Report 2017-119 Recommendation 71 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 #71 To: Sonoma State University

Sonoma should immediately begin following its policies to conduct departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories. Further, Sonoma should ensure that its self-audits review whether timely flushes of eyewashes and showers have occurred. As part of self-audits, Sonoma's departments should ensure that fume hoods have received annual inspections. Finally, Sonoma's EH&S department should regularly review whether departments are conducting self-audits.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020

Sonoma State University conducts departmental self-audits each semester to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories, including the confirmation of timely flushing of eyewashes and showers and to ensure that fume hoods have received annual inspections. Representatives from our EH&S department regularly review the departmental self-audits to ensure compliance and provide guidance for items in need of corrective action.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that it began following its policies to conduct departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories. In addition, it provided evidence demonstrating that those self-audits include a review of whether timely flushes of eyewashes and showers have occurred, as well as whether fume hoods have received annual inspections. Sonoma also provided evidence that its EH&S department regularly reviews whether departments are conducting self-audits.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

Sonoma State University consistently conducts departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories and the timely flushing of eyewashes and showers. The self-audits also ensure that fume hoods have received annual inspections. Our EH&S department regularly reviews the departmental self-audits as is evidenced by our Chemical Lab, Art Studio, & Shop Inspection Checklist.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that it began following its policies to conduct departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories. Although Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that those self-audits review whether timely flushes of eyewashes and showers have occurred, and whether fume hoods have received annual inspections, it did not provide evidence demonstrating that its EH&S department regularly reviews whether departments are conducting self-audits.

1-Year Agency Response

SSU has implemented the RSS software that has an inspection module in it. Some of the staff are utilizing the inspection module however, due to the complexity and newness of the program others have opted for an alternate inspection form to be utilized.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

Although Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that it began following its policies to conduct departmental self-audits to identify and address safety concerns in its laboratories, it did not provide evidence demonstrating that it consistently does so. In addition, although it provided evidence demonstrating that those self-audits review whether timely flushes of eyewashes and showers have occurred, it did not provide evidence demonstrating that as a part of its self-audits, its departments review whether fume hoods have received annual inspections or that its EH&S department regularly reviews whether departments are conducting self-audits.

6-Month Agency Response

The campus is currently working on implementing a comprehensive software solution to coordinate, schedule, and monitor the self-audit requirement.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The university is evaluating an inspection software solution for self-audit tracking and monitoring. The university had its fume hoods inspected in December 2017 and will ensure this inspection occurs annually as required.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2017-119

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.