Geoffrey Burns, AC First hazardous materials specialist, looks on as Patrick LeBlanc, safety and environmental contract officer representative, conducts an inventory of a contractor spill kit at a secondary refueling point. Having the correct spill k...
Geoffrey Burns, AC First hazardous materials specialist, holds a tag documenting monthly ladder inspections as part of contract officer representative Patrick LeBlanc's, monthly audit of contractor compliance with their performance work statement. L...
Patrick LeBlanc, safety and environmental contract officer representative, checks contractors' vehicle licenses to make sure they are licensed to drive the type of equipment they are operating. This is one of 17 safety items he checks each month when...
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--3-401st Army Field Support Battalion Safety Officer, Patrick LeBlanc, spends a lot of time in work spaces to ensure work is being conducted in a safe manner and in a safe environment, but he revisits some spaces for what he calls 'a laser focus' to verify how contactor AC First is complying with their performance work statement in areas of safety and environmental protections.
LeBlanc is in work spaces every day ensuring safety requirements are being met in what he calls his 'broad brush' approach. In these visits to work spaces, he looks at operations from a safety perspective across the battalion. The broad brush includes military, civilians and contractors and can include everything from wearing reflective belts to specific personal protective equipment required in hazardous work spaces. The broad brush can include 'on-the-spot' advice and corrections, formal training, or seeing things that 'just don't look right'. Several days a month he switches from his battalion safety hat to his contractor officer representative hat and specifically looks at one contractor to verify that the contractor safety program matches what the contractor is obligated to provide and that the contractor workforce is complying with contract requirements in the areas of safety and environmental.
"As the COR, I look at 17 safety items and 10 environmental items," he said. "I look at how the contractor safety representatives look at potential issues and how they address them."
LeBlanc said in his COR role he is not empowered to tell the contractor how to implement their safety and environmental programs. He documents findings in monthly reports that are routed through the COR manager to the contract management office and finally to Defense Contract Management Agency.
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