Safety

Introduction
The Darling Marine Center is committed to providing a safe and healthful workplace and follows all University of Maine policies regarding safety. Most information regarding safety at University of Maine System campuses can be found at the Safety Management website (note the SM website requires a maine.edu log in). This page summarizes safety information specific to the Darling Marine Center.

Facility Emergency Coordinators
The Darling Marine Center typically has three Facility Emergency Coordinators (FECs), the Director, the Laboratory Manager, and the Diving Safety Officer.

Emergency Procedures
Call 911 for local police, fire, and emergency medical services.

Detailed guidelines for emergencies are listed in the Emergency Action Plan.

Emergency Action Plans – A written emergency action plan (EAP) is required for each work area at the DMC. The EAP is comprised of the DMC Campus-Wide Emergency Action Plan (linked above) plus the details of the work area in question (i.e. hazards, map of the area, special procedures).

Emergency Response and Contingency Plan – As per applicable local, state, and federal regulations, the DMC maintains an Emergency Response and Contingency Plan (ERCP) which describes the procedures for preventing, controlling, and responding to emergencies. This ERCP is available for review by contacting one of the listed Facility Emergency Coordinators.

University of Maine Safety Policies
A list of policies for specific activities can be found on the Safety Management website under “Policies”. If you are engaging in any activity at UMaine, there is likely a policy governing your actions and outlining the responsibilities of everyone involved. The following documents describe the administration of Safety Policies governing all UMaine departments and employees:

Administrative Practice Letter Section II-E (8/18/06). – University of Maine System directive regarding Safety and Environmental Management
Safety and Environmental Management Policy (pdf) – University of Maine Orono policy.

UMaine, including the DMC, is a tobacco and smoke-free campus.

The University of Maine has a policy prohibiting the possession and/or use of fireworks on University property. This policy is also in effect for the Darling Marine Center grounds.

All visitors to campus are required to sign in upon arrival, every time that they visit.

Unaccompanied minors are not permitted on the DMC campus.

Safety Training
Most activities at UMaine require documented safety training. All faculty, staff, students, and unsupervised visitors at the Darling Marine Center are required to have safety training; most training is required annually. Contact your supervisor for questions regarding safety training.

Safety Training Overview & Quick-Links

Basic Safety Training – required online training for all employees, including faculty, staff, graduate students, postdocs, and student employees with a MaineStreet ID.
Basic Safety Training – required for all visitors.
- Review Basic Safety Training Resource Guide
- Take the Quiz
- Keep on file with supervisor
DMC Orientation Training – All users of DMC. Contact DMC Laboratory Manager for information.
Departmental – Specific Training (a.k.a. Laboratory, Work Area, or ‘Chemical Hygiene Plan’ Training) – Your Department, Area, or Laboratory Supervisor is required to train you on the specific area in which you’ll be working. Training requirements vary depending on your job tasks. For a list of training topics go to the SEM Safety Training page or use this template as a guide

List of Common Safety Trainings applicable to DMC (all are available through UMS Academy, which requires a maine.edu log in)

Blood borne Pathogens – required to work with or clean up blood or other bodily fluids.
Chemical Spills – only trained personnel are allowed to clean up spills of hazardous chemicals. Consult your your supervisor for more information on chemical spill cleanup.
Computer Workstation – required annually for anyone working on a computer for more than 4 hours/day.
Fieldwork Safety – required for anyone performing work in the outdoor environment. See also UMAINE Fieldwork Safety Policy (Note: this training is not on the UMS Academy, but rather on the SM page)
Fire Extinguisher Annual Refresher – required to use portable fire extinguishers Initial hands-on training also required.
Hazard Communication (HAZ-COM) – required for anyone who works with or near hazardous chemicals.
Hazardous Waste/Satellite Accumulation Area (SAA) – required for anyone who generates chemical/ hazardous waste. Available online and in your laboratory CHP. The DMC also has a standard operating procedure (below) for the management of Trash/Hazardous Waste. Contact the DMC Hazardous Waste Manager prior to generating any Hazardous or Chemical Wastes.

Resources for Supervisors and Safety Coordinators

Person-specific training log
Training matrix, to keep track of multiple individuals’ trainings
DMC Supervisor Safety Training – required for all supervisors
Work-related injuries must be reported within 24 hours through Risk Management. Contact an FEC member if you have questions.

DMC Standard Operating Procedures

DMC Campus-Wide Emergency Action Plan (pdf ) – describes basic procedures/guidelines for emergencies on campus at the DMC.

