ESOHCAMP begins May 3

  • Published
  • By Jeff Rothrock
  • 56th Civil Engineer Squadron
A guest team of auditors from around Air Education and Training Command will come to Luke Air Force Base to perform an External Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Compliance Assessment Management Program inspection May 3 to 7.

The week-long assessment will view Luke's mission and daily work practices and includes all tenant units as well as other organizations working on base.

Team Luke should be excited about this opportunityto showcase Luke's diverse training mission and exceptional Airmen. The purpose behind the ESOHCAMP is to help manage environmental, safety and occupational health risks while continually improving Luke's overall performance. Whether improving compliance with legal and other requirements, ensuring the safety and protection of Airmen and their families, or making sure the environmental, safety and occupational health management system is helping address signifcant environmental impacts, every member of Team Luke benefits from the ESOHCAMP process.

How can Team Luke prepare?

Over the next few weeks, program managers from environmental management, wing safety and bioenvironmental engineering/occupational health will be working with Thunderbolts to perform readiness audits (or spot checks) in the field to identify areas needing improvement in processes, work environments, and health and safety practices.

Unit environmental coordinators have inspection checklists for daily, monthly, quarterly and annual self-inspections. All Team Luke members are to take a close look around their work areas to ensure operations and work practices are consistent with all regulatory requirements.

All required records need to be properly filled out and maintained. CES program managers recommend physically (or electronically) locating them to ensure they are complete and readily available. This includes both operational and training records. These are some of the things that the guest ESOHCAMP team members will review during the inspection.

Another way to prepare is by increasing awareness of the environmental, safety and occupational health management system. Other important information includes knowing Luke has an environmental, safety and occupational health policy statement, where it is located and reading it.

An ESOHCAMP assessor can ask these types of questions of any Team Luke member. Everyone on base should take the ESOHMS awareness training at the Luke Environmental Excellence Program site located at http://luke-leep.ursokr.com/Info_template/html/index1.html. Click on "Awareness Training" on the right side of the home page under "ESOHMS Awareness."

Each individual will also receive a walletsize ESOHMS note card containing tips for environmental, safety, occupational health policy and various focus areas. Every Thunderbolt should be familiar with the information it contains and keep it handy -- especially during the week of the ESOHCAMP.

If there is an issue or concern about risk to safety, health, the environment or the mission regarding a unit's operations and work practices, Team Luke members should mention it. This would be particularly helpful if done during the group and squadron readiness activities.

Everyone is responsible to know:
􀂇 There is an environmental, safety and occupational health management system policy statement located on the www.luke.af.mil home page, on unit bulletin boards and on the LEEP site.
􀂇 How his or her job impacts the environment. Consumption of fuel and energy impacts natural resources. Generation of waste impacts land and driving a car impacts air quality.
􀂇 What kind of activities impact (for good or bad) the environment, safety or occupational health.
􀂇 Who the unit environmental coordinator is.
􀂇 What should be done in case of a health, fire or spill emergency.

For more information, call Mr. Rothrock at (623) 856-3832.