Department Safety Representatives

Department Safety Representatives

Department Safety Representatives (DSRs):

DSR serves a very important role with implementation of safety, health, and environmental programs on campus. DSRs assist the director, unit head, and/or department chairperson to meet their responsibilities for safety and compliance. Schools or Departments may choose one individual to serve as the DSR or one individual may be given responsibility for multiple departments, units, or facilities. If you are not familiar with your DSR, please email the OEHS Help Desk, OEHS@tulane.edu.

About the DSR Program:

Departmental Safety Representatives (DSRs) act as a liaison between their unit at Tulane and the OEHS.

DSR’s are key contributors to a unit’s environmental health and safety compliance.

DSRs are expected to attend quarterly meetings with OEHS and disseminate training and other pertinent information to their Unit. Each unit within Tulane should have at least one DSR. It is advised that larger units (units that cover multiple floors, buildings, or campuses) have multiple DSRs.

DSRs are subdivided into the following categories: offices, facilities (campus services, shops, art studios, etc.) and laboratories.

In the case of an emergency requiring immediate response, DSRs may be asked to participate. Refer to the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for your building(s) for more information.

Refer to the DSR Guide for more information. 

Duties of DSRs:

Expectations for Offices:

  • Participate in quarterly meetings with OEHS; meet or share meeting materials with Unit following the quarterly meeting; submit attendance records to OEHS.
  • Complete and/or communicate to Unit on completion of quarterly focus inspection forms; collect and provide copies to OEHS.

  • Report any unsafe conditions or practices to OEHS; report spills, indoor air quality complaints, chemical concerns, etc. to OEHS at oehs@tulane.edu.

    Checklist_Office DSR

Expectations for Facilities:

  • Participate in quarterly meetings with OEHS; meet or share meeting materials with Unit following the quarterly meeting; submit attendance records to OEHS.
  • Complete and/or communicate to Unit on completion of quarterly focus inspection forms; collect and provide copies to OEHS.
  • Report any unsafe conditions or practices to OEHS; report spills, indoor air quality complaints, chemical concerns, etc. to OEHS at oehs@tulane.edu.
  • Serve as liaison to employees within the Unit. Assist employees with development of chemical inventories; assist employees with submission of chemical management reporting guide; assist employees with the completion of PPE assessment forms; assist employees with collection of safety data sheets; assist with coordination of waste disposal with OEHS.

  • Communicate with OEHS on department activities that may require environmental health and safety involvement such as odor complaints, chemical disposal needs, renovations, etc.

    Checklist_Facilities/Shops DSR

Expectations for Laboratories:

  • Participate in quarterly meetings with OEHS; meet or share meeting materials with Unit following the quarterly meeting; submit attendance records to OEHS.
  • Complete and/or communicate to Unit on completion of quarterly focus inspection forms; collect and provide copies to OEHS.
  • Report any unsafe conditions or practices to OEHS; report spills, indoor air quality complaints, chemical concerns, etc. to OEHS at oehs@tulane.edu.
  • Assist employees with compilation of Laboratory Safety Paperwork; assist employees with door sign changes.
  • Serve as liaison to employees within the Unit. Assist employees with development of chemical inventories; assist employees with submission of chemical management reporting guide; assist employees with the completion of PPE assessment forms; assist employees with collection of safety data sheets; assist with coordination of waste disposal with OEHS. 

  • Communicate with OEHS on department activities that may require environmental health and safety involvement such as odor complaints, chemical disposal needs, renovations, etc.

    Checklist_Lab DSR

Training Documentation:

Training documentation forms should be submitted to OEHS by email at oehs@tulane.edu. Training can be provided in person or via email. The DSR can also train their Unit on any EHS topics that are pertinent to their Unit. Training recommendations are available on the OEHS website at EHS Training | Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS)⁠. 

Training forms for individuals or groups are available below:

Quarterly Focus Inspections:

DSRs are expected to complete quarterly focus inspection forms (if applicable) or collect quarterly inspection forms from supervisors of their Unit. All forms must be submitted to OEHS on a quarterly basis.

