The Liberty University Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Department hosted its third annual Safety Day on the Academic Lawn Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This year’s theme was “Exploring the World of Safety,” which students were able to do as they walked through the demonstrations and information displays on their way to classes.
After being rescheduled due to inclement weather in September, EHS brought together a variety of Liberty departments and outside organizations to inform students of the best practices regarding all spheres of safety — anything from emergency situations to everyday safety tips.
Robert Drane, senior occupational safety compliance policy and training officer for EHS, helped coordinate this event. With the rescheduled date, Drane shared that not as many organizations and vendors were able to attend.
“Because we had to cancel our original safety day, … there were a lot of things that didn’t work out the way we needed them to,” Drane said. “But we’re good at overcoming difficulties.”
Despite a smaller size compared to previous years, Drane and the EHS team felt that the event still accomplished its mission of educating the student body.
“It looks like we’re rolling, and it’s looking good,” Drane said at the event. “We’ve got a crowd, and I’m happy that we just kept pushing forward with this.”
EHS brought together the many departments at Liberty that work to keep students safe each day, informing them of tools like the Champion Safe app and Canvas safety training courses.
Access Control, a department housed in the Office of Security and Public Safety (OSPS), allowed students to test their skills with picking a lock, teaching them how lock mechanisms work. However, Lead Locksmith Chris Roberts confirmed that Liberty’s door mechanisms are designed to prevent locks from being picked open.
“Our goal is to educate not only staff and faculty but also any students who want to participate,” Roberts said. “… A lot of people are unfamiliar with what we actually do as a department.”
Liberty’s School of Aeronautics conducted a live drone demonstration, showing off their work in partnership with OSPS to conduct drone video searches as needed during high-traffic times like football games and Commencement.
Not only did Liberty staff contribute to the event, but students and local organizations joined to inform the student body of additional programs ensuring student safety.
A group of students in Liberty’s School of Nursing hosted a stand for the American Red Cross where they trained attendees on the organization’s Stop the Bleed course. The students also promoted a blood drive coming up Oct. 24 in the Montview Terrace Lounge.
At another table, students from Liberty’s chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) presented research from a recent conference they attended. Composed of mostly students majoring in industrial and systems engineering, Liberty’s chapter attends these conferences and hosts various trainings on campus.
“(ASSP) is a great opportunity to get connected with different professionals from all sorts of different industries,” Faith Rathjen, junior and chapter conference officer for ASSP, said.
Beyond the tables, many students gathered for the demonstrations on Reber-Thomas Drive from the Lynchburg Fire Department, including vehicle crash recovery, fire extinguisher usage, hazmat protocols and more.
Drane shared the united goal of hosting Safety Day each year in partnership with many different groups.
“We want (students) to see what we’re doing … and how we are protecting students,” Drane said.
Drane also noted the new environmental health and safety degree he helped pilot over the past year, which was promoted to students at the event.
In the future, EHS hopes to include more outside vendors for safety equipment and personal protective equipment along with increasing the number of safety demonstrations.
“Every year we are growing more,” Drane said. “We are getting more participation, and I think every year it will be compounded better and better.”
For more information on the EHS department and additional safety information at Liberty, visit www.liberty.edu/security-public-safety/environmental-health-safety.
Garman is a staff writer for the Liberty Champion.