Report 2017-119 Recommendation 59 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 #59 To: University, California State

Based on campuses annual reports on the timeliness of their inspections of safeguards, engineering controls, and ventilation systems, the Chancellor's Office should follow up with campuses that report untimely inspections and should require that the campuses develop action plans to ensure that they complete inspections as often as state regulations require.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

The annual reporting template requires campuses to report on the timeliness of their inspections of safeguards, engineering controls, and ventilation systems and identify the reasons for any delays.

Systemwide Risk Management at the Chancellor's Office continues to monitor and evaluate the information in the annual reports and provide feedback to the campuses on areas that need improvement.

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


Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020

The current annual reporting template requires campuses to report on the timeliness of their inspections of safeguards, engineering controls, and ventilation systems and identify the reasons for any delays. After receiving the data from the first annual reports in 2019, it was determined that more detailed and meaningful data is needed to help the campuses develop action plans to ensure they are in compliance with state regulations. Systemwide Risk Management will continue to work with the campuses on this issue.

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


Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

The Chancellor's Office developed and distributed a uniform health and safety reporting template which requires information regarding the timeliness of various inspections and the reasons for any delays. In addition, the Chancellor's Office will follow up with campuses that report untimely inspections to ensure they develop action plans to address any delays. Campuses will begin submitting reports using the new template (or their own report format as long as the reports include the required data) in November 2019. Once those reports are received by the Chancellor's Office, we will begin any necessary follow up with the campuses.

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


1-Year Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office developed a new health and safety reporting template which requires information regarding the timeliness of various inspections and the reasons for any delays. In addition, the Chancellor's Office will follow up with campuses that report untimely inspections to ensure they develop action plans to address any delays. The Chancellor's Office anticipates that the reporting template will be implemented for fiscal year 2018-19, with campuses submitting the reports in November 2019. Once the reports are received, we will begin any necessary follow up with the campuses. In addition, a new Systemwide Environmental Health and Safety Manager started work at the Chancellor's Office on December 17, 2018; his duties include consulting with the campuses as well as conducting follow up on compliance issues.

Further, the Chancellor's Office updated an existing contract to deploy a comprehensive software suite for campuses to use for assessing risks and inspecting relevant laboratory and work spaces. All campuses have incorporated software to help address previous challenges and develop consistency in documentation. Campus employees are being trained on the use of the software and are in various states of implementation. We anticipate that all campuses will be engaged in this level of recordkeeping by the end of June 2019.

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


6-Month Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office has begun the process of developing a new health and safety reporting template; the template will require information regarding the timeliness of various inspections and the reasons for any delays. In addition, the Chancellor's Office will follow up with campuses that report untimely inspections to ensure they develop action plans to address any delays. The Chancellor's Office anticipates that the reporting template will be implemented for fiscal year 2018-19, with campuses submitting the reports in September 2019. Once the reports have been received, we will begin any necessary follow up with the campuses. In addition, the Chancellor's Office is in the final stages of recruiting a Systemwide EH&S Manager, whose duties will include consulting with the campuses as well as conducting follow up on compliance issues. The finalists were interviewed on October 23, 2018.

In the meantime, the Chancellor's Office has updated an existing contract to deploy a comprehensive software suite for campuses to use for assessing risks and inspecting relevant laboratory and work spaces. The software will help address previous challenges with consistency and documentation requirements. We anticipate that all campuses will begin using the system by early 2019.

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


60-Day Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office will follow up with campuses that report untimely inspections to ensure they develop action plans to address any delays. The Chancellor's Office anticipates that the reporting template will be implemented for fiscal year 2018-19, with campuses submitting the reports in September 2019. Once the reports have been received, we will begin any necessary follow up with the campuses.

In the meantime, the Chancellor's Office is updating an existing contract to deploy a comprehensive software suite for campuses to use for assessing risks and inspecting relevant laboratory and work spaces. The software will help address previous challenges with consistency and documentation requirements.

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


All Recommendations in 2017-119

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.