Thank you for your participation in the Campus Security service model validation
Earlier this spring, Campus Security collected various forms of community feedback for their service model validation project. Results from students, faculty, staff, and community members helped to identify themes and areas for prioritization as Campus Security continues to stay committed to creating a safe, secure, caring, and inclusive environment for staff and our campus community.
Environmental Services Facilities will be closed for the holidays
The Environmental Services Facilities (ESF) will be closed starting December 18, 2023 until January 2, 2024. There will be no hazardous waste pick-ups during this break. The last pick-up day from academic department labs will be Thursday December 14, 2023.
Safety Day 2023 — A great success!
Safety Day 2023 was a huge success with the largest attendance than ever before — 276 people! On October 3, Safety & Risk Services brought together all of UBC’s Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee (JOHSC) and Local Safety Team (LST) members for an opportunity to connect with each other and engage in a full day of learning. It is also a day to celebrate those who have made safety not just a priority, but a way of life on our campus.
Lance Xu joins Campus Security as Secure Access Technician
Lance Xu joins Campus Security as a Secure Access Technician. Lance is a dedicated security access technician with a profound passion for the physical security industry. He joins us from Chubb Security and is currently attending BCIT and working towards his Bachelors of Technology Management. With nearly a decade of hands-on experience in the field, he’s had the privilege of contributing to different projects and honing his skills in different areas such as access control, alarm systems, CCTV, door hardware, and IP networks.
Megan Edmunds and Daniela Ramirez joins Campus Security as Project Coordinators
Daniela is joining the Campus Security team as a Project Coordinator, after acquiring two years of experience in the physical security field. Megan Edmunds is a project management and operations professional with over four years of experience in public service and education settings.
Safety on the go. Download the UBC safe Vancouver App
Download the UBC Safe Vancouver app and make sure you turn on your push notifications to receive timely updates and urgent notifications. The UBC Safe App is free and recommended for UBC students, faculty, staff and campus visitors.
Are you prepared for an earthquake?
On October 19, 2023, practice how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On at 10:19 am during the annual Great BC ShakeOut earthquake drill. Learn more about the drill and earthquake safety at ready.ubc.ca.
Protect yourself from the flu
Starting October, 2023, Influenza vaccines will be available across British Columbia. This year, flu vaccines will be booked through the provincial government’s Get Vaccinated system, instead of booking through pharmacies as the public has done in the past. If you have already registered with the Get Vaccinated system for the COVID-19 vaccine, you will not need to re-register to receive an invite for the influenza vaccine. If you have not yet registered, you will need to visit the Get Vaccinated page to register.
Attend the Health Fair for Diabetes Awareness
The Centre for Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing in collaboration with the UBC Pharmacists Clinic are happy to offer a Health Fair for Diabetes Awareness. The event is open to those in the VPFO with or without diabetes or pre-diabetes. It is dedicated to helping you learn about diabetes and how to manage your blood sugar to keep your risk as low as possible.
Safety Awareness Week is September 18-22, 2023
Let’s start the Academic year off right by learning how to keep yourself and the UBC community safe and secure on campus. During Safety Awareness Week, visit UBC Campus Security’s information booths across various locations on the UBC Vancouver campus to learn about theft prevention and helpful safety and security tips.
UBC’s Mass Care exercise comes to life in a full set up
After several years of planning, Safety & Risk Services’ Emergency Management team was able to see the plan come to life in a full set up. The team of UBC staff and volunteers set up registration, group lodging, and feeding services, including the set-up of 260 emergency cots, and invited the community to experience what supports evacuees could access during a disaster.
Are you prepared for an emergency?
Help increase the campus community’s resilience, emergency awareness and preparedness by joining us on September 5-7. Find our Emergency Preparedness booth on Imagine UBC at Main Mall on September 6, and Ride the Quake Cottage, an earthquake simulator at University Commons outside the AMS Student Nest on September 6 and 7.
