7.4 Communications with Regulatory Agencies

Effective communication with regulatory agencies is a critical component of implementing the EHS-MS. The Management System is designed to accommodate and facilitate two-way communications between MIT EHS personnel and local, state, and federal regulatory authorities. Open and clear channels of communication are important to convey information on compliance-related issues, good practices, and regulatory questions and interpretations.

Because timely and effective communication with regulators is crucial for effective EHS performance, communication requirements have been included in key standard operating procedures (SOPs) to clarify roles and responsibilities, and thresholds for contacting regulatory authorities. Communications for regulatory agent visits are addressed in SOP EHS-0006, "Regulatory Agent Visits". Communications with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to report serious injuries or fatalities are addressed in SOP EHS-0008, "Reporting Work Related Injuries and Illnesses". Communications to appropriate regulatory agencies to report spills or releases to the environment are addressed in SOP EHS-0004, "Spill Response and Release Procedures". In addition, to enhance the effectiveness of regulators contacting MIT personnel, SOPs have been developed to ensure that regulators who call on MIT are quickly and efficiently routed to the appropriate personnel or resources. More detailed information on managing communications with regulators can be found in EHS Communications to External Parties SOP.