CDSOs keep workplace safe

Photo By Keith Hayes | The Base Safety Office aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., administer the Collateral Duty Safety Officer program. Regular training classes are held and CDSOs are required to conduct monthly inspections of their office with an eye toward mitigating or removing situations that could cause accidents.  

MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

12.12.2018

Story by Keith Hayes 

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

Collateral Duty Safety Officers are on the front line of safety in the workplace aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California.

“The CDSO assists in the execution of the base Safety Program with primary emphasis on mishap reporting, workplace inspections, hazard communications, safety training, and personal protective equipment,” David Romero, Safety Specialist, said.

Romero explained that the CDSO for each office or shop aboard base is appointed in writing by their supervisor. A letter of appointment is prepared, signed and sent to the base Safety Office and added to the database.

“Among the duties of a CDSO is to identify hazards or potential hazards in the workplace through regular inspections,” Romero said. “They also conduct evacuation drills, keep inventories of hazardous materials used in the office, and report accidents or injuries experienced by employees to the base Safety Office.”

He explained that regular safety training classes are held once a month covering topics ranging from fall protection to lock out, tag out procedures for machinery. That individual then returns to their workplace and trains others in the office on safety issues.

At a November 15 safety training meeting, Mark Reeves, occupational health and safety specialist for the Safety Office, told his class that one of the most important duties for a CDSO is to be proactive about safety.

“Inspections around their workplace can identify potential hazards that can be corrected before an accident happens,” Reeves said.

Safety, in Reeves experience, is catching. “The training the CDSO gets is usually applied in their own home to make life safer for their own family.”

The safety representative does not have to know how to fix a potentially dangerous situation themselves but does contact the appropriate safety professionals to initiate actions to correct deficiencies based on inspection findings, Romero said.

He added that the individual works at keeping his or her own office safe all year, not just during the time of base-wide safety inspections or when the Voluntary Protection Program Safety Star status is up for renewal.

“The CDSO program played an important role inhelping MCLB Barstow win the Marine Corps’ first-ever VPP Safety Star,” Romero said.

“A CDSO is an individual who stands up and says ‘I will be safe and assist in keeping my co-workers or department safe.’"

• Date Taken: 12.12.2018
• Date Posted: 12.12.2018 18:11
• Story ID: 303294
• Location: MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US