Faculty, staff, and students exposed to temperature extremes or heat indexes above 91°F are at risk of experiencing a heat stress-related incident including heat stress, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Such environments include:
- Working in temperatures or a heat index above 91°F
- Working around radiant heat sources
- Having direct physical contact with hot objects
- Engaging in strenuous physical activities in hot environments
- Wearing personal protective equipment
Heat Stress Program
EHS manages the heat stress program for U-M. The Heat Stress Program provides guidance to help you identify heat stress control measures (engineering and administrative controls, protective clothing, work practices, and training).
Standard Operating Procedures, Guidelines, and Manuals
Heat Stress Guideline
Supplemental Information
Faculty, staff, and students exposed to noise levels above 85 decibels where the individual must raise their voice to be heard at arm’s length, or to very loud impact or impulse noises, are at risk of sustaining a permanent hearing loss. Contact EHS if you are concerned about noise levels in your area.
Hearing Conservation Program
The Hearing Conservation Program helps ensure individuals do not suffer health effects from exposure to excessive noise while at work. The program is for personnel who EHS has determined are exposed to greater than 85 decibels as an eight hour time weighted average. To request an assessment of workplace noise levels, contact EHS at ehsanswers@umich.edu.
The Hearing Conservation Program includes:
- Workplace and personal noise exposure monitoring
- Annual audiometric (hearing) tests
- Hearing protection devices (ear plugs or ear muffs)
- Annual training on the:
- Hazards of noise
- Purpose of audiometric testing
- Proper use of hearing protection
Standard Operating Procedures, Guidelines, and Manuals
Hearing Conservation Guideline
Electricians and other qualified personnel working directly with electricity are at risk of experiencing electrical-related incidents such as explosions, arc flashes, or fires resulting in burns or electrical shock. Faculty, staff, and students in the area may also be indirectly exposed to hazards through extension cords and power strips.
Electrical Safety Program
The goal of the Electrical Safety Program is to minimize potential electrical hazards by specifying proper use and design characteristics of electrical devices, equipment, and systems. New electrical equipment must be installed and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the latest edition of the National Electric Code (NEC) NFPA 70. Only U-M Facilities and Operations staff may authorize modifications or changes to circuits or building equipment.
Flexible extension cords (including GFCI cords) are for short-term use with portable equipment and are never a substitute for permanent wiring. The use of multi-outlet power strips is limited to computer workstations.
Qualified Workers must use lockout and tagout on appropriate disconnect switches to de-energize electrical power to equipment being worked on. A lockout/tagout system makes it impossible to energize a piece of equipment while the lock/tag is in place.
Standard Operating Procedures, Guidelines, and Manuals
Supplemental Information
Walking-Working Surfaces Program
EHS manages the Walking-Working Surfaces Program at the U-M. The Program provides guidance about how to safely use:
- Use and erect scaffolding
- Use dock boards
- Access and work on roof tops
- Portable and fixed ladders NOTE: Department supervisors are required to provide training to staff on ladder safety.
Standard Operating Procedures, Guidelines, and Manuals
Walking-Working Surfaces Program
