ESOHCAMP to come to Osan

  • Published
  • By Mr. Dave Moysey
  • 51st Civil Engineer Squadron
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Starting Monday, a team of inspectors will perform an internal environmental, safety, and occupational health compliance assessment and management program inspection. 

Units across Osan will have their operations and facilities evaluated for environmental, safety and occupational health compliance, said Capt. Mary Rudy, 51st Civil Engineer Squadron environmental flight chief. The assessment team will also visit Osan's tenant organizations like the Army, Department of Defense Schools, Army and Air Force Exchange Service and Defense Commissary Agency. 

"ESOHCAMP takes a hard look at compliance issues often overlooked, and is a fast way to become educated on the right way to do things," Captain Rudy said.
She added that determining compliance ensures safe and successful operations, and this is in everyone's best interest. 

Findings provide guidance for correction, but it is much easier to follow the procedures and regulations in the first place than to close a finding by preparing a management action plan and documenting the correction data for a period of time to ensure the correction is working. 

The 51st CES environmental flight is organizing this year's assessment preparedness and coordinating the efforts of the ESOHCAMP points of contact which are the unit environmental coordinators, hazardous material monitors and hazardous waste initial accumulation point managers. All base personnel can contribute to a better assessment even though their preventative and corrective actions may not be in their job description or environmental assignment. 

"There will be opportunities to make spot corrections for minor oversights and if other discrepancies can be corrected and documented before the end of the week, the negative finding will be omitted from the final report," said 1st Lt. Charles Comfort, environmental quality chief. 

The ESOHCAMP process helps commanders assess the status of ESOH compliance, and identify and track solutions to compliance problems. Aside from assessing compliance with AF guidelines and Korean environmental governing standards, the ESOHCAMP assessment team will check Osan's progress in correcting previous ESOHCAMP findings. 

All previous findings that have not been closed by the ESOHC will automatically be carried over as negative findings during this ESOHCAMP, and 1st Lt. Comfort said that in most cases this is inexcusable. 

Positive ESOHCAMP findings can be awarded to an individual demonstrating excellent environmental leadership and attention to detail or to an organization demonstrating significant improvement from past ESOHCAMPs. Letters of appreciation and an acknowledgement from the Brig. Gen. Joe Reynes, 51st Fighter Wing commander, are also rewards for deserving military personnel who excel in ESOH management skills. 

Prior to last year's ESOHCAMP, Brig. Gen. Reynes, urged everyone to make sure their area was cleaned up, their shop records were updated and accessible, and their organization was in environmental compliance for the upcoming assessment. 

The general went on to say, "If you see something out of order, just take care of it, even though it might not be your responsibility ... in everything we do, it's all a matter of professionalism." 

Obviously, those remarks also apply to this year's ESOHCAMP preparations. Good housekeeping in each shop area is very important because it often sets the tone for the assessment. 

All trash dumpsters need to be closed at all times; in the past, open dumpsters have been cited as a negative ESOHCAMP finding at Osan. 

If you have any questions about environmental issues, contact 1st Lt. Comfort at 784-4272; about safety issues, contact Mr. Cho, Sok Hun, 51st FW safety office, at 784-7619; or about occupational health issues, contact Capt. Chunil Paeng, 51st Aerospace Medical Squadron at 784-2623.