Welcome to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Environmental Health and Safety
Department Virtual Manual. The Virtual Manual was created to help supervisors
and employees consolidate safety and compliance information applicable to their
specific work areas at UNL.
Instructions and an overview of the structure and intent of the Virtual Manual
are described below:
Completing the Assessment
EHS has arranged safety information into several subject areas, some of which
are applicable to many areas on campus, some of which are only applicable to a
few. The Virtual Manual uses assessment questions to determine what information
is applicable to you. When you answer the questions in the assessment, you are
selecting the subjects that apply to your work area.
If you don't know the answer to an assessment question, use your best judgement.
You can edit your assessment later if necessary.
To enter the assessment, click on Assessment in the menu at the top.
Saving Your Custom Virtual Manual
We refer to the combination of subjects you choose during the assessment as your
"profile." Your profile creates your Custom Virtual Manual.
After you have answered all assessment questions, hit the Submit button, and
your profile will appear on the screen. Click the Back button on your browser
to correct the assessment if necessary at this point.
Below the profile listing, you are asked for your email address. This is
so that we can retrieve your profile for you when you revisit the Virtual Manual
in the future.
Accessing Your Custom Virtual Manual
You need to enter your email address to access your profile. Upon doing
so, your screen will show your custom virtual manual home page.
This home page includes a link for every subject that you chose during the
assessment.
The information for each subject is maintained on an individual web page. The
subject web pages contain text and links to subtopics and other materials, such
as Safe Operating Procedures, forms, and program documents. The pages are common
to all users, so that everyone who accesses a subject, such as Chemical
Safety, will see the same information.
To access your profile, click on Access Your Profile in the menu at the top, or
on the Virtual Manual Home Page.
Subject Information
The Virtual Manual provides explanatory narrative and links to relevant EHS SOPs,
as well as additional information sources. Users are advised to review all linked SOPs,
as they are integral to the overall mission of the Virtual Manual--to create a
comprehensive safety and compliance manual. When EHS updates information for a
subject, either in the Virtual Manual narrative or linked documents, you will
automatically see that update the next time you access your custom virtual manual.
Every EHS document that is linked within the manual will include a revision date.
Navigating the Virtual Manual
Each topic page includes a link back to your profile contents at the bottom of the
page. You can use these links or your browser's Back button to navigate the
site.
Links to outside web sites (beyond EHS) will open another browser window. To
return to the EHS Web Site, close the browser window for the outside web site,
or select the EHS Web Site browser window on the task bar. If you have problems
navigating your custom virtual manual, please call EHS at (402) 472-4925 for
assistance.
Editing Your Custom Virtual Manual
If you want to change the list of subjects you selected, just answer the
assessment questions again. You can save your updated profile using the
same email address.
Paper Copies
To create a hard copy of your Virtual Manual, print your assessment, each
subject page in your profile, and all relevant, linked information. Most
forms and SOPs are formatted in Adobe to make printing easier. Take your
printed materials and arrange them in a binder. If you print your material,
you will want to check your profile online occasionally to see if any
information has been updated. You will be able to tell by comparing the
revision dates of the materials.
Supplemental Materials
The information in this Virtual Manual should be supplemented with specific
work practices and procedures as appropriate and which are generally
established by the supervisor. Bookmark this page now and always enter
the Virtual Manual through this page. Call EHS at (402) 472-4925 if
you need assistance with the Virtual Manual. We welcome your comments
and suggestions so that we can make the Virtual Manual best fit your
needs. Please forward your suggestions to EHS by email at
ehs@unl.edu or by telephone at (402) 472-4925.
Assessment
Access Your Profile