20.1 The District will conform to and comply with all Federal, State and local health and safety laws and regulations. The District will take the necessary steps to ensure employee health and safety including, but not limited to, any and all training prior to the use and safe operation of any equipment or machine used in the course of an employee’s job.

20.2 Unit members shall maintain good worksite safety practices in all facilities.

20.3 No employee shall be required to work under unsafe conditions nor to perform tasks that endanger the employee’s health, safety and well-being. In order to ensure that health or safety hazards are dealt with on a timely basis, the following procedure shall be used to deal with potential hazards.

A. Employees shall report health or safety hazards to their immediate supervisor upon discovery.

B. If the supervisor is unable to abate the hazard, he/she shall refer the matter to the manager in authority. An employee may refer a safety hazard directly to the department manager if the supervisor is unavailable or unable to abate the safety hazard.

C. If the District is unable to abate a safety hazard, and an employee has been assigned to a task which, in the employee’s belief and good faith, threatens the employee’s health or safety or puts the employee or another person in danger of physical injury, the employee may refuse in good faith to perform the task. An employee’s refusal in good faith to perform the task shall not be just cause for discipline provided that the employee’s good faith belief is based on ascertainable, objective evidence supporting the employee’s conclusions.

D. No employee shall be discriminated against as a result of reporting any conditions believed to be a violation of health, safety or sanitation laws or regulations.

20.4 The District will investigate such reports and take appropriate actions to correct those conditions found to be unsafe or unhealthy. Standards established by State or Federal law shall prevail.

20.5 The District Safety Committee, which shall include three union members and up to three management representatives, shall meet at least bimonthly during the academic year to consider potential and actual safety, health and safety training matters for employees. The committee shall make recommendations to the District Vice President of Business Services concerning safety, health and safety training. Minutes of the committee’s meeting shall be distributed to all committee members and be available electronically to a designated union representative. Release time shall be provided for members serving on the committee.

20.6 Special attention shall be given to VDT/CRT safety as the topic is studied and information becomes available. In consultation with the safety committee and/or District Safety consultant, VDT/CRT stations will be provided with adjustable glare control, proper ergonomic seating and keyboard placement, and shielding for the VDT/CRT units (as deemed necessary) upon request to help protect the operator from low-level radiation. VDT/CRT and 10-key operators shall take rest periods in accordance with Article 7.4.