Posts Tagged: safety

Chris Jakober named Risk and Safety Director

Chris Jakober has joined UC ANR as Director of Risk & Safety Services. In this role, Chris will lead ANR's programs and teams for Environmental Health & Safety and Risk Management, reporting to Director of Facilities Planning and Management Brian Oatman.

Chris completed his bachelor's degree in chemistry at Oklahoma State University, where he studied land application of wastewater treatment residuals for nitrogen and phosphorus runoff mitigation and an in-vitro procedure to determine bioavailability of heavy metals from ingestion of contaminated soils. In 2001, further educational pursuits brought him to California, where he completed his doctoral work at UC Davis in agricultural and environmental chemistry, measuring carbonyls in motor vehicle exhaust.

His professional experiences include air-quality consulting on novel dust mitigation at Owens Lake for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, air quality research for the California Air Resources Board (e.g. regulating ozone emissions from indoor air cleaners, area source greenhouse-gas emissions verification, and health exposure risk assessment for environmental justice communities), and environmental health and safety in support of research at UC Davis.

Chris is based at the UC ANR building in Davis and can be reached at cjakober@ucanr.edu and (530) 756-1046. 

Please join me in welcoming him.

Brian Oatman
Director, Facilities Planning & Management

COVID-19 guidelines change

On Jan. 9, 2024, the California Department of Public Health updated its COVID-19 Isolation Guidance, Testing Guidance, and the State Public Health Officer Order.

The updates impact Cal/OSHA's COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations and the requirements related to isolating positive cases and testing of close contacts. To ensure that we maintain a safe workplace and safe ANR programming, and comply with public health and occupational safety requirements, all ANR employees must still follow these guidelines. 

The updated Quarantine, Isolation, and Return to Work Guidelines and Quarantine, Isolation, and Return to Work Summary Chart can be found on the ANR Environmental Health & Safety website.

Based on the changes to the guidelines by Cal/OSHA and CDPH, UC ANR will adjust and implement the new guidelines for COVID-19, as follows:

If you test positive for COVID-19:

• Report your COVID-19 test or symptoms to the UC ANR COVID-19 safety team at https://ucanr.edu/covidscreening
• Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
• You may return to working in-person when all of the following are true:
  1. More than 24 hours have passed since the onset of symptoms, 
  2. You have no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, 
  3. Symptoms are mild and improving.
• If you have symptoms other than fever, you may voluntarily isolate until symptoms improve or until after Day 10. Day 0 is the symptom onset or positive test day.
• If symptoms are severe, if you are at high risk of serious disease, or have questions concerning care, contact your healthcare provider.
• Wear a well-fitting mask around others through Day 10 after the start of symptoms or testing positive. You may remove your mask sooner than 10 days if you have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart.
• A negative test is not required for return to work.

 If you had close contact with someone with COVID-19:

• Wear a well-fitting mask or respirator around others (at your worksite, indoors, in vehicles, in the field when working near others, etc.) for at least 10 days after exposure.
• Monitor yourself for COVID-19 symptoms. If you develop new symptoms, testing is recommended.
• If you are at a higher risk of severe disease or if you've had contact with someone at higher risk of severe disease, testing is recommended.
• You may still voluntarily get tested after the exposure.
• If you test positive, follow the guidelines for testing positive.

The definition of “Close Contact” remains the same.

Close Contact definition: Close Contact occurs through proximity and duration of exposure. Someone who shared the same indoor airspace with an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period is considered Close Contact. Spaces that are separated by floor-to-ceiling walls (e.g., offices, suites, rooms, waiting areas, bathrooms, or break or eating areas that are separated by floor-to-ceiling walls) must be considered distinct indoor airspaces. 

In large indoor spaces greater than 400,000 cubic feet per floor (such as open-floor-plan offices, arenas or large meeting spaces, warehouses, large retail stores, or manufacturing/processing facilities), close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of the infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the confirmed case's infectious period.

Exception: if you or the Close Contact were wearing a respirator or an N95 mask at the time of interaction.

For more information on the updated guidelines by Cal/OSHA, visit:

• COVID-19 – What Employers Need to Know - Fact Sheet: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/Non-Emergency-regs-summary.pdf
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/Coronavirus/Covid-19-NE-Reg-FAQs.html

 

 

Safety - Winter weather advisory

Dear Colleagues,

Through Wednesday, California is expecting rounds of heavy rain, mountain snow, high winds, with potential for flooding, downed trees/debris and power outages. Please stay safe.

If you live near a river, levee or area prone to flooding, gather your essentials so you'll be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. You'll have some peace of mind if you have gathered items in advance to be away from your home if evacuation orders are given by authorities. Also, prepare for power outages by having electronic devices charged, vehicles fueled, and the ability to prepare food and stay warm.

This is a good time to review your procedures for preparedness, such as the ability to stay informed and to be able to communicate. See Safety Note #203 for winter storm preparedness tips.

Click here to view the Cal-OES weather threat briefing.

A Safety Note series in the category of “Disaster/Emergency Information” is available at https://safety.ucanr.edu/Safety_Notes/- recommended are notes #166-169, #189 and #203.

For current weather alert information, Cal/OSHA recommends the NOAA Weather Alerts page at http://alerts.weather.gov/cap/ca.php?x=1.

David Alamillo
Environmental Health & Safety Specialist

ANR 2nd St Building now open

Power has been restored to the 2nd Street Building in Davis and it is fully operational. If you are planning to work at the ANR Building, you may do so.

2nd Street is closed currently to all traffic for a section of road west of our office, between L St and Cantrill Drive. It is not known how long this closure will remain in effect. However, the ANR Building is accessible from 2nd Street from the east (coming from the Mace Blvd exit off I-80) and from Pena Drive.

Rainy conditions are predicted to continue throughout the week, but hopefully we have gotten through the worst of it.

Stay safe and dry and follow these winter storm preparedness tips: https://ucanr.edu/sites/safety/files/378115.pdf.

Brian Oatman
Director, Risk & Safety Services

 

CLOSED Jan. 9: ANR 2nd St Building power out

To all UC ANR colleagues:

Recent storms have knocked out power at 2801 2nd Street in Davis and 2nd Street is currently closed to all traffic. PG&E estimates that power will be out at the UC ANR office all day on Monday, Jan. 9, with an estimated restoration time of 11 p.m. on Jan. 9. With changing conditions, the outage could be shorter or longer.

Due to this circumstance, the office will be closed and employees based at 2801 2nd Street in Davis should work remotely. If you cannot work due to power outages or other circumstances, notify your supervisor.

We are monitoring the situation and will provide updates as information is available. Please look for a message on Monday afternoon to confirm status of the office for Tuesday.

Thank you and stay safe.

Brian Oatman
Director, Risk & Safety Services

Read more