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    Beyond gas masks: More to Bioenvironmental engineering than hazmat

    Bioenvironmental Engineering Training

    Photo By Senior Airman Emily Rupert | Senior Airman Abigail Pack, left, and Senior Airman Andrew Hutkowski, right, collect a...... read more read more

    WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OH, UNITED STATES

    10.22.2021

    Story by Senior Airman Emily Rupert 

    Air University Public Affairs

    Hazardous materials and gas masks are usually what comes to mind when people think about bioenvironmental engineering. However, this career field is more diverse than people may realize.

    The 88th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron’s Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight has a unique mission. It covers day-to-day things such as gas mask fitting and water testing while also having the capability to provide HAZMAT expertise during real-world emergency events.

    Most of its focus is on preventing people from becoming patients. The technicians do this by surveying workspaces for possible hazards before they can cause illness or injury. If there’s a potential to cause harm, they will be there to mitigate it.

    “Bioenvironmental engineering has a diverse mission set and the best way to sum it up is that we are focused on preventing patients,” said Staff Sgt. Devon Rupert, noncommissioned officer in charge of Readiness, Plans and Operations. “This happens both in the workplace during routine assessments where we communicate risks with the work centers and also in emergency settings where we detect and assess unknown hazards.”

    The 88th Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight is a part of the 88th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron and works out of Building 675 on Area B. Its four sections are Occupational Health, Radiation Safety, Environmental Health, and Readiness and Training.

    Much of the work they do tends to happen behind the scenes, Rupert added.

    “We do the stuff in the background,” he said. “Most of what we do keeps things ‘left of the boom.’ We hope to prevent illness and prepare ourselves for incidents. We hope they never pop up, but in the event that something does, we are postured to handle it quickly. When done correctly, you rarely notice us other than routine assessments and exercises.”

    The Environmental Health section works to ensure clean drinking water for the base by continuously monitoring the base water system for safety and cleanliness, as well as maintaining compliance with Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

    “Bioenvironmental Engineering works to protect workers and the base population from health hazards through a series of engineering, administrative and (personal-protective equipment) controls,” said Staff Sgt. Marc LeJeune, NCOIC of Environmental Health. “We support all occupational shops on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, from Air Force research labs and flightline maintenance technicians to hospital workers.”

    Routine office and workspace inspections help ensure a healthy environment for military and civilian personnel.

    “Bioenvironmental is important because we allow for the mission to be completed and make sure workers can return to their families to live a normal healthy life,” LeJeune said.

    While HAZMAT and gas masks are important, they are only a fraction of what the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight does.

    “The primary focus for Bioenvironmental Engineering is on prevention, identifying occupational and environmental health hazards, and preventing exposures to Airmen and their families,” said Lt. Col. John Stubbs, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight commander. “We manage vital programs that prevent injury and illness and ensure the wing mission can be accomplished.”

    Without the unit’s oversight, base industrial shops could be working with chemicals and processes that are immediately dangerous to life and health, officials said.

    Technicians ensure that drinking water in Child Development Centers is free of lead and heavy metals. They also regularly test for radon gas in these same facilities to prevent children and workers from being exposed to potentially cancer-causing environments.

    Over the years, the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight has faced several real-world events.

    On Sept. 11, 2019, it responded to a report of a suspicious envelope containing an unknown white powder. Airmen quickly suited up and took samples to analyze. The powder was found to be benign.
    Another event happened on May 18, 2018, when a commercial truck carrying phosphoric acid spilled 55 gallons of this corrosive agent outside the Air Force Research Laboratory on Area B. Bioenvironmental technicians responded and determined the extent of the spill and correct course of action to mitigate the material. Their actions kept the WPAFB population from harm while also preventing further damage to base infrastructure.

    “Emergency responses are rare since such caution is taken beforehand to prevent them from occurring,” Rupert said. “Without Bioenvironmental’s preventive efforts, these kinds of events would be more common and more deadly.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.22.2021
    Date Posted: 10.22.2021 15:17
    Story ID: 407835
    Location: WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OH, US

    Web Views: 222
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN