Statement of Commitment to EHS

A letter from President Brown explaining the university’s commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, visitors, and neighbors and to fostering a culture of safety among users of all campus facilities

Boston University Office of the President

Dr. Robert A. Brown
President
One Silber Way
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
T 617-353-2200 F 617-353-3278

Statement of Commitment to
Environmental Health and Safety

Boston University is committed to maintaining a healthy and safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, visitors, and neighbors and to fostering a culture of safety among users of all campus facilities. Members of the Boston University community should therefore comply with all environmental health and safety laws and regulations and with current best practices, especially in laboratory settings. In addition, members of the community should commit to continuous improvement in their efforts to minimize adverse environmental impacts and safety risks and to supporting a culture of safety in the University’s operations by:

  • Accepting the critical role each person has in protecting his or her own safety as well as that of others.
  • Recognizing the critical importance of adherence to the highest standards for safety and occupational health for our students, our staff, and the communities around us.
  • Minimizing air and water pollution and waste generation.
  • Incorporating safety as an integral aspect of all operations, including but not limited to experimental design, facility construction, and equipment specifications.
  • Providing students and employees with safety education targeted to maximize safe work practices and to minimize the potential for injury or illness.
  • Creating an environment where individuals are able to recognize and to report errors without fear of reprimand or punishment.
  • Providing appropriate and timely information in response to questions or concerns about environmental health and safety issues.
  • Investigating incidents, disseminating lessons learned in such reviews, and modifying programs, as appropriate, to incorporate any potential improvements identified.
  • Creating an environment of collaboration among all stakeholders, including researchers, safety specialists, students, and staff from facilities management and public safety, to identify safety issues and to find solutions to safety problems.

The University’s Environmental Health and Safety staff, working closely with oversight committees, has developed policies and procedures designed to further the above goals.

Deans, directors, department heads, managers, and other supervisors at the University are responsible for implementing this commitment within their areas of responsibility. I ask every member of the Boston University community to cooperate in these important matters.

Robert A. Brown
January 2022