WORK ENVIRONMENT

Access to UT Southwestern Facilities

As a facility engaged in conducting medical research and providing health-care services (including research involving biohazards and treatment of communicable diseases), your access and that of patients and guests to certain areas may be restricted. You are required to abide by all such restrictions and not enter into areas that you are not authorized to enter.

Clean Air

Smoking is prohibited in all UT Southwestern buildings, including private offices. Smoking is also prohibited in virtually all outdoor areas of the campus, including parking facilities, both levels of the McDermott Plaza, the sculpture pool, the Gallery Cafeteria outdoor seating area, the area around the tennis courts and basketball pavilion, the Sprague Building breezeway, areas around doorways, etc.

A limited number of specifically designated and posted outdoor smoking areas represent the only exceptions to this policy. You are responsible for informing any departmental visitors of this policy.

Facility Maintenance

UT Southwestern strives to provide a clean, comfortable, and safe work environment. You also have a responsibility to maintain a clean and tidy workplace and to report deficiencies in public areas. If you have specific sanitation or routine maintenance requests--such as light-bulb replacement, tripped circuits, trash pickup, and restroom supplies--or complaints regarding routine housekeeping services, you should contact Physical Plant at 648-3126.

In cases of accidents or spills that require anything beyond simple attention, you should notify Physical Plant immediately. If an accident or spill involves hazardous materials, you should notify the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 648-2250. It is important that you act quickly to take immediate, appropriate steps within your means to clean up spills.

Drug Free Workplace

A safe and productive workplace needs to be free of substance abuse of any kind. Abuse of drugs and alcohol is detrimental to UT Southwestern's objectives and harmful to the health and welfare of employees. Additionally, employees attempting to perform their job duties while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can constitute a safety risk to themselves and their co-workers. Being under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs during your work hours or while on company business constitutes misconduct and is prohibited.

Alcoholic Beverages

Health hazards associated with excessive use of alcohol or with alcohol dependency include dramatic behavioral changes, retardation of motor skills, and impairment of reasoning and rational thinking. These factors result in a higher incidence of accidents and accidental death for persons who use alcohol excessively than for nonusers.

The possession or use of alcoholic beverages on UT Southwestern property is prohibited without the prior permission of the president. Except as otherwise provided by law, state funds may not be used for the purchase of alcoholic beverages. Employees will not be reimbursed for alcoholic beverages purchased while traveling on UT Southwestern business.

Illicit Drugs

The use of illicit drugs usually causes the same type of physiological and mental changes as alcohol, though those changes are more severe and more sudden. Death or coma resulting from overdose of drugs is more frequent than from alcohol, but unlike alcohol, abstinence can lead to reversal of many physical problems associated with drug use.

The possession, sale, or use of illicit drugs or narcotics on UT Southwestern property or while conducting UT Southwestern business off-campus is prohibited. An employee convicted of possession, sale, or use of illegal drugs or narcotics will be dismissed from employment regardless of whether the illegal act that gave rise to the conviction was committed on UT Southwestern property.

UT Southwestern recognizes drug dependency as an illness and a major health problem and views drug abuse as a potential health, safety, and security problem. Employees who need help in dealing with such problems are encouraged to take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program, as well as available benefits under UT Southwestern group health insurance plans. Conscientious efforts to seek such help will not jeopardize an employee's job and will not be noted in any personnel record.

Violence-Free Workplace

UT Southwestern believes that its employees, patients, and guests should experience a safe and businesslike environment while in its facilities. Employees are expected to treat all employees, patients, and guests in the workplace in a mature and professional manner.

Under no circumstances will physical violence or threatening behavior be tolerated on UT Southwestern property or by employees while on UT Southwestern business. Acts of physical violence will, and actual threats of physical violence may, result in immediate termination of your employment. Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to:

• Profane or abusive language or acts
• Racially offensive language or acts
• Religiously offensive language or acts
• Sexually offensive language or acts
• Sexual harassment or sexual misconduct
• Fighting or other physical aggression
• Assault
• Attempting or intentionally causing injury to another person
• Dangerous pranks or practical jokes
• Intentional destruction of property

Lethal Weapons

Possession of firearms, explosives, or other lethal weapons on UT Southwestern property, including in personal automobiles, is prohibited. UT Southwestern property includes parking facilities and off-campus leased facilities.

Life-Threatening Illness

Any employee diagnosed with a life-threatening illness or communicable disease is to be treated with compassion, confidentiality, and respect. If you have such a condition, you may continue to work as long as you are able to satisfactorily perform all essential job duties in a manner that does not endanger your health and safety or the health and safety of other employees, patients, students, or guests. If your condition does endanger health or safety, your employment may be suspended or terminated.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, UT Southwestern will attempt to make reasonable accommodations for a qualifying disability.

Chemical and Other Hazards

Due to the nature of the research and work performed, some departments and functions use liquid chemicals, chemical compounds, radioactive materials, live viruses, etc. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for insuring that these potentially hazardous materials are properly used and employees are protected from harmful exposures. Nonetheless, it is your personal responsibility to act in accordance with your training and approved procedures when using or working with or in the presence of such potential hazards.

If you believe that you have been harmfully exposed to a hazardous material, follow the precautions and procedures established for dealing with the exposure, including seeking medical treatment if appropriate. Report the exposure to your supervisor immediately.

If you have questions about your rights under the Texas Hazard Communication Act, refer to the posters on chemical hazard communications regulations located on bulletin boards in areas where hazardous chemicals are used or stored or contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 648-2250.

Solicitation and Distribution of Literature

Although there may be many good causes in which you are involved as a private citizen, soliciting co-workers, patients, and guests or distributing literature, no matter how well intentioned, can cause disruptions in the performance of job duties and the acquisition of desired services. For these reasons, the sale or offer for sale of any property or service, the distribution of literature, or solicitation of money on UT Southwestern property without prior approval by the president is prohibited. On an annual basis, UT Southwestern conducts a campus-wide solicitation for the United Way in which you may participate.

Children in the Workplace

The complexity of the UT Southwestern campus and facilities, the potential dangers present in research facilities, and the presence and treatment of patients with a wide variety of illnesses create a potential hazard to children. In addition, children can be a distracting influence to employees and interfere with performance of job duties. In the interest of safety and efficiency, children are prohibited in the workplace.

Americans with Disabilities Act

It is the policy of UT Southwestern to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and to take prompt action to seek equitable resolution of complaints alleging violations of Title II of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.