Brief
You are probably familiar with the Hazard Exposure Assessment (HEA) form. It is a critical piece of data the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) department asks each employee to complete upon hire and update annually.
EH&S uses this information to identify each employee’s exposure to hazardous materials and notify employees of the respective training requirements. EH&S training classes are designed to comply with current regulations and, more importantly, to maintain a safe environment for employees and visitors. For example, if a staff member’s HEA indicates exposure to blood and/or body fluids, they will receive a notice to attend annual bloodborne pathogen training.
Job duties evolve and change throughout the year and so do employees’ workplace exposures. That is the reason that the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act’s bloodborne pathogen standard requires annual updates of all employees’ HEA forms. Incorrect or out-of-date HEA information is the number one reason why employees receive notices for training classes that are no longer pertinent to their current position. Additionally employees with incomplete HEAs miss training reminders and notices. An accurate and current HEA minimizes hassle for all involved.
EH&S will send to all Fred Hutchinson employees and affiliates one update form for each position held at the center. Employees will be asked to review and return their HEA(s) to EH&S at J5-400 by July 2.
With the cooperation of supervisors and employees, EH&S aims to make properly identifying necessary training a breeze.
If you have any questions, you can contact Amber Brookins at 206-667-5585 or e-mail abrookin@fhcrc.org.
