As a result of the efforts of Johnson College’s Safety Committee, the College was recently approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
One year ago, Johnson College formed a Safety Committee comprised of faculty and staff members from various departments. Michael Novak, Diesel Truck Technology Chairperson, and Joseph Musheno ’78, Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology Chairperson, were chosen as the committee’s first co-chairs.
“We all made a commitment to safety,” Mr. Novak states. “The College made a commitment to form the committee. The Safety Committee members made a commitment to doing the work. And all faculty and staff made a commitment to helping the committee carry out its duties.”
As part of the state approval process, the Safety Committee established a comprehensive inspection list for each part of campus and started performing quarterly inspections. All buildings and outdoor campus areas are routinely inspected so that safety issues can be addressed and resolved as soon as possible.
The committee also instituted the use of Accident and Near Miss forms by faculty and staff. Accident forms list the details of an incident and how to prevent a repeat occurrence. Near Miss forms take a proactive approach, allowing employees to highlight possible safety issues before an accident can occur.
The certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation allows Johnson College to take advantage of discounts from insurance carriers when it comes to their employees’ Workers’ Compensation coverage. This specifically focuses on the employer/employee association within the College.
“The savings are only a bonus. Our priority was making a safer Johnson College,” says Mr. Musheno.
From left to right (Back Row): Lisa Toole, Assistant to the President for Planning; John DeAngelis, Architectural Drafting and Design Technology Program Chairperson; Andrew Zwanch ‘82, Precision Machining Technology Chairperson; Donald Ryan, Operations Director; Matt Crandall, Associate Network Administrator
From left to right (Front Row): Dr. Colin Bullmore, Veterinarian and Johnson College Veterinary Technology Program Instructor; Michael Novak, Diesel Truck Technology Chairperson; Joseph Musheno ’78, Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology Chairperson; William Kelly, Facilities Manager
Not Pictured: Joellen Cerra, Bursar; Richard Mishura, General Education Division Chair; Joseph Polinsky, Computer Information Technology Program Chairperson
