HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – The U.S. Secretary of Labor will soon approve the founding charter for the Greater Boston Field Federal Safety and Health Council. The charter is the culmination of many months of work, led by the Hanscom Safety Office, and assisted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Field Federal Safety and Health Councils are federal interagency groups chartered by the Secretary of Labor to promote the advancement of occupational safety and health throughout the federal government, according to OSHA’s website. These Councils bring together safety and health personnel in their geographical area and provide them with occupational safety and health training, access to experts, and opportunities to share ideas and solve problems during meetings and events.
“The members can understand the mission of the other members; what they do and how we interact,” said Galen Williams, Hanscom AFB’s director of Safety and vice president of the council. “Different government agencies have different levels and types of experience in safety and health that other government agencies need and might not have. So they will offer that experience to us here at Hanscom.”
The Greater Boston FFSHC membership encompasses most of the government agencies in the Boston area, including the U.S. Air Force, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the Dept. of Health and Human Services, the Dept. of Transportation, the U.S. Army, the Massachusetts National Guard and Homeland Security.
“It’s about sharing resources as well,” said Williams. “The goal of the safety council is to share resources and ensure the safety and health of all employees of all federal agencies.”
FFSHCs develop cooperative relationships with local community leaders by informing them of the organization’s functions and objectives. They also act as a clearinghouse for all types of safety and health information.
The charter specifies safety goals and objectives to share best practices in reducing accidents and mishaps among federal agencies in the Boston area. OSHA has the responsibility to administer the program and is the primary source of training resources for the program.
“Once you are chartered, OSHA is allowed to put forth money to support the council,” said Williams. “We put together a charter, to be approved by the Secretary of Labor, and will soon be legally operating as an organization, so they can contribute money for our endeavors.”
Some funding and discounts were already available through direct collaboration between Hanscom and OSHA, granting access to necessary training more quickly.
“We started by partnering with the OSHA Training Institute in Manchester, New Hampshire, and they have provided us an avenue to reduce costs for the members of the GBFFSHC,” said Williams. “OSHA offered two HAZMAT training slots to Hanscom just last summer, and we were able to get a couple of people trained at no cost to us, so that’s a benefit. The charter will make it even easier.”
The Training Institute offers courses in all matters of health and safety at its facility, as well as sending instructors to other locations to conduct training.
“At Hanscom, we partner with OSHA to bring training here to Hanscom. Once the charter is approved, we can share seats with other local federal agencies, so instead of them driving all the way to Manchester, they can just come here,” said Williams. “We all play a part in the safety role.”