New Hire Safety Information

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees, students, visitors, and the environment. Penn State cares about your safety and has many control measures in place to ensure a safe work environment. If you have a safety concern related to your work at Penn State, report it to your supervisor, Safety Officer, or Environmental Health and Safety (EHS).   

Safety Policies and Programs:

GURU is the official source for Penn State policies, procedures, form usage instructions, and other business information commonly used by Penn State personnel in daily operations. Be familiar with the Safety (SY) Section of GURU that includes Environmental Health and Safety policies.

Environmental Health and Safety is the designated University entity for safety and regulatory compliance.

Your job may have training and other requirements to ensure your safety and compliance. Be sure to check the EHS website for these requirements or ask your supervisor for assistance. If you are a supervisor, be aware of additional responsibilities with respect to safety (see SY01).

Injury and Illness Reporting:

All work-related injuries, illnesses, and incidents, no matter how minor must be reported to your supervisor immediately.

Building Emergency Evacuation:

Employees must evacuate all buildings when prompted to do so. The procedures listed below provide general guidance for emergency evacuation:

  1. Be familiar with the building evacuation map for your floor if one has been provided. Know the location of at least two exits and the corresponding evacuation routes from your area.
  2. Exit the building as quickly and calmly as possible using the nearest safe exit. Do not use any elevators.
  3. Direct others in the immediate area, including students in classrooms, to evacuate.
  4. Move to a safe location away from the building or to your building’s Designated Meeting Site.
  5. Do not re-enter the building until you have been instructed to do so by designated public safety officials. Silencing of alarms does not mean the emergency is over.
  6. Follow any specific work unit/campus instructions following an evacuation.

Call 911 to report all emergencies.

Access to Exposure and Medical Records:

Penn State makes work-related exposure and medical records available to employees and their designated representatives in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements.  

Work-related exposure records include the results of workplace monitoring for toxic substances, results of biological monitoring, and safety data sheets. University employees at all locations can access work-related exposure records by contacting EHS at 814-865-6391. Please note that safety data sheets are maintained by individual departments or units.

Work-related medical records are made or maintained by a physician, nurse, or other health care provider. These records may include medical questionnaires, medical examination results, laboratory tests, first aid records, descriptions of treatment, or employee medical complaints. University employees at all locations can access their work-related medical records by contacting the Department of Occupational Medicine at 814-863-8492.