An Illinois Tech supervisor is someone who manages the performance of all group members, including setting work expectations and standards, reviewing performance, and taking corrective action, if necessary. They direct each person’s activities in order to accomplish workgroup goals, including how to perform those activities in a safe manner. The supervisor has the primary responsibility for health and safety of individuals and facilities under their purview.
A supervisor should also communicate and interpret university policies, plans, methods, and guidelines to team members and explain how the workgroup contributes to the university’s mission. They should foster a workplace that respects each person’s dignity and individuality and encourage career self-management and development.
Chairs and Directors
- Department Chairs and Directors of academic units are primarily responsible for compliance with the department’s program, including the development of their department’s or unit’s safety Program, which shall include at least the following:
- Designation of a Department Safety Officer who is qualified and able to assume the responsibilities set forth in this Program;
- Development and review at least annually a written description of the Department Safety Officer’s duties, which description shall be sent to the Faculty Laboratory Safety Coordinator;
- Ensuring that Laboratory Users are offered the appropriate safety training by the respective Principal Investigators or Laboratory Safety Coordinator prior to their use of the laboratory space; written records of this training substantially in the form of Exhibit B shall be sent to the Faculty Laboratory Safety Coordinator at least annually; Page 4 of 10
- Ensure that Responsible persons have received the appropriate safety training prior to their use of the laboratory space; written records of this training shall be sent to the Faculty Laboratory Safety Coordinator at least annually;
- Periodic review and revision of all laboratory safety related documents required by this policy and by the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, and transmission of the final documentation to the relevant Dean and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety;
- Review of any written request for a variance to an applicable safety procedure, and if approved, transmit the document to the Department of Environmental Health and Safety for review and approval. Once approval from the Department of Environmental Health and Safety has been obtained, a copy of the approved document will be maintained by the Chair, and if not approved, the Chair shall so inform the applicant in writing (see attached variance guideline);
- Maintaining a current written list of assignment(s) of the department’s laboratory space, and ensuring that the relevant Principal Investigators and department’s Laboratory Safety Coordinator(s) are provided with a written copy of their respective responsibilities, with additional duties as required by the Chair, but in no event less than those responsibilities described below, and communicating these lists, in writing, no less frequently than annually, to their Dean and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety; and
- Working with Responsible Persons and Deans to ensure compliance with applicable laboratory safety policies and programs for any issues that may arise that cannot be covered by direct costs of research grants or department budgets, consistent with the requirements of the Laboratory Safety Inspection Policy.