In the broad terms, the committee aims at keeping students, employees and visitors safe.

“That’s safety in the classrooms, the office spaces, the Artisan and Fabrication Lab (AFL),” said Patrick La Petina, current chair of the committee. “There is a lot of ground to cover and the potential for accidents to happen. We are trying to mitigate hazards.”

Besides La Petina, the current committee includes Jeff Huddleston, Matt Ohland (faculty representative), Kelsey Rodgers (student representative), Jim Whitford and Rick Womack.

“Serving on the committee has been an eye-opening experience,” Rodgers said. “It’s easy to take safety for granted when you’re in class or working here, but to really examine the issues and consider the ‘what ifs’ from a preventive standpoint makes you aware of how important the committee’s job is.”

At its February 13 meeting, the panel met in Wang Hall to discuss safety items related to the new ENE space on the third floor. Not only will members of the ENE community inhabit the space, but undergraduates working with the Institute for Pre-College Engineering (INSPIRE) UPRISE program and research participants will be in and out. After talking about things such as evacuation routes and automated external defibrillators (AEDs), members did a walk-through of the space and made notes on potential safety items the committee needed to address.

“While we as a group look at safety, it really takes involvement from everyone,” said La Petina. “If you see something questionable, report it to us, or maybe think twice before you do something that may unintentionally cause harm to yourself or others.”

Have a safety concern in Armstrong or Wang halls? Please contact Patrick La Petina at lapetina@purdue.edu or 494-1503.