Occupational Safety at UNT

We care about the health, safety, and well-being of our UNT community!

Protecting the health and safety of everyone at UNT is a priority. Our UNT community can trust that our team is driven to provide the safest campus possible as we continuously review and update our safety programs.

We have a beautiful campus with many historic buildings which can bring us challenges at times, including, but not limited to:

The possibility of asbestos in some building materials
Occasional indoor air quality issues due to high humidity, reduced air flow, or our North Texas summer heat
Need for work or repairs in confined spaces
Need for the use of equipment and/or machinery to perform repairs or maintenance work in elevated areas of our buildings

Our Occupational Safety Program is in place to protect our UNT community members from potential exposure to chemicals, irritants, and high risk activities that might cause harm. If you are planning on disturbing building material from putting a nail into a wall to major remodeling of any building space, or work in confined spaces, please read through our three (3) sections of information below: Asbestos Program, Indoor Air Quality, and Permitting, as some of the safety procedures and permits information may apply to your work plans.

*If there is construction or work being done in a building where you are at on campus, a Facilities work control service ticket can be submitted to help alert their team and ours to any issues so that we can inspect and work together to help you.

The mission of the Asbestos Program is to protect the UNT community and their physical and environmental health from asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral found in many buildings and building materials on campus and does not pose a health risk when it is intact.

Please fill out a request for inspection if someone in your area needs to cut, sand, grind, abrade or otherwise disturb any building materials, hang pictures, secure furniture or work in the space above the ceiling tiles. Risk Management Services will work with Facilities to ensure any surfaces that may contain asbestos material will only be disturbed by trained personnel.

Submit a new Asbestos Request for Inspection

How do I know if I need to request an asbestos inspection?

If you are disturbing any material in a campus building that may contain asbestos, you must request an asbestos inspection at least 3 weeks prior to the start of work. This includes any renovation or demolition of the following materials:

Wallboard/Sheetrock
Joint Compound
Ceiling Tiles
Thermal System Insulation (TSI) - pipes, pipe fittings, insulation wraps, etc.
Spray-on Soundproofing
Spray-on Fireproofing
Spray-on Insulation
Carpet and/or Carpet Mastic
Floor Tile and/or Floor Tile Mastic
Caulk, Sealant, Waterproofing, etc.
Ductwork and/or Ductwork Mastic
Cooler/Cold Room Insulation
Fume Hood Panels
Laboratory Benchtops
Any building material not composed entirely of wood, metal, concrete, glass, or plastic

CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PERMIT

The University of North Texas regulates the use of confined space entries to ensure employees can enter and work in those spaces safely. Confined spaces are only approved and allowed for short periods of time as they are not designed for continuous occupancy by employees. A confined space is defined as having one or more of the following:

1. Small, narrow or cramped passageways

2. Entry or exit is by means of a ladder

3. Equipment in the space may make evacuation and rescue difficult

Work done in confined spaces must be approved and permitted by submitting a Confined Space Entry Application. If requesting a permit, do so 1 working day in advance. If you will be off on Friday, please request permit for Monday on Wednesday. If you need a permit on Monday and work Friday, please request Thursday.

Once your permit is approved by a Risk Management team member, permit and confined space entrant attendant log must be posted on approved site

*Confined space work that involves hot work will require an approved permit. Hot Work Permit must be requested prior to submitting a confined space entry request.

ELEVATED WORK PERMIT

UNT requires that any time a worker is performing elevated work such as an unprotected side or edge or working from an aerial lift, and could potentially fall 6’ or more, fall protection is required. Any time a worker can fall any distance and come into contact with dangerous machinery, hazardous chemicals or any other potential for serious harm they must be protected from falls. An exception to this rule would be when work is performed from a properly installed ladder or scaffold. This program is closely aligned with 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M.

Absent guardrails, parapet walls or other engineered barriers, an elevated work permit is required. Work performed from aerial lifts, on roofs or any other place that a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS) is required must be permitted.

Work done in elevated spaces must be approved and permitted by submitting a Elevated Work Permit.