What is the mission of the department?
Reporting to the Vice President for Administration and Finance, the mission of the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Department is to provide comprehensive environmental, health and safety programs and services to assist Hudson Valley Community College in promoting a safe and healthful environment, minimizing loss of college resources and maintaining regulatory compliance.
In support of this mission, EHS develops programs and procedures, conducts training, investigates incidents and concerns, conducts audits and hazard assessments, coordinates contracted life safety inspections, liaises with external regulatory agencies and organizations, prepares regulatory reports, and provides comprehensive technical services and expertise in the areas of occupational safety and health, environmental compliance, fire and life safety and sustainability to the college community.
The exchange of information and shared decision making with campus stakeholders is encouraged through the College Safety Committee, the Environmental Sustainability Committee and the Radiation Safety Committee. Anyone wishing to join one of these committees, receive additional information or provide feedback should contact Laurie Vivekanand at (518) 629-7163 or l.vivekanand@hvcc.edu.
Department members (left to right) are Maxine Ortiz, EHS specialist; Director Laurie Vivekanand, and Jennifer Draper, EHS technician.
What is something most colleagues might surprised to know about your department?
EHS is available to conduct ergonomic assessments and provide recommendations to reduce the stress and strain of work tasks. If you are experiencing any discomfort or ergonomic stress at work, please contact Maxine Ortiz at (518) 629-7787 or m.ortiz@hvcc.edu to schedule an evaluation.
Is there a fun or interesting fact about your department or an employee you would like to share?
Before coming to work at Hudson Valley, Jenn Draper worked as a safety coordinator for wind farm construction projects, frequently spending months in remote locations and climbing towers up to 320 feet high.
Maxine Ortiz’s favorite pastime is going to a small island in the Bahamas with nothing on her schedule other than watching sea turtles.
Laurie Vivekanand recently met the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s 14-state challenge by completing a hike on the trail in each state it passes through from Georgia to Maine. The hikes took place over a period of several years and ranged from afternoon jaunts of only a few miles to a multi-day traverse of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Published: Mon, 01 Oct 2018 12:22:28 +0000 by k.paquette