The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan District completed stage three, in any other case generally known as the Gold Castle, of the USACE Safety and Occupational Health Management System (CE-SOHMS) on Aug. 21, positioning the district to pursue Army Safety and Occupational Health Star recognition, one of many Army’s highest office security distinctions.
The aim of CE-SOHMS is to totally combine security into all USACE enterprise operations, managing threat at every degree.
“The culture of safety was already there, but CE-SOHMS gives us the framework,” stated Lt. Col. Simratpal “Simmer” Singh, deputy commander and district CE-SOHMS champion.
As a part of the evaluation of the maturity of the district’s program, inspectors interviewed individuals all through JED. Assessors examined how the district has labored to maneuver past viewing security as a compliance requirement and as an alternative combine it into day by day enterprise processes.
“Stage III is important because it shows we’re not just checking boxes,” stated Vanessa Matheny, Safety Chief. “We have processes in place, people understand their roles, and safety is becoming part of how we do business across the district. The Gold Castle is a great accomplishment and really shows how far we’ve come.”
With the milestone now achieved, the district will now concentrate on assessor suggestions, worker suggestions, coaching and hazard tendencies to additional strengthen this system.
For Matheny, the milestone offers her the possibility to mirror on security objectives for the district.
“For me, I’m really proud of what we accomplished, but I also know the work doesn’t stop here,” she stated. “One of my biggest goals is continuity. I don’t want CE-SOHMS to depend on me or any one person. I want what we’ve built to continue even when people or leadership change.”
The district’s subsequent aim is attaining Army SOH Star standing, a recognition earned by fewer than 20 Army organizations.
“The true measure of our safety program is how well it performs five years from now,” Biggs stated. “We want the culture we have worked hard to establish today to thrive, so safety still matters and everyone is still safe in the years to come.”
While Stage III marks a milestone in JED’s CE-SOHMS journey, district leaders view it as the muse for the subsequent section of steady enchancment. As the district works towards Army SOH Star recognition, leaders say the main focus will stay on empowering staff, figuring out dangers earlier than incidents happen and sustaining a tradition the place security is built-in into each mission.
Source: U.S.Army