About Us

Risk and Safety Services is composed of four departments: Environmental Health and Safety, Office of Emergency Management and Mission Continuity, Risk Services and Occupational Health, and Transportation and Parking Services, and a myriad of programs that support our mission. Each of these units is dedicated to maintaining and promoting some aspect of the health and safety of all members of the campus community. 

Risk and Safety Services provides leadership and coordinates multidisciplinary services to sustain a safe and healthy campus by managing risk, preventing injury and loss, and coordinating access, emergency response, and recovery.

In addition to conducting all of our daily operations in accordance with the UC Statement on Ethical Values and UC Santa Cruz’s Principles of Community, it is our aim to employ best practices specific to our industry in achieving our mission. These include:

• Operating under the assumption that many incidents involving harm to individuals or property are preventable through proactive planning, building awareness, community engagement, collaboration across departments and constituents, and clearly defined avenues of response.
• Response to emergency situations are in the spirit of providing necessary support and intervention so as to prevent escalation of the condition.
• Outreach should be aimed at informing, empowering, and engaging individuals and helping them recognize the role we all play in keeping our community safe.
• We are problem solvers, with the goal of implementing informed, socially just, and cost-effective solutions to serve our community and the campus mission. 

Risk and Safety Services is committed to facilitating the infrastructure and services required to build and sustain a safe and healthy campus environment.

Key Departments and Functions

• Campus Safety (CSA): Promotes campus safety and security through trained ambassadors who provide emergency response, first aid, and disaster response services across the campus​.
• Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S): Ensures compliance with environmental, health, and safety programs to minimize occupational injuries and illnesses and protect environmental quality​.
• Office of Emergency Management (OEM): Administers comprehensive emergency management programs to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of emergencies that threaten the university’s mission and the safety of its community​​. This department is currently in expansion development to include mission continuity services.
• Risk Services (RS): Supports campus departments in identifying and managing risk exposures, administering insurance programs, and maximizing recovery from accidental losses.
• Occupational Health: Under the Risk Services umbrella, Occupational Health focuses on the health and safety of the university’s employees by addressing workplace hazards and promoting health and safety programs​.
• Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS): Manages access to the campus, oversees parking and transportation services, and ensures the efficient operation of transit systems​ and infrastructure.

Risk and Safety Services Strategic Plan