Tulsa District safety staff support U.S. Antarctic Program

By Preston ChasteenMarch 11, 2020

Tulsa District safety staff support U.S. Antarctic Program
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Tulsa District Chief of Safety, Mike Kerr and Industrial Hygienist, Greg Snider make their way across frozen ground while inspecting different work areas at McMurdo Station, Antarctica on February 1, 2020, for a temporary duty assignment to support the National Science Foundation. The Tulsa District safety team worked nearly three weeks at McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica supporting the National Science Foundation, United States Antarctica Program through an Interagency Support Agreement. (Photo Credit: Preston Chasteen) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tulsa District safety staff support U.S. Antarctic Program
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Tulsa District Chief of Safety, Mike Kerr (left) and Industrial Hygienist, Greg Snider (right) prepare to board a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft to travel to Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on February 2, 2020, for a temporary duty assignment to support the National Science Foundation. The Tulsa District safety team worked nearly three weeks at McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica supporting the National Science Foundation, United States Antarctica Program through an Interagency Support Agreement. (Photo Credit: Preston Chasteen) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tulsa District safety staff support U.S. Antarctic Program
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Tulsa District Chief of Safety, Mike Kerr (left) and Industrial Hygienist, Greg Snider (right) travel through an ice tunnel in Antarctica on February 3, 2020, for a temporary duty assignment to support the National Science Foundation. The Tulsa District safety team worked nearly three weeks at McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica supporting the National Science Foundation, United States Antarctica Program through an Interagency Support Agreement. (Photo Credit: Preston Chasteen) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tulsa District safety staff support U.S. Antarctic Program
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A welcome sign at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica, where Tulsa District Chief of Safety, Mike Kerr and Industrial Hygienist, Greg Snider served on a temporary duty assignment to support the National Science Foundation February 3, 2020,. The Tulsa District safety team worked nearly three weeks at McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica supporting the National Science Foundation, United States Antarctica Program through an Interagency Support Agreement. (Photo Credit: Preston Chasteen) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tulsa District safety staff support U.S. Antarctic Program
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Tulsa District Chief of Safety, Mike Kerr (right) and Industrial Hygienist, Greg Snider (left) walk through an ice tunnel while working in Antarctica on February 3, 2020, for a temporary duty assignment to support the National Science Foundation. The Tulsa District safety team worked nearly three weeks at McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica supporting the National Science Foundation, United States Antarctica Program through an Interagency Support Agreement. (Photo Credit: Preston Chasteen) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tulsa District safety staff support U.S. Antarctic Program
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Tulsa District Chief of Safety, Mike Kerr (right) and Industrial Hygienist, Greg Snider (left) display a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flag in Antarctica while on February 4, 2020,a temporary duty assignment to support the National Science Foundation. The Tulsa District safety team worked nearly three weeks at McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica supporting the National Science Foundation, United States Antarctica Program through an Interagency Support Agreement. (Photo Credit: Preston Chasteen) VIEW ORIGINAL

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District recently provided a safety officer and an industrial hygienist to the National Science Foundation United States Antarctica Program through an interagency support agreement.

Tulsa District Chief of Safety, Mike Kerr, along with industrial hygienist Greg Snider, spent nearly three weeks at McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica.

"I was confident my career experiences had prepared me to complete my assignment and represent USACE and Tulsa District well," said Snider. "I was honored and humbled to be asked to support a multi-agency safety effort in Antarctica. I was proud to represent Tulsa District and fly the USACE flag at the South Pole,"

Snider provided industrial hygiene and safety assessments of the facilities, processes, construction activities and cargo offloading.

"The NSF has a great safety program and our partnership has provided opportunity for both agencies to learn and improve safety programs and professional growth," Kerr said. "This was my second deployment to Antarctica and it's definitely an experience of a lifetime and a highlight of my career."

Future missions may include providing additional safety and health support at Palmer Research Station, Antarctica and Kangerlussuaq and Summit Research Station, Greenland.

In the meantime, the Tulsa District Safety Team will continue to provide administrative and safety program reviews as requested.

"Standing at the geographic south pole, at the bottom of the earth, where every direction is North, I realized I was a long way from Oklahoma," said Snider. "I knew I had been given an opportunity I would remember for the rest of my lifetime"