In a letter to the campus community, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi today (Jan. 6) reaffirmed  the university’s Principles of Safety, which commit UC Davis to promoting safety on campus and beyond.

Established in 2008, the Principles of Safety originated from broad outreach among the campus community by the Office of Safety Services. This outreach, which extended to constituencies throughout campus, discovered overwhelmingly that promoting safety requires institutional commitment emanating from university leadership. Based on these findings, the Principles of Safety represent a universitywide initiative with the goal of building a culture of safety that extends beyond the borders of campus. Now, six years after first establishing the Principles of Safety, UC Davis is reaffirming its commitment to the vision, mission and values that they champion.

“A culture of safety on campus is vital to UC Davis’ commitment to advancing the human condition through teaching, research and public service,” the chancellor wrote in her letter. “Each member of our campus community must learn and follow safe practices, help each other to identify unsafe or unhealthy practices and act to prevent them.”

The Office of Safety Services strives to create a “culture of safety” that reaches beyond workplace safety.

“Ultimately we are responsible for our own safety,” said Jill Parker, associate vice chancellor of Safety Services. “The purpose of the Office of Safety Services, along with the Principles of Safety, is to provide the tools and environment that empower faculty, staff, students and visitors to take ownership of their safety.

Animal science professor Chris Calvert, chair of UC Davis’ Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee, said: “Safety does not start when entering the research laboratory or end when one walks out of the laboratory for lunch. Slicing one’s apple at lunchtime on the Quad can result in injury.

"Safety culture cannot start or stop with specific activities, it must be a culture, an active thought process that becomes second nature.”

To help promote safety on campus, the Office of Safety Services coordinates and promotes a variety of programs and projects including evacuation drills in the student residence halls and the Safety Star award program.

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