Contractor Safety
SMU seeks to engage contractors who dedicate themselves each day to maintaining an accident-free workplace. SMU is committed to achieving full compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations and university-wide policies and standards. These standards apply to all contractors, service providers, and vendors- they are not intended to be inclusive of all local, state, and federal laws and regulations that Contractors are obligated to comply with.
SMU Work Permits
Work permits are used for high-risk activities on campus. Work permits help share critical information with others and doubles as a checklist. Work permits are used by contractors, faculty, staff, and students.
Permits can be filled out or in-person at the Office of Risk Management in the Dawson Service Center, Suite 100.
Hot work operations pose a significant risk because they can introduce ignition sources into the work site. A spark can smolder and ignite combustibles many hours after welding, soldering, grinding or other hot work has been completed, oftentimes after workers have left for the evening.
Hot work operations must adhere to the SMU Hot Work Program and obtain a permit. This includes work being conducted by staff, faculty, students, and contractors.
For permits, please report to Dawson Service Center, 3050 Dyer Court, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75205.
If you have questions, please contact the Fire Safety and Emergency Manager in the Office of Risk Management at emergencymanagement@smu.edu or 214-768-1550.
SMU has a building inspector who will inspect all projects that would require a permit from the city. Building inspections are essential to safety, ensuring code compliance and quality control.
To request a building inspection, please click .
SMU requires contractors to register their drones and pilots and file a flight plan with SMU before flying. The process helps SMU communicate with first responders and key stakeholders about drones operating on campus.
SMU requires that pilots follow FAA regulations. (Licensed Pilots, FAA Airspace Authorization)
To complete these requirements, please visit this website.
SMU owns and operates the electrical systems on campus. Most of the medium-voltage systems on campus are underground.
Contractors will follow NFPA 70E for electrical safety procedures and will not use damaged electrical equipment, tools, or extension cords. Contractors should avoid live electrical work and utilize LOTO policies and practices as necessary.
The City of University Park requires all generators over 10,000 volts to have a city permit and to be grounded. SMU electricians shall supervise any electrical connections to buildings.
No live electrical parts or rooms shall be left open or exposed to the public.
Falls are the leading cause of death and injury in the United States workplace. Working at heights can be very dangerous; however, with proper fall protection, we can dramatically reduce the chance of death or serious bodily injury. At SMU, we require any employee and/or student to protect themselves from falling at heights. The SMU Fall protection program provides detailed information on how to reduce fall risks.
At SMU, there are many types of elevated surfaces that need fall protection: roofs, scaffolding, aerial lifts, catwalks, skylights, fixed ladders are a few common elevated surfaces.
OSHA requires that employees must take precautions from unprotected edges 6’ feet or more in construction and 4’ feet or more in general industry. Unless otherwise directed, SMU uses 4’ as its minimum standard. Also, fall protection is required for anyone on an aerial lift.
At SMU, we use the 5 step method to eliminate fall hazards. SMU ORM recommends trying to remove the hazard or adding guardrails first. If unable to eliminate the hazard, fall restraint and fall arrest systems may be used. Fall restraint and fall arrest systems require special gear and training before use. Please reach out to SMU ORM for any questions or need required training.
The 5 Steps to eliminate fall hazards are
- Fall Elimination: Eliminate the hazard or the reason to work at heights
- Fall Prevention: Adding guard rails to unprotect edges or to cover holes.
- Fall Restraint PPE: that is used to restrict a person’s ability to get near an unprotected edge
- Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS)
- Unless working on a ladder, scaffold, or scissor lift, OSHA requires fall protection when exposed to a 4-foot fall or greater. Ladders, scaffolds, and scissor lifts have their own fall prevention requirements. People must be trained before wearing fall protection PPE.
- PFAS is used to control the rate of fall rather than preventing a fall.
- Fall protection PPE or PFAS is made up of 3 parts known as the ABC
- Anchorages
- Anchorage connectors secure connecting devices to a support structure over 5000lbs per person.
