Moe champions safety program

In addition to serving as the chief of the navigation support section, Kristin Moe also plays an important part in the St. Paul District’s safety program as the Army Corps of Engineers Safety and Occupational Health Management System, or CESOHMS, champion. She will serve an integral role in preparing the district for the stage 2 closeout assessment and stage 3 baseline at the end of June.

There are three stages of CESOHMS implementation. The first stage, Moe said, focuses on the groundwork for the safety program and makes sure there are policies and processes in place in the district. The second stage ensures that processes are communicated to employees and being followed. There are six objectives (leadership/employee engagement, investigations and recordkeeping, safety and occupational health training and promotion, inspections and assessments, hazard analysis and countermeasures, and health protection and readiness) that provide the district a framework to follow. The third stage is continuing the existing program with constant improvement and feedback, and with employees taking individual ownership for safety. “It’s about creating a new culture of safety where everyone participates and everyone shares the responsibility for a successful safety program,” Moe said.

As the CESOHMS champion, Moe said her role is to champion the change. “I believe that change is important and we need to communicate that to all levels of the organization,” Moe said. “We need to make sure that people are accountable for their role in the change process. Part of my role is to advocate to remove obstacles that are in the way of this change.”

Moe stressed that she wants employees to be engaged and involved with safety in their everyday duties. Some ways that employees can get involved include:

• Coordinating a toolbox talk for your work group

• Share information and lessons learned

• Take action to correct a hazard (ex. clean up after a spill to avoid a potential slip/fall)

• Report a hazard to the safety office (report hazards and safety issues’ link on the safety intranet site)

• Provide a safety briefing to site visitors

“CESOHMS is a comprehensive program that supports us in accomplishing our missions safely,” Moe said. “It empowers employees to be proactive and engage in workplace safety so we’re all looking out for each other.”