Springtime in the Midwest can be volatile as temperatures fluctuate and severe weather is common. This time of year often prompts safety drills across the region. Perhaps it was not a coincidence then that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Safety and Occupational Health Program’s community of practice gathered in the heartland — Kansas City, Missouri — for their annual community of practice meeting.
The theme of this year’s meeting was “growing the next generation.” Safety and occupational health professionals from across the USACE enterprise came to Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss all things safety and occupational health. The five-day community of practice meeting was a chance for staff from all districts, divisions and headquarters to convene in one location and discuss current operations and the future of the program in USACE.
The Kansas City District hosted the meeting and Col. Travis Rayfield, district commander and district engineer, kicked-off the meeting by welcoming the 200-plus person crowd to Kansas City. Rayfield emphasized the importance of connecting with fellow safety and occupational health professionals in the organization.
“Don’t forget to meet with somebody that you don’t know,” said Rayfield. “Introduce yourself, share your contact information and get some connectivity outside of where you work.”
Mark Atkins, chief of safety and occupational health, USACE Headquarters, also spoke to the crowd. He introduced the theme of this year’s meeting and spoke about USACE’s reputation within the government and industry.
“Not only do we lead the Army in implementing safety and occupational health management systems, but USACE is providing the template for other Army organizations to follow. That is big. That is legacy stuff,” said Atkins. “It is critical that we build this next generation [of safety professionals], we take care of our people, and we treat them well.”
After opening remarks, the group spent most of the 1st and 2nd days in sub-communities of practice meetings – breakouts included safety, industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, and health physics. Key topics covered during the event included CE-SOHMS Army Star highlights, various case studies, exposure monitoring, an occupational health forecast within USACE, OSHA updates, and several other pertinent subjects.
Following the sub-communities of practice meetings, the group reconvened for a leadership roundtable. Panel members included Amy Borman, U.S. Army deputy assistant secretary for environment, safety and occupational health, Yvonne Prettyman-Beck, chief of staff, USACE Headquarters, Rayfield, Lt. Col. Jerre Hansbrough, Albuquerque District commander and district engineer and Pat Phung, Honolulu District construction chief. The panel provided valuable insight and perspectives on the USACE Safety and Occupational Health Program at various echelons within the organization.
Each panel member shared the experiences that have shaped their leadership philosophy on safety. Borman shared first and expressed her passion for changing the conversation around safety at the highest level of the U.S. Army.
“Army-wide, we lose about $3 billion a year as a result of preventable mishaps,” said Borman. “We lose about 24,000 workdays as a result of preventable mishaps. How do we change the way we talk about safety in the Army and how do we redefine safety?”
Prettyman-Beck spoke about the importance of working together as a community of practice. She emphasized that safety is more than just talk; it is also action.
“Safety is not a cliché,” said Prettyman-Beck. “Safety remains the number one goal and it’s not just words — put the action behind it and take care of it.”
For Rayfield, safety has been a part of his life since childhood. He spoke about growing up around his father’s construction company, often spending time at active construction sites. Lessons he learned as a child have helped shape his philosophy on safety as a district commander.
“I have that passion that I bring from my childhood into the workplace,” said Rayfield. “If we do [safety] well and take reasonable risks, the people who come to work today will also be the people who go home today.”
Like Rayfield, Hansbrough shared personal experiences that have shaped his command philosophy regarding safety. For Hansbrough, there are two tenants to safety: initiative and collaboration.
“If you’re doing those two things, that’s what’s going to make the safety program, the district, and all organizations more effective,” said Hansbrough. “We have a people first program and safety protects our people.”
Last to share on the panel was Phung. He brought a different perspective as a Construction chief and CE-SOHMS Champion. His philosophy regarding safety is based on safety as a core value of an organization.
“Somehow, we have to integrate construction with safety. Safety is a core value, so we integrate it,” said Phung. “We don’t have a safety culture in the Honolulu District — we have a business culture that has integrated safety into everything we do.”
The leadership roundtable concluded on day two of the meeting and Atkins left the crowd with praise for the work that they do within the organization.
“I am personally extremely proud of the community of practice because not only do we look like a community of practice now, but we act like a community of practice … one that is doing legacy things,” said Atkins. “Everything that we set out to do, we have actually worked together to accomplish it.”
The following three days of the meeting concentrated on training and professional development, with particular emphasis on three primary tracks: the 24-Hour Fall Protection Competent Person, the CE-SOHMS Assessor Course and SOH-4-SOH.
The 24-Hour Fall Protection Competent Person course helped participants learn to identify, assess and mitigate fall hazards using interactive modules, practical exercises and real-world case studies. The content and instruction developed student skills in fall protection equipment inspection and worker training to ensure a compliant fall protection program within their organizations.
The CE-SOHMS Assessor Course offered a detailed exploration of the USACE safety management system, known as CE-SOHMS, teaching participants to assess implementation status through interviews and documentation reviews. It included determination of findings in a mock exercise and effectively communicated results, thereby preparing students to participate in future assessment teams in USACE.
Lastly, SOH-4-SOH was designed to effectively integrate safety and occupational health principles within USACE by teaching participants about safety protocols, industrial hygiene and occupational health through interactive activities and practical exercises. The content focused on new USACE safety and occupational health personnel that were hired within the last one to two years.
The meeting wrapped up on Friday, marking the end of a week filled with professional growth and shared insights. This annual event was packed with informative briefings and lively leadership discussions, all while highlighting the value of continuous professional development in the safety and occupational health arena.
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