Campus Chemical and Safety Assurance Project
Launched in Spring 2025, the Campus Chemical and Safety Assurance (CCASA) Project aims to develop a sustainable framework to provide a safe environment for Western's campuses and communities through regular safety inspections and proactive compliance measures.
Supporting a Safe and Healthy Campus
The CCASA Project builds upon the foundation established by university policy POL-U5950.01 Health, Safety and Environmental Protection, which outlines the university’s commitment to health, safety, and environmental stewardship. This policy ensures compliance with applicable laws and regulations, assigns responsibilities across departments, and supports safe practices through the Department of Environmental Health and Safety.
The project team, with oversight from the steering committee, will draft a standard and procedure to add the existing policy. This new framework will include internal controls, training, monitoring, reporting, and escalation protocols to ensure continuous improvement and compliance.
In the context of this project, "safety" includes chemical safety, hazardous and universal waste management, proper personal protective equipment, electrical safety, fire safety, and hazard communication.
Safety is the responsibility of all members of the Western community. Project outcomes will influence safety practices across campus, particularly in spaces where chemicals, electrical equipment, or hazardous waste are used or stored.
In order to ensure campus spaces are safe and free from hazards, a framework is needed to support compliance with safety laws and regulations, industry standards, and universal best practices.
Contact Samara Aboav, BFA's Strategic Planning Analyst, for more information.
Stakeholder Engagement
From the start, stakeholder involvement has been central to this project's approach. Members of the project team and steering committee were selected to represent a broad range of campus departments responsible for managing the safety of campus spaces. Participants include deans, faculty members, department safety coordinators, lab technicians, an operations manager, and staff from Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience (RESR) and Facilities Development & Operations (FDO).
Community Engagement
To ensure the framework is practical and effective, feedback will be gathered in October 2025 from individuals who teach, work, or study in impacted campus spaces such as laboratories, shops, and studios.
Pilot Program and Implementation
In Winter Quarter 2026, a pilot program will be launched in a select group of departments to test the new safety process and gather user feedback. Insights from this pilot will inform any adjustments before a phased implementation begins across campus.
Project Leadership
This initiative is sponsored by Darin Rasmussen, Assistant Vice President for Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience (RESR), and is supported by Brad Johnson, Provost and Executive Vice President, and Joyce Lopes, Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs.
The membership of both the steering committee and project team were carefully selected to reflect a broad range of campus perspectives and to ensure the resulting framework is both effective and sustainable.
Steering Committee
| Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Darin Rasmussen | Assistant Vice President for Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience |
| Traci Brewer-Rogstad | Associate Vice President for Facilities Development & Operations |
| John Fauver | Director of Environmental Health & Safety |
| Janelle Leger | Dean of the College of Science and Engineering |
| David Patrick | Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Research |
| Carol Rehnberg | Director of Risk Management |
| Chris Bianco | Dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts |
| Jun San Juan | Professor of Health and Human Development |
| Christy Fazio | Senior Internal Auditor |
| Peter Thut | Biology and IBS Lab Manager, Department Safety Coordinator |
Project Team
| Member | Position |
|---|---|
| John Fauver | Director of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) |
| Joseph Flowers | Laboratory Safety Consultant for EHS |
| Vacant | Hazardous Waste Manager for EHS |
| Scott Wilkinson | Instruction/Classroom Support Technician 4, Department Safety Coordinator for the College of the Environment |
| Priscilla Arteaga | Operations Manager for the College of Fine and Performing Arts |
| Calvin Murphy | Stockroom Manager, Department Safety Coordinator for the Chemistry Department |
| Joe Somera | Instruction/Classroom Support Technician 4 for the Biology Department |
| Russell Choi-Pearce | Instruction/Classroom Support Technician 4, Department Safety Coordinator for Engineering and Design |
| Derek Smith | Laboratory Manager, Department Safety Coordinator for Shannon Point Marine Center |
| Nathan Long | Instructor and Classroom Support Technician 3 for Psychology Department |
| Margaret Scheuermann | Associate Professor of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry |
| Jesse Yun | Lab Technician and Instructor for Health and Human Development |