NAU Campus Safety Culture

Supporting a safe and healthy environment for learning, research, and everyday operations

At NAU, the term “safety culture” reflects our collective commitment to connect faculty, staff, and students with necessary safety resources and prevention measures and create the structure to respond effectively to any hazards they may encounter in work or learning environments. Through this commitment we promote a sense of ownership and responsibility for safety at every level of our organization.

Our Mission

In alignment with NAU’s Strategic Goal #5–Stewardship, the mission of the Campus Safety Culture Steering Committee is to ensure long-term viability of the University by prioritizing safety as an integral part of the learning and working environment.

Our Vision

A well-established strong culture of safety at NAU means each stakeholder understands their role in safety, has ample opportunity to participate in safety programming, and promotes and participates in best safety practices as an organizational norm. The awareness that safety is a top priority for NAU guides our actions and empowers us to work together to reduce our risks of campus accidents, illness and property losses.

Core Safety Values

These values are the beliefs and principles that drive our efforts.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility Accordion Closed

• NAU is committed to providing a campus environment that supports the health and safety practices of our faculty, students, staff and visitors, and empowers each of us to be responsible for the safety of others.

A safe working and learning environment for all NAU community members Accordion Closed

• As a matter of regulatory compliance and in recognition of duty of care, NAU is committed to best practices for safe work and learning.

Good science is safe science Accordion Closed

• Safety is a critical component of scholarly excellence, responsible conduct of research, and daily activities. NAU is committed to the integration of safety into curricular and work design.

Good design is safe design Accordion Closed

• NAU’s built environment has an important impact on the usability and safe serviceability of all spaces. NAU is committed to a collaborative design process, which considers the safety of the occupants and skilled trades professionals who provide crucial maintenance operations.

Safety training is an essential element of employment and education, and a point of differentiation for NAU graduates Accordion Closed

• NAU strives to instill a culture of safety in our present operations, while modeling industry standards for future graduates.

An established culture of safety is necessary to reduce risk throughout the academic enterprise Accordion Closed

• Through commitment to strong safety culture, NAU’s leadership operationalizes the responsibility to reduce risk to our stakeholders, the environment, and the capital investments that comprise our organization.

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Importance of cultivating a culture of safety

Northern Arizona University recognizes the value of strong safety programs, that risks inherent to activities must be managed, and that there are benefits to working and learning in an environment that reflects industry standards and best safety practices. Organizations that work to build and maintain a culture of safety benefit from reduced accidents and injuries, reduced risk of interruptions to operations and property loss, and enhanced reputation for operating to industry standards and best safety practices. Our goal is to be at the forefront of proactively managing risks associated with scholarship, research, and support operations on NAU campuses.

Culture change elements

• The adoption of shared core safety values.
• The creation of a new safety committee structure which encourages open discussion of concerns.
• A mechanism to provide Executive Level budget and decision-making authority to address safety issues when needed.
• Clearly articulated and understood safety roles and responsibilities for all NAU stakeholders.
• Job structures that integrate safety program participation, ownership, and accountability into our daily activities.

NAU Campus Safety Steering Committee

NAU Campus Safety Culture Steering Committee was formed to identify key culture change opportunities and develop an implementation plan for NAU’s Campus Safety Culture project. These issues focus on physical safety topics including but not limited to general safety, construction safety, general liability, fire prevention, emergency management, risk management, research safety and sustainability with special attention to program accessibility for all stakeholders.

Guiding Principles

• To connect staff and students with the resources necessary for a safe working and learning environment.
• To reduce costs/interruptions associated with accidents and property losses through hazard identification and mitigation.
• To promote continuous compliance and best safety practices for NAU.

Committee members:

Sarah Ells
Director, Environmental Health and Safety

Scott Halle
Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Safety

Becky McGaugh
Associate Vice President, Contracts, Purchasing and Risk Management

Angela Helmer
Director, Contracts, Purchasing and Risk Management

Aaron Kaminski
Loss Prevention Coordinator, Contracts, Purchasing and Risk Management

David Faguy
Associate Vice President, ORC, Office of the Vice President for Research

Victoria Fimea
Senior EO & Affirmative Action Analyst, Equity and Access Office

Jeffrey Young
Fire Marshal, Fire Marshal, Facility Services

Robert Church
Emergency Manager, NAUPD Office of Emergency Management