Staying safe during wildfire season
Wildfires are becoming more prevalent, devastating and enduring in British Columbia, and is a seasonal occupational hazard for many workers. People may feel mild exposure symptoms such as a sore throat, shortness of breath, and irritated eyes. Wildfire smoke may cause headaches and worsening allergies. The level of risk from wildfire smoke exposure depends on various factors.
Cathy Myles joins Safety & Risk Services’ Insurance & Loss Prevention team
Cathy is joining Safety & Risk Services on a full-time, contract basis to help lead the team through a current & future state analysis and transfer of risk including insurance risk management operations and programs.
Implementing CWL integration to UBC’s Hazardous Waste Inventory Systems (HWIS)
Starting from early to mid-August, users will be able to log into the HWIS using their UBC CWL credentials. This integration aims to streamline the login process and enhance system security and user accessibility.
Staying safe in the summer weather
As the temperatures rise, learn how to identify signs and symptoms, the risks related to heat-related illnesses and how to protect yourself by completing the Heat Stress Awareness course. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms early on so that more serious heat disorders can be prevented.
Michaela Kelly joins as Executive Assistant supporting Executive Director, UBC Safety & Risk Services
Michaela comes to UBC from the public relations agency Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), where she provided strategic and integrated communications support to some of Canada’s leading brands across a wide range of sectors.
Laurinda Tracey joins Safety & Risk Services as Safety Advisor – Field Safety
With her experience and knowledge, Laurinda will work with stakeholders to review and enhance field safety programming at UBC in her new role.
Mardi Henderson promoted to Health & Safety Advisor within the Faculty of Medicine team in Safety & Risk Services
Mardi’s role will expand to leading the off-site safety program, including the development of new Hospital Campus JOHSCs at Vancouver General, Saint Paul’s, Children’s & Women’s, and Surrey Memorial.
New Asbestos Awareness course available for UBC community
Developed by Safety & Risk Services, the newly launched Asbestos Awareness course is designed to enhance faculty, staff and student workers’ knowledge about asbestos as facilities on the Point Grey Campus built before 1990 may contain asbestos.
Diving into biodiversity and sustainability: Environmental education and cultural exchange at St’a7mes School
This initiative brings together individuals from various backgrounds and communities, including Elders, settlers, and Indigenous communities; and aims to foster cultural exchange, a deeper understanding of biodiversity and sustainable practices, as well as an enhanced collective responsibility for the environment.
Take part in the Mass Care Open House & Preparedness Fair to become better prepared for emergencies
Safety & Risk Services’ Emergency Management team will be hosting a Mass Care Open House on June 28, 2023. This event is an opportunity for key responding staff to familiarize and problem-solve the mass care planning done to date. Mass Care is the provision of food, water, shelter and services to displaced people in a major emergency.
Attend The Centre Health Fair: Heart Health this June
Brought to you by The Centre for Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing in partnership with the UBC Pharmacists Clinic, The Centre Health Fair: Heart Health will provide you with information, awareness, self-assessment, and personalized consultation on your heart health.
Kim Sheridan joins Campus Security as the Senior Manager, Strategy and Partnerships
A Certified Protection Professional (CPP) skilled in security management and risk assessment, Kim will play an essential part in ensuring this team continues to stay focused on our commitments and providing a structured approach to meeting our stakeholder needs.
Himani Katyal joins Safety & Risk Services as Health and Safety Associate
Prior to joining us, Himani worked as the Health and Safety Assistant in the Faculty of Arts and brings with her a wealth of UBC knowledge and familiarity with UBC systems which will enable a seamless transition into this role.
