Safety transforming how district manages risks

Photo By Michael Glasch | Chad McManus, an electrician with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Omaha District, hangs on tight as he is hoisted up from a tunnel during confined space rescue training at the Big Bend, S.D., power plant April 20. The closest first responders are more than 25 miles from the plant, making rescue training at the plant a top priority.  

OMAHA, NE, UNITED STATES

12.13.2018

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

OMAHA, Neb. -- In 2018, the Omaha District started transforming Safety and Occupational Health from a compliance based program to a systems approach.
This systems approach is the U.S. Arrmy Corps of Engineers – Safety and Occupation Health Management System
(CE-SOHMS). CE-SOHMS will enhance the Omaha District Safety culture that is based on employee involvement at every level.
To be effective, any safety and health program needs the meaningful participation of employees. Employees have much to gain from a successful program and the most to if the program fails. Employees often know the most about potential hazards associated with their jobs. Successful programs tap into this knowledge base.
Management provides leadership, vision and resources needed to implement an effective safety and occupational health program. The
success of USACE systematic approach to managing safety and occupational health is dependent on how management and leadership engage on how safety and health is implemented and managed within their business processes or activities.
The goal is to empower the command to identify solutions to execute safety and occupational health at each level of the organizations to allow for supervisors, managers, leaders,and employees to become empowered to become committed in managing and participating in safety and health.
External district assessments help define to leadership where gaps or weaknesses in system may exist. Part of the CE-SOHMS process is three assessment stages.
The Omaha District received a Stage 1 baseline assessment in September, 2017. Stage 1 assessment is look at the planning of safety and occupational health within organization.
These include review of written program, processes, records, and documents. The stage 1 assessment concluded that within the five capability objects and 52 elements that the Omaha District was 86 percent complete, and 14 pervcent in progress. The Omaha District received Stage 1 validation assessment in Oct. 2018. The purpose of this assessment was to validate that Omaha District made effort to close the 14 percent in-progress gaps within the planning portion of CE-SOHMS.
The Omaha District validation assessment concluded the 14 percent in progress items were closed and identified as complete. This closed out Stage One for the Omaha District with 100 percent complete.
The Omaha District was the second district within USACE to receive 100 percent validation, and to date, one of eight districts to complete the validation process.
It is essential the Omaha District strives for continuous improvement and sustainment Stage 1 (planning). It is very easy for
organization regress from past efforts if they are not continually reviewed and assessed.
Additionally, the Omaha District received the Army Exceptional Organization Safety Award in FY2018 for performance in the FY2017
period! Great work from the entire Omaha District!
More to come as we move into Stage 2 of implementation and execution of Safety and Occupational Health of CE-SOHMS in FY2019! Let’s make some progress and continually improve!

• Date Taken: 12.13.2018
• Date Posted: 12.31.2018 18:16
• Story ID: 305951
• Location: OMAHA, NE, US