an emergency or a potential emergency affecting UHD develops, UHD will activate its Emergency Management Board. The Emergency Management Board is composed of the following staff • • • • • • • • • • • •
President Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and Provost Vice President for Administration and Finance Vice President for Advancement and External Relations Vice President for Human Resources Director, Emergency Management Chief of Police Executive Director of Communications Executive Director of Marketing Associate Vice President for Information Technology Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management Director, Environmental Health and Safety
The President or designee shall have the sole authority to close the University or to order its evacuation. Decisions regarding the evacuation and/or closing of the University will be made by the President (or the President’s authorized designee) in consultation with executive staff. In the event that an emergency requires campus closure, the Division of the Vice President for Advancement and University Relations will notify the University community by way of: • •
The University’s Home Page—A message will be posted as soon as possible at www.uhd.edu. DT_ALL_USERS and Gator Mail—A broadcast