Chemical Hygiene Plan – Describes the basic practices for operating laboratories at the DMC. Each laboratory is required to have a written Chemical Hygiene Plan describing laboratory safety procedures. Permanent UMaine laboratories have their own specific CHPs. Visiting researchers should contact the Laboratory Manager for guidelines regarding DMC Laboratory Procedures.

Chemical Spills – Only trained personnel are allowed to clean up spills of hazardous chemicals. Contact your supervisor for more information on chemical spill cleanup.

Emergency Evacuation Drills (pdf) – Describes the basic plan for conduct of Emergency Evacuation Drills at the DMC. Drills are conducted by Facility Emergency Coordinators on a regular basis. Notifications will be made prior to any emergency drill. Dormitory residents are encouraged to review the Student Life Fire Safety website.

Fire Prevention Plan (pdf) – Describes basic elements of fire prevention at UMaine. Each laboratory should incorporate the UMaine Fire Prevention Plan into the CHP along with any additional elements specific to the laboratory environment.

Fume Hoods (pdf) – Describes basic operating guidelines for laboratory fume hoods at DMC.

Shipping of Hazardous Materials – International law requires training prior to shipping hazardous materials in any quantity. Even seemingly ‘safe’ substances may be considered hazardous while in shipping. It is the responsibility of the person shipping the material (not the carrier/transporter) to obey all applicable laws and regulations. UMaine provides training and support for faculty, staff, and students who need to ship hazardous materials. Guidance is available for University visitors.

Shorefront Activity Guidelines (pdf) – Describes procedures for anyone accessing/utilizing the shore or waterways from DMC property. Users are required to be familiar with these guidelines. Persons engaged in non-recreational (i.e. research, education, work-related) boating activities should consult the UMaine Watercraft Operations Policy and/or the DMC Vessel Operations Coordinator for additional guidelines/ procedures. The UMaine snorkeling and Free Diving Guidelines are to be observed by all individuals engaged in these activities

Trash/Hazardous Waste Procedure (pdf) – Describes procedures for all types of trash/waste disposal at the DMC.

Weather Policy – Given the location of the University of Maine Darling Marine Center, 100 miles from the main campus in Orono, we have a distinct policy to address inclement weather and other unsafe conditions that may potentially harm UMaine employees, students and visitors on the Walpole campus.

Alcohol Consumption at the Darling Marine Center (DMC), University of Maine Campus
Alcohol is not allowed in public areas of the DMC, including the dining hall and fire-pit picnic area, without appropriate permits. Permits can be arranged through the DMC Laboratory Manager, and must be requested 35 days in advance for public events or those involving UMaine students. The Permit holder will be responsible for supervising the event. You must be 21 years or older to consume alcohol on the DMC campus. If you are 21 years of age you are allowed to consume alcohol in your housing unit but not in any common area without appropriate permits. Please be responsible with your consumption.

UMaine, including the DMC, is a tobacco and smoke-free campus.

Fireworks are not allowed on the DMC campus.

Pet Policy

The University of Maine Pet Policy recognizes that many pets are well behaved and are brought to the campus by responsible persons for safety or convenience. In order to meet the needs of these pet owners while protecting those staff and students who may have allergies or fears which could cause a pet to interfere with that person’s ability to work or study, the following rules will apply when a pet is brought on the property of the University of Maine. (This policy does not apply to service animals brought to campus to provide assistance to persons with disabilities or to residential areas of campus.)

Normally, pets will not be allowed in University buildings. A person desiring to bring a pet into a building must petition the building manager who will then canvas residents of the building to determine if the pet should be allowed. If pets are allowed in any building under the conditions noted above, the presence of animals in individual offices will be posted prominently.
All pets on University property must be kept on leashes except when confined to an office.
For the safety of both humans and animals, pets are prohibited from kitchens, laboratories, workshops or other areas housing hazardous materials or machinery.
Pets must not be left unattended while on University property, either in automobiles (for more than a few minutes) or tied outside of buildings.
Owners of pets shall be held responsible for any personal or property damage inflicted by their pets.
Owners are reminded that dogs on campus are subject to the Town of South Bristol dog control ordinances. Dogs violating these ordinances are subject to impoundment by police or the animal control officer.
Owners or caretakers of pets must clean up after their pets both inside buildings and outside on campus property.

The Darling Marine Center adheres to the UMaine pet policy with these additional specifications and reminders:

All pets, except recognized service animals are prohibited from classrooms, laboratories, the library, Brooke Hall Dining Room and all residential units.
Pets are allowed in office spaces with the consent of building manager and all residents of said spaces. Pet owner will clean office with pets.
Custodians will not clean spaces with pet fur or other pet messes. The pet owner is required to keep those areas clean.
Pets are required to be under control at all times.