Estimating Average University Environmental Health and Safety Program Staffing and Resourcing Using a Series of Iteratively Developed Evidence-Based Models

Abstract

Inherent to the work carried out at institutions of higher education is a set of diverse health and safety risks, which include the use of a variety of potentially hazardous materials. To manage these hazards, colleges and universities typically maintain Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) programs, but objective models for determining the typical amount of organizational resources dedicated to EHS programs are lacking. Summarized here are a series of iterative modeling efforts based on benchmarking data provided by the members of the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA), combined with publicly available institutional data, to produce a series of predictive models for EHS program resourcing. Linear and multiple regression analysis techniques were utilized to develop the models to estimate industry-average college and university EHS program staffing and expenses. Interestingly, the subset of recurrent key predictors identified through these efforts, such as the total net assignable area (TNASF) and the research laboratory area, includes measures that many EHS professionals do not typically have readily available. Although these models do not address the ultimate outcomes achieved by any EHS program, they can assist decision makers with determining a representative level of staffing and resources needed to support university EHS programs.