All members of the university community (employees, students, volunteers, and visitors) are expected to take reasonable steps to protect life, prevent harm, and preserve the university’s sacred resources. Although some level of risk is inherent in university programs and activities, members of the university community are encouraged to partner with the Risk Management and Safety Department (RMSD) to reasonably reduce and control risk.

The intentional violation of federal, state, or local laws; willful exposure of members of the university community to highly dangerous hazards or activities; and unethical or bad faith breach of contractual obligations are prohibited. Each BYU employee is empowered to take lawful, appropriate action to report or stop unsafe or illegal activities. Students, volunteers, and visitors are encouraged to report these situations as well.

RMSD coordinates the university’s risk management efforts through careful risk identification, analysis, consultation, mitigation, and monitoring. It implements written plans and procedures and provides relevant training, counsel, and other services to carry out its responsibilities, including in the following areas:

• environmental management
• emergency preparedness
• contractual risk transfer and insurance
• fire prevention and life safety
• claim management
• academic and laboratory safety
• occupational safety and industrial hygiene
• event risk and safety review
• minor protection
• drone permitting

RMSD reviews and updates the university’s risk management plans and procedures as needed to ensure continued effectiveness and compliance with relevant laws and industry standards. When warranted, RMSD conducts assessments, inspections, audits, and investigations of university units and programs related to risk and safety issues. When doing so, RMSD strives to minimize disruptions to university operations. Employees are expected to cooperate with RMSD as it carries out its responsibilities.

College deans, department chairs, division directors, and other unit leaders are responsible for risk management and safety issues within their respective organizations. RMSD partners with each unit’s designated liaison to fulfill its risk and safety responsibilities.

Each employee reports promptly any known injury, accident, property loss, safety concern, hazard, and/or near-miss involving members of the university community that occurs on university property or within the context of university programs to RMSD through its Incident Reporting System.

Any liability claim against the university should be reported immediately to RMSD or to the Office of General Counsel. Outside of RMSD and the Office of General Counsel, no university employee is authorized to respond to a claim or assertion of legal liability made against the university or to make any statement or admission of liability on behalf of the university.

Unless approved in writing by the responsible vice president or otherwise provided for in university policy, only RMSD is authorized to purchase insurance or security bonds on behalf of campus units. Units who need insurance or bonds submit requests directly to RMSD.

The RMSD Fire Marshal Office manages the university's fire prevention, fire safety plans, and life safety programs, including the following:

• fire code compliance, plan reviews, inspections, and training;
• management of fire detection, alarms, extinguishers, and sprinkler systems; and
• oversight of water supply, fire watch for special events, and authority-having-jurisdiction fire permits.

The use of fireworks, pyrotechnics, open flames, hot works, sky lanterns, or any effects impacting fire systems and life safety is prohibited on university premises unless authorized in writing by the RMSD managing director or the university fire marshal.