Restrictions to Access

No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use

No usage restrictions.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Health and Safety Office of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40101, University Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Transferred from the Health and Safety Office, 1986-1992.

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Processed by: University Archives Staff

Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Industrial hygiene--North Carolina.
• Industrial safety--North Carolina.
• Universities and colleges--North Carolina--Safety measures.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--History.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Sanitary affairs.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962). Radiological Safety Office.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--History.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Sanitary affairs.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health and Safety Office.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Radiological Safety Office.

• Office of the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Records (#40095)
• Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Records (#40096)
• University Archives started archiving selected websites of the academic and business units of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina General Administration, and student groups and organizations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in January 2013. To see if websites for this department or related departments have been archived visit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Harvested Websites (#40417).

The origins of the Health and Safety Office can be traced to the Radiological Safety Office established 1 June 1960, to ensure that handling of radioactive materials on the campus complied with standards set by the Atomic Energy Commission. Raymond C. Pfleger, as Radiation Safety Officer, conducted surveys of storage sites and labs, and supervised the scheduling of medical checkups of university personnel handling isotopes. In January 1967, Pfleger was succeeded by Francis deFriess. In 1970, the United States Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which required employers to meet specific workplace standards to protect the health and safety of their employees. The University Health and Safety Office was created on 1 July 1974 to oversee campus compliance with the law. Dr. Donald G. Willhoit of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (in the School of Public Health) was selected to head the new office.

The new agency incorporated the responsibilities of the Radiological Safety Office and, in addition, oversaw the university's compliance with fire and public safety regulations and with biological safety and industrial hygiene standards. Health and Safety Office personnel conducted examinations of worksites, operated a hazardous waste program, and developed educational training programs. The office was also responsible for scheduling routine health examinations, arranging for and inspecting safety equipment, and processing workman's compensation claims.

Records include correspondence and other files relating to the administration and duties of the Health and Safety Office, including files on vendors of safety projects and services; documents pertaining to deliveries of radioactive materials, disposal of radioactive waste, and registration of x-ray machines; reports of radiation exposure; and various inventories and surveys of laboratories and other facilities.