Photo By Chong Yun Kim | Maj. Priscilla Jewell (center), Safety and Occupational Health Management System...... read more read more
USAG Humphreys, Republic of Korea – Maj. Priscilla Jewell has been an integral component of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) Far East District (FED) since her arrival as a project manager at the Security, Plans and Operations Office in July 2022. Now, in addition to acting as the district’s chief of staff, Jewell is a key figure in the district’s safety program as the Army Corps of Engineers Safety and Occupational Health Management System, or CESOHMS, champion.
“As the Far East District’s CESOHMS champion, my job is to understand the program’s methodology and promote those tenants to the organization’s employees,” she said. “I narrowed these down to ownership, oversight, and execution. Leaders own the safety program, the Safety Office conducts oversight of the safety program, and everyone is responsible for the execution of the commander’s safety program goals.”
Any organization’s safety program has three critical categories, according to Jewell. The first stage focuses on laying the framework for the safety program and ensuring that the district has established policies and procedures. The second stage ensures that processes are communicated to employees and being followed. In the third stage, the district continues the existing program with constant improvement and feedback, and with employees taking individual ownership for safety.
Prior to the implementation of the agency-wide initiative, Jewell said, the safety management programs were command dependent, which meant that there was no real baseline for a comprehensive USACE safety program. FA
“With CESOHMS, commanders are still able to tailor their safety programs based on organizational needs, but there is a foundation upon which that tailoring can be built,” she said.
Jewell explained that the CESOHMS methodology allows an organization the ability to cover all its safety bases while still maintaining its organizational safety culture.
Before she came on board as the acting Safety Chief and the Far East District’s CESOHMS Champion, the Safety and Occupational Health Office had already established its effectiveness, she said.
Stage 1 of the USACE CESOHMS assessment of the Far East District started in February 2021, continued in July 2022 (Stage 2), and culminated in Stage 3 in May 2023.
FED is now looking forward to being assessed by Army Safety Assessors to be granted the Army Star Safety Program. This is the highest honor granted by the U.S. Army for any safety program.
“It will take constant and continuous improvement and feedback from FED employees, but I’m confident that we have what it takes,” said Jewell. “Col. Heather Levy, our district commander, always says that ‘nothing is more important than our people,’ so I think all leaders should echo that sentiment and take care of our people.”
Jewell stressed the importance that everyone should take care of each other whether the safety program is being assessed or not. She emphasized safety is FED culture, so all employees should understand how important they are to building and being a part of that culture.
“The Far East District’s Safety Team is OUTSTANDING!” she said.
Jewell is proud that the district safety team works incredibly hard on behalf of the organization and the commander, and she is extremely grateful for their hard work and tenacity.
“They continue to push the organization towards the commander’s safety goals using the CESOHMS methodology,” Jewell said. “I will not be at all surprised when FED receives the Army Star Safety rating in the near future.”
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2023 19:51 |
| Story ID: | 449581 |
| Location: | PYEONGTAEK, KR |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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