The Department of Technical and Adult Education is committed to providing a healthy and safe learning environment for students and a safe working environment for faculty and staff. The Division facilitates agency and campus compliance with mandated health and safety requirements. These requirements include:

Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne and Airborne Pathogens Standard
The intent of this standard is to prevent or minimize the potential for occupational exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens and Air Borne Pathogens/Tuberculosis by students and faculty in certain occupation areas such as Health Technologies, Personal Services and certain other program areas and to insure that all exposure incidents receive appropriate health care follow-up.

The Standard is based upon 29 CFR 1910.1030 Blood Borne Pathogens Standard and CDC Guidelines for the Prevention of the Transmission of M. Tuberculosis in the Health Care Setting - 1994 and State Board Policies # II. D. 3. a. Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens policy and II. D. 3. b. Occupational Exposure to Air Borne Pathogens/Tuberculosis

Hazardous Chemical Personal Protection and Right-to-Know
Hazardous Chemical Personal Protection and Right-to-Know for state employees employed by the State Technical Colleges. Each Technical College is required by state law O.C.G.A. 45-22-1-12 Public Employee Hazardous Chemical Personal Protection and Right-to-Know Act of 1988 and State Board Policy# II.D.3.c Hazardous Materials to develop plans and establish procedures to safeguard the health and safety of their employees when working in contact with or proximity to hazardous chemicals. The intent is to provide employees with the most up-to-date information regarding hazardous chemicals present on the college campus and that hazardous chemicals are properly labeled and that M.S.D.S. forms are readily available for each hazardous chemical. Each Technical College has in place a Hazardous Chemical Right-to-Know Plan for both primary and satellite campuses.

Emergency Operations and Safety Planning
Emergency Operations and Safety Planning provides a safe educational environment for State Technical College students and a safe working environment for faculty and other staff. It also provides for a planned and coordinated response to certain situations and occurrences through the use of an Emergency Operations and Safety Plan. Each State Technical College has developed and implemented an Emergency Operations and Safety Plan to address preparedness for acts of violence, acts of terrorism, accidents, hazardous materials and natural disasters as required under State Board Policy# II. D. 1. Emergency Operations and Safety Plan There is a plan in place for each primary and each satellite Technical College campus and adjacent areas O.C.G.A. 16-11-127.1 (School Safety Zones)

Plans are reviewed and approved by the School Safety Section: Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) as lead state school safety agency under O.C.G.A. §20-2-1185, as well as by local public safety agencies.

Plans are coordinated with representatives of local law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, hospitals, emergency management and other educational institutions to ensure the highest degree of preparation and the most effective degree of coordinated response to an incident. Practice exercises and fire drills are conducted on a scheduled basis in conjunction with local public safety agencies and personnel.

Statewide Emergency Support Functions
Both DTAE and its 34 State Technical Colleges play an important role in the support of local governments and other state agencies in the event of a "State of Emergency" declared by the Governor of Georgia.

A 1999 Governor's Executive Order authorizes the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to exercise overall direction and coordination of emergency planning and operations for the State of Georgia.

The Georgia Emergency Operations Plan, developed by GEMA, is binding on all state agencies providing emergency support functions and serves as a basis to provide assistance to local governments in time of emergency or disaster.

DTAE and its constituent State Technical Colleges have been assigned emergency support functions in the areas of Mass Care, Health and Medical and Public Information. Assigned functions are carried out at the direction of GEMA or other primary agencies.

The Executive Order also authorizes the GEMA Director to activate and deactivate the State Operations Center (SOC) and/ or support all state agencies in time of emergency or disaster.

The State Operations Center (SOC) may be activated at different staffing levels to provide support to local governments during emergencies or disasters.

DTAE has an agency emergency coordinator and three alternate emergency coordinators with responsibility to coordinate staffing of the DTAE desk at the SOC and to maintain a 24-hour response capability. State resources and other agency personnel may be subject for use to support local governments in those circumstances requiring emergency support.