In memory of Valeriy Kichenko
It is with great sadness and sense of loss that we inform you of the passing of Valeriy Kichenko. Valeriy was a valued member at UBC for over 13 years. Valeriy will be remembered for his dedication to the university as our Environmental Services Facility (ESF) Technician, specializing in chemical waste disposal. His dedication and […]
UBC’s transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic
As of today (May 15), the university has disestablished the COVID-19 Campus Rules which provided vital guidance for our community during the pandemic. In addition, previous COVID-19 resources such as the main websites, FAQS and signage will be removed or replaced with information to support our community around communicable disease prevention.
Successful bike recovery: a collaboration between Campus Security, partners and the community
A success story of a good samaritan working with Campus Security and partners to recover a stolen bike. To tackle bike theft on campus, UBC has partnered with Project 529, a community-based bike registration and recovery service. It only takes five minutes to enter your bike’s information in UBC’s 529 Garage!
Safety & Risk Services’ PrISM welcomes three new Lead Advisor, Information Security Compliance
Jack Wong, Tom Powers, and Jeff de Castro joins PrISM as part of the Compliance Support Program. In their new role, they will each be taking on various challenges and find areas of improvement to support UBC’s mission as a world class teaching, learning and research university.
UBC Emergency Management welcomes two new team members, Mariyam Syed and Alicia Head
Mariyam Syed, Emergency Management & Continuity Planning Advisor, will spearhead UBC’s Continuity Planning Program while also providing expertise to numerous other program elements, and Alicia Head, Emergency Management & Continuity Planning Associate, will have a broad support role on the EM Team.
COVID-19 Update: Change to mask use in health care settings, and other changes communicated by the Ministry of Health & Provincial Health Office
While there is no general requirement to wear a face covering (mask) on UBC Premises, certain UBC students, faculty, and staff were subject to ministerial policy requiring the use of masks in clinical health care settings. Changes Effective April 6, 2023: Masks are no longer required to be worn by staff, visitors, or patients, […]
Building Safety Capacity: Orienting and Training New and Young Workers
Providing effective orientation and training is the best way to prevent workplace incidents that can cause injuries or damage to property and equipment. As an employer, you are responsible for ensuring that your workers are prepared for the job before they start working.
Spring into action with Spring programs from The Centre
Spring programs for the Centre for Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing are now available for registration! Find tips on back strengthening and conditioning, group training schedule, a simple yet delicious recipe for protein balls, and more.
Be a voice for campus safety!
UBC Vancouver Campus Security is taking a look at its services and organizational model to better understand how it can best meet the needs of a rapidly changing community. One important part of this review will be a community engagement process with students, faculty, and staff. Whether or not you have accessed Campus Security services, you can provide input between March 27 and April 18, 2023.
Dealing with natural disasters at UBC
Featured in University Affairs (UA), Hailey Maxwell, Manager of Emergency Management & Continuity Planning speaks about some of the programs and activities UBC offers to help students, faculty, and staff prepare for different types of emergencies.
Welcome Frank Laezza!
Today marks the official start of Frank Laezza’s tenure with UBC as our new Vice-President Finance & Operations. As a strong believer in connected leadership, Frank is looking forward to working with the VPFO team of 1400+ people in the oversight of UBC’s core financial, facilities, and safety functions, across both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.
Daylight Savings time can affect workplace health & safety
A reminder that Daylight Savings Time is taking place this weekend on Sunday, March 12th where we “spring ahead” and advance our clocks forward by one hour. This means that we will all wake up one hour earlier than normal. Help your body prepare for the time difference by considering these tips.
UBC launches new programs to help tackle cybersecurity risk
UBC launches the Compliance Support Program and the Privacy Matters Champions Program to help mitigate information security risk. A major cybersecurity breach has the potential to seriously hamper UBC’s operations, reputation and position as a world-class institution, as well as cause harm to individuals who have entrusted UBC with their personal information.
UBC will be included in Homelessness Services Association of BC’ s Point-in-Time Homeless Count
UBC Campus Security and UBC Sprouts — a 100% volunteer and student-run organization at the UBC, along with volunteers from across the university will be taking part in the Homelessness Services Association of BC’ s Point-in-Time Homeless Count to collect details about the experiences and demographics of people who are experiencing homelessness.
