INTRODUCTION

The purpose for the safety committee is to find out what safety precautions now exist. This is to insure that we have current practices addressing both health and safety within the various departmental programs. The committee has collected the information and documented the procedures within this manual for staff reference.

Dr. M. Dianne Murphy, Director of Athletics, will review, approve and direct the efforts of this committee in an on-going basis. The committee has documented a current plan encompassing many areas on health and safety. The committee represents special interest safety issues in general recreation, team sports, individual sports, water sports, and physical education. This balance will hopefully present a fair evaluation of our current safety status. The top priority as we serve the individuals in our programs must be health and safety. The final improvements of the precautions submitted by the various programs will strengthen the operation of the entire department.

The primary goal is effective implementation of the various precautions to enhance the safety of the individual participants. It is the intent of the department administration to have all the listed precautions carried out by the time this report was finished. Having the precautions listed on paper is only a secondary goal.

It was obvious to this committee that we need help and cooperation from many areas outside of our department. Other services of the University are responsible for improving our safety precautions. The following services are extremely important to our success:

1. Dining Halls and Food Service: The standards used for food selection and preparation are very important. The foods must carry a high nutritional value. It is our hope that students will want to use Columbia facilities because of excellent quality and reasonable pricing. This is accomplished if the food served is both palatable and presented in a pleasant manor. Dining hours should be general enough to meet the varied schedules of our students.

2. Facilities: Buildings and Grounds has an important role in the maintenance and general operation of all facilities. Both the Morningside Campus and Baker Field need constant supervision. All services must be performed quickly, accurately and thoroughly. Speed is important to lessen the risk of hazards. Both departments, athletics and facilities, must work together in order to provide foresight, planning and follow-up in the execution of maintenance whenever safety is an issue.

3. Health Services: It is extremely important that the care given to students at the Health Service be of high quality. All doctors and services should be efficient in there jobs. The students should not feel they have to go outside the Health Service System when they are in need of medical care.

4. Residence Halls: A large proportion of the student's life is spent in residence halls. The University must maintain these facilities. This means clean and problem-free operation. The environment must be quiet and restful so students can both study and relax. Again, it is extremely important that the University give top priority to this service when health and safety issues arise.

All aspects of University life play an important role in the mental and physical well-being of the individuals we serve. In order for these precautions in health and safety to have the proper effect, we all must provide insight and dedication to our work. In this way we can better serve the Columbia community more effectively.