You can't open the door to the art department's sculpture room without seeing the harvest-gold sign sternly admonishing "No spraying of harmful vapors, paints or fixatives." If you take a tour of the department with safety coordinator Linda Katzdorn, you will find that the waste containers in each classroom are labeled and standing in plastic wash bins, just in case of leaks. And each room is posted with signs reminding people that the department risks $500 fines if someone forgets to replace a lid. Thanks to Katzdorn's vigilance, safety is on the conscience of each student, faculty and staff artist. Even if they happen to miss the signs, they hear about the safety rules consistently in classes and from Katzdorn. In fact, this idea that workplace safety is everyone's individual responsibility has become the major weapon in the battle to keep the campus community safe. A new state law has just given departments a little more financial incentive -- the threat of fines up to $7,000 for non-serious violations and $25,000 for serious violations -- to keep up the good work. Under the provisions of Assembly Bill 1127, which became law Jan. 1, the university and other public agencies are no longer exempt from paying penalties for state Division of Occupational Safety and Health violations. "Folks need to understand their responsibilities and be aware of the fact that not paying attention could cost them money," says Julie McNeal, director of the campus Office of Environmental Health and Safety. The University of California is regulated by about a dozen state and another dozen federal agencies, most of which already issue monetary fines, says Pat Schlesinger, the university counsel specializing in environmental regulatory matters. "The good news for campuses in the UC system is that they have all retained health and safety professionals and are running good programs," he says. The new law shouldn't create a problem for the university, Schlesinger predicts. UC Davis has received few OSHA safety citations in the past decade -- only seven in 20 visits over the past eight years, McNeal reports. As proof of the good record, she points to the fact that, for the second time in three years, the campus received no deficiencies during a radiation safety audit from the state Department of Health Services, Radiologic Health Branch, when it visited in December. However, the few citations that have been issued in the past decade have triggered major changes in the system, according to Fred Jacobsen, campus health and safety officer. In addition, the Environmental Health and Safety Office recently reorganized itself to make it easier for departments to get help. Cross-trained advisers Two years ago, Environmental Health and Safety started cross-training its safety advisers. Although specialists are still available for particular problems, departments have their own advisers who can assist with the variety of safety problems that might occur with hazardous wastes, radiological materials, biological materials, occupational hazards and other situations that might cause accidents. "Departments now have a direct contact whom they know," Jacobsen says. But departments, such as art and facilities services, also get credit for making changes. An inspection in 1994 by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Department of Toxic Substance Control found a number of problems, resulting in a $65,000 fine to the campus. Part of the cost was borne by the departments cited: Unitrans, a research lab, the Department of Art and Art History and Facilities Services. The art department had violations in three categories: loose lids on containers, a lack of initial start dates on labels for waste containers and inadequate waste label information. Former department chair Gyöngy Laky, working with Management Services Officer Jerrie Wright, created a safety program, focusing on two issues. The first was that all of the departmental materials needed to be labeled, ranging from solvents, paints and photographic materials to the little jars of water used to clean brushes during water-color lessons. The labels also were to include "generation start" dates that indicated when the chemicals were produced. Secondly, when the materials were not in use, the lids were to be secured tightly. Now, each quarter in every art class that handles chemical materials, students receive an art-safety lecture at the beginning of the course and then sign a paper that they have received the information on handling their materials responsibly, read the regulations and understand them. Staff and faculty members as well as department volunteers -- numbering almost 60 -- also sign the safety acknowledgement. "What's wonderful to me is that the students are getting this every quarter, and if they take three classes a quarter, they get it three times in a row. Too many artists die young," says Katzdorn, an 11-year staff employee in charge of the print lab who took on the added responsibilities of safety coordinator two years ago. A safety network in facilities Across campus in the Facilities Services Department, a network of safety coordinators promotes safety consciousness, according to John Ingianni, the safety coordinator for Facilities Services (except for the grounds, fire and custodial units) since 1994. "We're a little different from most departments: we're almost like a large company, with more than 400 employees working daily around very dangerous equipment. Our employees must be constantly cautious and safety-aware every minute. When we do have an incident, it's very serious. We immediately review all incidents and take corrective action if necessary," Ingianni says. The most dangerous work belongs to the high-voltage crews who, in the past, dealt with energized equipment emitting up to 60,000 volts. "We used to have the option to work on the equipment while it was energized. Now our common practice is to stop it," Ingianni says. Even so, the employees use specialized procedures and safety equipment when working near energized electrical equipment. Three years ago, a trio of high-voltage accidents resulted in serious injuries, according to Jacobsen. After that, Facilities-Electrical went through a major overhaul on training, bringing in outside people to review the procedures and suggest changes. Slips, trips and falls Although facilities workers must be careful using the many high-speed machines and equipment that their jobs require, they are also warned about avoiding the most mundane source of accidents found in any workplace: slips, trips and falls. "We tell people that with wet weather these slips, trips and falls will happen to anybody. If there is a lot of stuff on the floor, in an office or a work area in the shop, people need to pick it up. If the entry to an area is wet, they need to clean it up," Ingianni says. According to McNeal, state safety regulators come to a campus site to check the workplace safety paperwork, injury-illness prevention programs and training. "They want to know whether we have it documented, where the hazards are and that our employees are trained to avoid them," she adds. "We have a unique campus here: an agricultural school with folks in the field using big machinery; the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital where they are hauling around big horses; the vet school, where people get bitten by dogs; and the Primate Center where working with animals can be hazardous," McNeal says. She believes workplace safety should be part of the daily routine. "People need to be more conscientious: training appears to be a big issue. Employees need to be trained to do their job safely," McNeal concludes.