Have you completed all UBC Required Training?
On March 6, staff and student-staff who are not up to date on their UBC Required Training will receive a Workday notification as a reminder to complete the training(s). Please keep an eye out for this new notification and check that you have completed the most up-to-date version of a necessary required training.
Buildings open late during the weekend
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and the AMS Nest are open late during the weekend. If you are stranded on campus due to the current winter conditions and require immediate support, please contact Campus Security at 604-822-2222.
Rosanna Ma steps into new role as Facilities Safety Associate
Rosanna’s experience in the Research Compliance and Occupational Hygiene team in SRS and consulting industry will be extremely beneficial in her new role. She will be transitioning from the Donald Rix office to join the Facilities Safety team in the University Services Building.
UBC Annual Screening Mammography Clinic on March 22, 2023
The Screening Mammography Program (SMP) Mobile Services will once again be visiting the UBC Point Grey Campus. BC women ages 40 and up with a primary care provider can book a screening mammogram directly through the program without a doctor’s referral.
Seminar: Everything you need to know about occupational sensitization
Whether you work in a lab, animal facility, workshop, museum — or even an office, you may come into contact with sensitizers at your workplace that can trigger an allergic response following contact and damaged immune response with repeated exposure. UBC Safety & Risk Services has invited industry and academia experts to educate the community on why sensitization is an important workplace safety issue and how to protect yourself.
Fabiola Ruiz-Aguilar joins Safety & Risk Services as Safety Advisor, Scientific Diving
In her new role as Dive Safety Officer, Fabiola is responsible for developing, strengthening and growing the Scientific Diving program in compliance with WorkSafe BC, Canadian Association for Underwater Science (CAUS) and CSA Ocean Sciences — after all the earth is 70 % water!
Janet Hankins, Manager, Research Compliance & Occupational Hygiene: Balancing safety & innovation
Janet Hankins leads a team of specialists in biosafety, radiation, and chemical safety and occupational hygiene responsible for the handling of hazardous substances across the university. Learn how Janet resonates with the VPFO’s strategic directions and values, and how her team came together to support the university community through the onset of COVID-19.
Hailey Maxwell steps into new role as Manager, Emergency Management & Continuity Planning in Safety & Risk Services
In her new role as Manager of Emergency & Continuity Planning, Hailey looks forward to continuing to support the UBC community in developing personal and organizational resilience through planning, training and engagement initiatives.
Bella Li joins the VPFO/VPHR Finance team within Comptroller as Financial Analyst
Bella will be responsible for providing financial analysis to the overall VPFO/VPHR Finance team with a primary focus on Infrastructure Development, Safety & Risk Services, and Financial Operations, replacing John Mendes who is transitioning into the new Manager, Insurance & Loss Prevention position.
Safety on the go. Download the UBC Safe Vancouver App
As we start the new academic school year, we encourage students, faculty, staff and visitors to download the UBC Safe Vancouver App and turn on push notifications to receive immediate information updates that are impacting the entire campus.
John Mendes steps into new role as Manager of Insurance & Loss Prevention in Safety & Risk Services
In his new role as Manager of Insurance & Loss Prevention in Safety & Risk Services, John will be responsible for the ongoing support of the Insurance & loss prevention program, ensuring succession planning and knowledge transfer and increasing team capacity.
Maliheh Oliver, Manager PIA Operations and Engagement and Taylor Bohn, Privacy and Security Advisor join PrISM
Privacy & Information Security (PrISM) in Safety & Risk Services is pleased to welcome Maliheh Oliver as Manager PIA Operations and Engagement and Taylor Bohn as Privacy and Security Advisor.
Safety Awareness Week is January 9-13, 2023
Stop by UBC Campus Security’s booths to learn how you can help keep yourself and the UBC community safe and secure.