Report 2017-119 Recommendation 70 Responses
Report 2017-119: California State University: It Has Not Provided Adequate Oversight of the Safety of Employees and Students Who Work With Hazardous Materials (Release Date: April 2018)
Recommendation #70 To: Channel Islands, California State University
Channel Islands should immediately begin following its policies to conduct departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories. Further, Channel Islands should amend its chemical plan to include specific expectations about how often departments and its EH&S office will conduct self-audits.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020
Channel Islands implemented its departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories. The amended chemical plan includes specific expectations about how often departments and its EH&S office will conduct self-audits. The memo specifies due dates for inspections.
- Completion Date: October 2020
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2019
Fully Implemented: Channel Islands has implemented departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories. Furthermore, Channel Islands amended its chemical plan to include specific expectations about how often departments and its EH&S office will conduct self-audits. We issued a memo clarifying the inspection times for Spring and Fall to take effect next semester. The changes will be fully implemented by close of the Fall 2020 semester.
Completion date: November 2019
Response date: November 2019
- Completion Date: November 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented
Although Channel Islands has clarified its policy for the timing of inspections, as it indicates in its response, Channel Islands has not yet fully implemented the new policy.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
1-Year Agency Response
The campus issued a self-audit directive on June 18, 2018. For Risk and Safety Solutions (RSS) assessment and inspections modules, trainings for faculty and staff are available online. A memo was sent to relevant faculty and staff on September 6, 2018 announcing the availability of the RSS trainings and directions for how to access the trainings. The campus is implementing enforcement of the requirement.
The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) department has attached the Provost's June 2018 directive requiring semi-annual self-audits to the revised Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). The CHP appendices also include a self-audit lab safety checklist.
- Completion Date: June 2018
- Response Date: April 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented
Channel Islands provided evidence demonstrating that it amended its chemical plan to include specific expectations about how often departments and its EH&S office will conduct self-audits.
However, Channel Islands did not provide evidence demonstrating that it began following its policies to conduct departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories.
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
6-Month Agency Response
The campus issued a self-audit directive on June 18, 2018. Risk and Safety Solutions (RSS) training -- including coverage of self-audits in the inspection module -- is available to faculty and staff online. Academic Affairs is currently working to finalize delegation of implementation responsibilities.
Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) has completed an updated draft Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) to include the requirement that self-audits be completed on a semi-annual basis. Currently, EHS is engaged in discussions with various labor unions to finalize the CHP.
- Estimated Completion Date: May 2019
- Response Date: October 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
Channel Islands has begun the process to follow policies regarding departmental self-audits. In June 2018, the Provost sent a memo to all department chairs over academic programs requiring self-audits. The memo states that, effective immediately, self-audits will be conducted once per semester.
The campus has an updated draft Chemical Hygiene Plan which reflects semi-annual completion of self-audits, however, the campus is in the process of working with the various unions for approval of this update to the CHP.
- Estimated Completion Date: 05/2019
- Response Date: August 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2017-119
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.