The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Seattle District has been recommended for the coveted Army Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) Star March 18, at the district’s headquarters building.
The Army SOH Star recognizes the district’s outstanding commitment to safety management and proactive protocols that reduce workplace hazards. This honor highlights the district's successful integration of safety and occupational health practices into all facets of its operations, ensuring a safer, healthier environment for employees and contractors while maintaining operational excellence.
“From our safety policy being one of the best in DoD to our gardeners excelling at describing the intricate details of our safety management system during a chance encounter – everyone in the district participated and excelled,” said Seattle District’s Commander Col. Kathryn Sanborn. “The district was recommended to receive the crowning safety achievement of the Army Safety and Occupational Health Star.”
The Army SOH Star is awarded to organizations that excel in the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of their safety and health management systems. Organizations that achieve this recognition demonstrate their ability to proactively manage safety risks and create a culture that prioritizes the well-being of all personnel.
"The Army SOH STAR Evaluation validates the full maturing of our implementation of the Corps of Engineers Safety and Occupational Health Management System, known as CE-SOHMS. Seattle District’s approach was to retitle the effort to SEA-SOHMS, Seattle’s version of CE-SOHMS. The initiative resulted in everyone in the district taking proactive ownership of our safety.,” said Wade Kerr, Seattle District’s Chief of Safety and Occupational Health. “This staged implementation and assessment process not only strengthened our commitment to an effective culture of safety but also enabled us to easily adapt to emerging challenges and continue delivering exceptional results."
The Seattle District's success in earning the Army SOH Star is rooted in its adoption of the Corps of Engineers Safety and Occupational Health Management System (CE-SOHMS). This methodology, mandated by regulation and supported by USACE leadership, integrates safety and occupational health into every aspect of the district’s operations. When implemented effectively, CE-SOHMS becomes embedded in the district’s culture, influencing decision-making and ensuring safety remains a top priority at all levels of the organization.
The Army Safety and Occupational Health Management System (ASOHMS), the Army's standard for implementing an SOH management system, serves as the baseline for organizations across the Army. While the ASOHMS sets the minimum standards for safety practices, it does not preclude organizations from adopting more stringent industry-accepted safety standards that may be necessary to meet mission or operational needs.
According to the Army Directive 2024-09, an effective ASOHMS should identify, mitigate, and manage internal and external risks at all appropriate levels of the organization; ensure two-way communication to solicit input and provide leadership feedback on safety-related activities; use data and analysis to manage safety strategically and proactively; and integrate safety into all decision-making processes to mitigate risk before loss occurs.
In this context, the Seattle District has exemplified the ASOHMS’ goal of embedding safety into the fabric of its operational culture, ensuring that safety is seamlessly incorporated into every decision and every project.
The implementation of ASOHMS in the Seattle District followed the system's three stages: documentation, processes, and programs; program implementation and execution, and sustainment and continuous improvement. The district made remarkable progress, completing Stage 2 and baselining Stage 3 with no gaps in August 2024. The district’s performance was so exemplary during the February assessment Stage 3 was complete and the assessment team decided to proceed directly to the Army SOH Star evaluation in March.
An evaluation team, led by the Northwestern Division Chief of Safety and Occupational Health, conducted a comprehensive assessment of the district’s safety culture. The team, which included two DoD Safety Management Center of Excellence (SMCX) assessors, the NWD Industrial Hygienist and Occupational Health Nurse, and Chiefs of Safety from the Kansas City District and Portland District, evaluated the district’s implementation of the USACE version of ASOHMS. The goal of the district was to close out 19 remaining in-progress elements from Stage 2 and baseline 49 elements for Stage 3.
The assessment team had access to nearly all district-occupied facilities and engaged in safety discussions with a wide range of personnel, including the Corporate Board, 59% of supervisors, 10% of nonsupervisory personnel, and core special staff. The district’s broad cooperation and transparency enabled the team to gather valuable insights, and as a result.
“The Army SOH Star evaluation within the USACE Seattle District underscores our unwavering commitment to safety and operational excellence,” said Kerr. “By emphasizing this initiative, we ensure that the highest standards of safety are met, empowering our teams to safely execute projects with confidence and precision."
The district joins a select group of organizations that have earned the Army SOH Star and has demonstrated exceptional safety management and a proactive approach to ensuring the health and safety of their workforce while successfully accomplishing its missions.
For the Seattle District, the Army SOH Star is a recognition of its ongoing commitment to continuous improvement in safety management. The district’s leadership has made it a priority to integrate safety into every project and operational decision, fostering a culture where safety is treated as an essential part of decision-making at every level.
The Army SOH Star not only acknowledges the Seattle District’s past achievements but also signals its future commitment to safety excellence.
This achievement serves as a model for other USACE districts and organizations, demonstrating that safety is not just a priority, but a seamless decision-making process embedded in all aspects of operations. With the goal of full compliance with ASOHMS by the end of calendar year 2030, the Seattle District will continue to lead by example, ensuring the highest safety standards are maintained while achieving mission success.
“I truly want to thank each of you for displaying and demonstrating care for one another and the nation’s resources, not only daily, but during these multiple assessments and evaluations on our journey to the Army SOH Star,” said Sanborn. “It truly takes all of us looking out for each other to achieve this level of success. It doesn’t mean we are perfect, but it does show we want to continuously improve our systems with the ultimate goal of going home each day, better than when we came – smarter, wiser, prouder, and healthier! This doesn’t mean our safety journey is over – we will need to sustain our honored safety culture from here out by demonstrating that safety is not simply something we do, it is a part of who we are here in the Seattle District.”
Seattle District will be awarded the Safety Star after all processes are complete.