CAMP HENRY, Republic of Korea -- After winning the U.S. Army Pacific Command Exceptional Organization Safety Award two years in a row, U.S. Army Garrison Daegu has been awarded the Exceptional Organization Safety Award by the Department of the Army.
One of the biggest factors contributing to the improved safety in Area IV is the work being done by the USAG Daegu Safety Office in collaboration with the local community.
"The risk management procedure we have here requires collaboration," said Randall Ross, the supervisory safety and occupational health manager with the USAG Daegu Safety Office. "Safety isn't an afterthought, it's implemented from the planning stage and we see it through the entire execution."
This accomplishment, between the safety office and the Daegu community, has been achieved through a lot of training, planning and dedication from the lowest level to the highest.
"We have over 750 personnel assigned to USAG Daegu, and it takes every one of those people to do the right thing in safety every day to be successful," said Ross. "This is not just an award for this office, it's an achievement of the entire garrison."
One of the ways the team creates a safer garrison is by not only enforcing the standard but informing the public as well.
"When you go out on an inspection it's important that everyone is aware of what the standard is," said Paek, Sung-yop, a safety and occupational health specialist with the USAG Daegu Safety Office. "If you can go out and make sure that everyone knows the safety standards then you can prevent accidents before they happen."
The cooperative approach of the safety team has made significant improvements in accident prevention. In 2018, the team saw a 40 percent reduction in recordable accidents across the garrison.
"We as a garrison have a duty to be fully compliant with all safety laws, which include U.S. and Korean Laws as well as Department of Defense guidance and Army policy," said Ross. "We cannot possibly expect everyone to memorize all of those laws, so it is our job to ensure that everyone is trained to those standards and routinely inspected to make sure those standards are followed so we can provide a safe and healthy work environment for everyone."
The USAG Daegu Safety Office continues to make progress on their mission of making Area IV a safer place to work every day.
"Every person has the right to expect that when they come to work in the morning that they will go home in the same healthy status they showed up in," said Ross. "It is our job to help make that happen for every person, every day."
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