Report 2017-119 Recommendation 66 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 #66 To: Sonoma State University

Sonoma should add preventative maintenance work orders to its work order system by September 2018 to ensure that it completes fume hood and biosafety cabinet inspections annually as state regulations require.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

Sonoma State University utilizes a work order system to ensure compliance with preventative maintenance of systems on campus. In Spring 2019, Sonoma State University moved to a new work order system that is more robust and provides greater integration with the facility maintenance work flow. We were converting all work orders from the retired work order system to the new work order system during the April 2019 response date. Work orders for the fume hoods and biosafety cabinets are now included in the new system to ensure inspection and maintenance of those systems is performed annually and documented.

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

Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that it implemented preventative maintenance work orders to ensure that it completes fume hood and biosafety cabinet inspections annually as state regulations require.


1-Year Agency Response

SSU has added this to the Work Order System to ensure it is completed annually.

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

Although Sonoma provided evidence demonstrating that it had completed fume hood and biosafety cabinet inspections, it did not provide evidence that it added preventative maintenance work orders to its work order system to ensure that it consistently completes fume hood and biosafety cabinet inspections annually as state regulations require.

We assessed Sonoma's 6-month response as partially implemented because it did not provide evidence that it added preventative maintenance work orders to its work order system to ensure that it completes fume hood and biosafety cabinet inspections annually as state regulations require in its main science building. It still has not provided this evidence and until it does so, we will continue to assess this recommendation as partially implemented.


6-Month Agency Response

The university has added preventative maintenance work orders into its work order system. All fume hoods and biosafety cabinets inspections are current and will be re-certified annually.

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

Sonoma provided evidence that it added preventative maintenance work orders to its work order system to ensure that it completes fume hood and biosafety cabinet inspections annually as state regulations require in its art building and one science building. However, it did not provide evidence demonstrating that it did so for its main science building.


60-Day Agency Response

The university will add preventative maintenance work orders into its work order system by September 2018 semester as recommended.

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


All Recommendations in 2017-119

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.