REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville earned recognition for its commitment to workplace safety. Huntsville Center received the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2025 Safety Award of Excellence for demonstrating the highest degree of excellence in the management of safety and occupational health programs.
“The safety team is honored to receive this award,” said Jeremy McCranie, Huntsville Center Safety and Occupational Health Manager. “The team's dedication is evident with the number of accomplishments there have been in the last year.”
Huntsville Center has shaped a safety-first mindset for every level of the organization. The team’s success in creating a comprehensive Safety and Occupational Health, SOH, program has led to a variety of awards, including the prestigious Army SOH Star status.
Employees praised the Center’s safety program in the 2024 Army Readiness Assessment Program survey with comments such as ‘Safety is priority number one,’ and ‘This is the best safety program I’ve ever worked around… safety is connected at all levels at Huntsville Center.’
Leadership ensures that safety is part of everyday work Huntsville Center. Each program’s cross-functional Project Delivery Team includes a safety professional who supports projects from beginning to completion.
‘Col. Joly, our commander is a proponent of safety. He talks it and from what I have seen he walks it. Safety starts at the top and HNC has the right people at the top,’ another ARAP respondent wrote, recognizing the involvement of Col. Sebastien Joly, Huntsville Center commander.
Huntsville Center’s comprehensive SOH program, including safety metrics and updates, diverse training opportunities and wide array of safety events led to receiving the award.
Safety personnel provide monthly briefs at Project Review Board meetings, where they provide updates including individual program safety metrics. Safety information is also shared in recurring publications such as the “Month in Review” and “Year in Review.”
The Safety Office has implemented continuous improvement strategies through incorporating employee feedback to strengthen training and reporting. In 2024, several new training courses were introduced, including arc flash awareness, fall protection and ladder safety.
They also launched a defensive driving course in collaboration with Alabama State Troopers, an initiative sparked by a suggestion submitted through the Commander’s anonymous inbox.
“We are thankful that Huntsville Center's employees are engaged and involved. Their feedback drives impactful change and plays a vital role in shaping our SOH program,” McCranie said. “Our program is an integral part of keeping our Soldiers and civilians safe.”
Not only does Huntsville Center seek out new training opportunities, but it also recognizes the importance of mental health and wellness. In response to ARAP survey results highlighting increased stress levels towards end of fiscal year and sedentary work concerns, a Huntsville Center Wellness Committee was established.
The committee now hosts recurring activities such as stretching and meditation sessions, group walks and guest speaker events to support physical and mental well-being.
Huntsville Center Safety team’s dedication has not gone unnoticed.
Maj. John Franklin, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center Huntsville deputy commander, highlighted the achievement saying, “Receiving the FY24 Chief of Engineer Safety Award of Excellence reflects the deep commitment to safety shared across our Center.”
“From our Safety Office to every directorate, division and branch, it’s a credit to their hard work, vigilance and close integration with our higher headquarters,” he said. “We will remain focused on driving the highest standards of safety performance as we prepare for Safety Star recertification in 2026 and continue executing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers missions.”
With an emphasis on proactive engagement, continuous improvement and leadership involvement, receiving this award sets a benchmark for the future of Huntsville Center.
“We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we’re not done,” McCranie said. “At the end of the day, safety is all about taking care of people. We’re committed to making processes better and being the happiest workplace in the southeast.”
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