Quarterly focus inspection forms are available by the type of work area. These include offices, general buildings, shops, laboratories, food services, vehicle repair shops, etc. Supervisors can also create a specific inspection form for their work area.

DSRs and/or supervisors within the Unit are expected to follow up with the responsible department on any areas of concern that are identified as part of the quarterly focus inspection. Copies of quarterly focus inspection forms must be submitted to OEHS upon completion. All forms must be maintained for a minimum of three years within the Unit.

Quarterly focus inspection forms communicated in the most recent DSR meetings are as follows:

DSR Quarterly Meeting Materials and Annual Award Winners:

DSR Appreciation Event 2025 - Award Winners:

  • DSR Recognition Award – Brendan Carter, Tropical Medicine
  • DSR Excellence Award – Keitris Bourgeois, School of Science and Engineering
  • DSR Excellence Award - Ronald “Rocky” Martin, Campus Services

DSR Meeting Topics, Third Quarter 2025

  • Compliance and Ethics Update – Stuart Freedman, Compliance and Ethics
  • Training Compliance and CNA Process – Ashley Cassell, Enterprise Risk Services
  • Contusion, Lacerations, and Strains – Blake Autin, OEHS
  • Prompt Injury Reporting and Focus Inspection - Injury Prevention - Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • Hazardous Waste Updates - Alma Bartolome, OEHS
  • The meeting materials are available HERE in Box.

DSR Meeting Topics, Second Quarter 2025

  • Heat Prevention Illness – Daniel Manieri, OEHS
  • Hurricane Preparedness – Donald Veals, TUPD, Emergency Management
  • Operational Resilience – Bonnie Canal, Enterprise Risk Services
  • Hazardous Waste Pickup Request- Tetyana Antoshchenko, OEHS
  • Focus Inspection- Hurricane Preparedness- Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • The meeting materials are available HERE in Box.

DSR Meeting Topics, First Quarter 2025

  • Building Audits – Blake Autin and Anna Lander, OEHS
  • Training Compliance – Ashley Cassell, Enterprise Risk Services
  • Mindfulness and Workplace Safety – Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • Focus Inspection: Lifting, Reaching, and Moving – Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • The meeting materials are available HERE in Box.

DSR Appreciation Event 2024 - Award Winners:

  • DSR Recognition Award – Dr. Deborah Grimm, Tulane Instrumentation For Nanoscience & Innovation
  • DSR Excellence Award – Karen Noble, Department of Surgery
  • DSR Excellence Award -Claudia de Brito, Department of Spanish and Portuguese

DSR Meeting Topics, Third Quarter 2024

  • Hearing Conservation – Treva Johnson, OEHS
  • Biological Waste Disposal – Jessica Witcher, Office of Biosafety
  • Building Audits – Blake Autin, OEHS
  • Focus Inspection-Housekeeping – Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • The meeting materials are available HERE in Box.

DSR Meeting Topics, Second Quarter 2024

  • Hurricane Preparedness – Donald Veals, TUPD Emergency Management
  • Heat Illness Prevention – Daniel Manieri, OEHS
  • Policies – Ashley Cassell, Enterprise Risk Services
  • Focus Inspection-Injury Prevention – Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • The meeting materials are available HERE in Box.

DSR Meeting Topics, First Quarter 2024:

  • 2023 Injury Trends and Prevention Methods – Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • Pregnancy in Laboratory Workers – Anna Lander, OEHS
  • New Administrative Policies – Julia Pellegrin, Enterprise Risk Services
  • General Emergency Response – Haylie Tucker, OEHS
  • Focus Inspections - Assets (Computers, Laptops, and Tablet) and General Emergency Response – Julia Pellegrin, Enterprise Risk Services and Haylie Tucker, OEHS
  • OEHS Staff Updates – Pam Fatland, OEHS, Karen Douglas, OEHS
  • The meeting materials are available HERE in Box.

DSR Appreciation Event 2023 - Award Winners:

  • DSR Recognition Award – Rebecca Derbes, Biomedical Engineering
  • DSR Excellence Award – Alan Tucker, Department of Medicine
  • DSR Excellence Award – Yvonne Patterson, Newcomb-Tulane College