The Facilities Projects Support Program provides review, consultation and testing for construction projects impacting facilities occupied by UW personnel or students. Any project with potential to impact the safety of UW building occupants or maintenance personnel should include Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) as part of the project team.
Design standards and guides
The UW Electrical Safety Program establishes the key requirements to ensure the safety of University personnel and prevent personal injury that could result from conducting work on electrical systems between 50 and 600 volts (V).
The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Focus Sheet provides guidance on using a GFCI device to prevent electrical shock.
Extension cords, surge suppressors, and power strips are commonly used at the University. While extension cords are approved only for temporary use with portable appliances, power strips and surge suppressors may be used permanently if listed and in good condition.
The primary means of fire prevention is to control ignition sources such as open flames, heaters, cooking equipment, research activities involving flammable materials and other sources. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) provides fire prevention information for University units, personnel, and students in University housing.
Nuisance alarms are disruptive to the teaching and research mission of the University and contribute to a dangerous complacency in occupants, who may be slower to evacuate in an actual emergency. Contractors and construction managers can help prevent nuisance alarms by taking measures prior to and during construction.
The Preventing Nuisance Alarms General Focus Sheet helps building coordinators deal with prevention of nuisance alarms in office, residential and teaching environments.
Environmental Health & Safety schedules surveys with building coordinators or building management to evaluate public areas for unsafe practices and conditions related to fire codes and life safety that may contribute to a fire or deter from effective evacuation of a building in case of an emergency.
Read in-depth explanations of the items on the report, along with fire code references on the Fire & Life Safety Survey Explanations page.