- Body Harness
- A full-body harness is a type of PPE that attaches a person to the fall protection chain. There are many types of full-body harnesses. Regardless of make or model, they must be properly sized for the wearer, inspected, used, and maintained according to the manufacturer.
- C – Connecting components
- There are multiple types of connecting components. Connectors attach the body harness to the anchorages points.
- Anchorages
- Administrative Control
- Under the limited circumstance, SMU allows controlled access zones. Controlled Access Zones is an area where a warning perimeter is set back from the edge of a building. This warning line will act as a barrier for people working on an unprotected roof. Controlled Access zones have certain limitations, such as warning lines must be at least 6 feet from the unguarded edge.
- If using a controlled access zone, please notify SMU EHS for proper setup and takedown operations.
There are many hazardous chemicals on campus. SMU requires contractors to maintain a Hazardous Materials Inventory List with individual SDS for each hazardous substance on SMU property. Contractors that use highly hazardous materials or chemicals that produce a strong smell shall report the SDS to the Office of Risk Management.
In addition to the product label of contents, all containers with at least five (5) gallons of fluid capacity or twenty (20) pounds of chemical content shall include either:
i. HMIS & NFPA hazard warning labels.
ii. Notify the Office of Risk Management
SMU has a variety of hazardous labs on campus. (Chemical, Radiation, Lasers, ETC.)
Before working in a lab, you must contact the person operating the lab.
A sign explaining the hazards in the labs and the PPE requirements is posted on the labs' doors.
Do not unplug or turn off equipment in the lab spaces without permission.
A site inspection needs to be conducted daily before and after operations.
Beginning shift inspection should ensure no equipment is damaged or tampered with, which may create a hazard.
End-of-day inspection should be conducted to ensure that any work left undone or finished product will not create a risk to the public on campus.
Contractors may need to barricade and/or tape off areas.
Contractors shall not block any hallway, stairs, or doors used for emergency egress.
Contractors shall ensure good housekeeping and cleaning throughout each workday.
All puncture and impalement exposures shall be covered or eliminated immediately.
Barricades: Contractors will use barricades to protect the public from hazards.
SMU Design Standards state that a project requiring a fence will have a 6-foot-tall metal fence with a windscreen.
Overhead hazards will require SMU contractors to build scaffold tunnels or block off the area to prevent any risk of falling objects.
Caution/danger tape can be used for short-term work, inside buildings, and extended outer perimeters.
Signs: Signs can and should be used to direct vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Ground disturbances can potentially have major effects on operations and the safety of the campus.
Notifying 811 does not work for all utilities on campus. SMU owns most of the underground utilities and does not perform line locates in-house. Every excavation shall require a preliminary meeting with the SMU Facilities Management to determine historical knowledge of existing utilities. Unless a location has been deemed safe for disturbance, a third party may need to be hired for utilities locates.
Potholing or hand digging shall be required within three horizontal feet of located centerlines and in an area lacking knowledge.
Parking vehicles in fire lanes is prohibited. People may unload vehicles, but the driver must remain with the vehicle and be ready to move in an emergency. Contractors will follow TXDOT methods of controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic when closing roads. SMU requires that no combustible engines be used inside buildings without prior authorization.
Road vehicles, unless authorized, shall not be driven on campus walkways.
Golf carts and Subcompact Utility Vehicles (SCUV) require SMU registration and training. You can register at the SMU Risk Management website.
SCUV and Golf carts may not be driven on roads, off-campus, nor cross 75, Hillcrest, or Mockingbird.
Industrial vehicles are motorized vehicles used for construction, elevated platforms, and forklifts.
Due to high student pedestrian traffic, all industrial vehicles must have a spotter or pilot vehicle when operating on roads or in high-traffic areas.
SMU does not allow contractors to use SMU equipment. SMU requires operators not to use phones or music devices when operating industrial vehicles.