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To:  All Subrecipients

Subject:  Safety

Effective Date: April 1, 2004

A.  BACKGROUND

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) established the requirements for delivery of services through the One-Stop Delivery System. The One-Stop System, or WorkSource System as it is known in our state, is the basic delivery system for adult services.

The Snohomish County Workforce Development Council recognizes that the safety of both staff and customers is a fundamental issue that affects every aspect of day to day operations. Therefore, each Center, Affiliate Site, and Self Service Site that is certified by the WDC shall follow the guidelines presented in this Memorandum.

B.  POLICY

The following are to be implemented at every WorkSource Snohomish County site.

1. Each site will have an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency. The plan shall, at a minimum, include: employee meeting points, designated staff roles, and an accounting for all staff at the final meeting point. This plan must be given to all new employees and customers, posted in staff and customer areas, and tested through a "dry run" a minimum of once each program year.
2. Each site will have at least one staff member certified in CPR and First Aid. The name(s) of certified staff will be provided to all staff.
3. The WDC Safety Officer will establish a WDA-wide "code phrase" that all staff use to call for assistance if they feel threatened or an assault has occurred. The WDC Safety Officer will disburse the code phrase to the site manager and the site Safety Officer who will make the code phrase known to all staff. When a staff member feels threatened or requires assistance from fellow staff members, s/he will call the person at the front desk who will, in turn, follow the lines of communication that the site has established for engaging additional staff support.
4. Regular staff meetings will include debriefings on recent incidents raising safety concerns.
5. Each site will establish clear lines of communication for incidents of violence or assault. Staff must be advised of the name of the site Safety Officer to whom incidents are to be reported.
6. Incidents will be documented within five working days by the staff involved and submitted to the site Safety Officer. Copies of the document will be sent to the site manager and the WDC Safety Officer within two days of receipt.
7. The site Safety Officer will make any identified incident patterns known to all staff members at the site as a precautionary measure and to support heightened awareness.
8. Each Center will maintain a confidential record of emergency contact information for each agency staff member. This information will be stored in a secure location and should also include references to specific employee allergies and/or medication.

C.  TRAINING

The WDC recognizes the need and importance of ongoing safety training. As funding allows, the following will be provided:

1. Resources and opportunities for training in CPR and First Aid for all staff;
2. WDA-wide posters, films, and other educational materials promoting safety awareness;
3. Violence prevention/de-escalation training;
4. A community resource list.
   

D.  ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN

By July 1, 2004, written procedures to implement this policy will be developed by each site and made available to all staff and to the WDC Safety Officer.