Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Compliance Tools

Published Dec. 3, 2012
Proper hazardous waste management is a key component of the ESOH Compliance Tools program.

Proper hazardous waste management is a key component of the ESOH Compliance Tools program.

Compliance storage tank management and fuels management is another component of the ESOH Compliance Tools program.

Compliance storage tank management and fuels management is another component of the ESOH Compliance Tools program.

Assessments for Government Environmental Regulations

Federal facilities were mandated to comply with federal, state and local environmental regulations in 1978 by Executive Order 12088. The 1992 Federal Facilities Compliance Act waived sovereign immunity for federal agencies from fines associated with hazardous waste and underground storage tank violations. These two actions created a need for federal facilities to determine compliance with federal regulations.

Cost-Saving Process Efficiencies for Compliance

Researchers at the ERDC Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) began developing environmental compliance assessment manuals for the U.S. Air Force and Army in the late-1980s. These manuals became a way to determine compliance with current environmental regulations.

Today, the Environment, Safety and Occupational Health (ESOH) Compliance Tools offer cost-saving process efficiencies, helping users plan and manage a comprehensive compliance program, including evaluation and reporting, risk management, pollution prevention and hazardous materials management.

Unified Approach to Protocols and Assessments

Researchers at CERL developed The Environmental Assessment and Management (TEAM) Guide in 1994. The TEAM Guide offers federal facility environmental managers a comprehensive, unified approach to environmental compliance assessments. And it eliminates duplication in the creation of compliance protocols for the military services and civilian federal agencies.

The U.S. TEAM Guide and its State and Agency supplements address compliance in the areas of: air quality, cultural and natural resources, environmental management systems (EMS), hazardous materials and waste, pesticide management, pollution prevention, energy conservation, petroleum, oils and lubricants, storage tanks, solid waste management, toxic substances, water quality and more.

Researchers at CERL then developed a similar tool for federal facility safety managers, the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Guide. The OSH Guide is used by federal agencies in assessing their compliance with the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and it may be used in combination with an agency-specific safety and occupational health manual. The OSH Guide is based on OSHA regulations from Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations

The environmental Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) manuals are based on agency environmental policy and requirements as well as final governing standards for the relevant host nation that apply to installations overseas. They are used by the military services along with service-specific supplements reflecting service-specific policies and requirements applicable abroad.

Success Stories

CERL researchers have developed and supported federal facility-specific environmental and safety programs for multiple U.S. federal agencies.

Current users include: Air Force, Army, Missile Defense Agency, Defense Logistics Agency, Marine Corps, Navy, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Postal Service, Veterans Health Service, National Park Service and NASA.

Features

Visit the ESOH Compliance Tools Features page for a complete list of compliance protocol applications.

Documentation, Training and Support

CERL researchers update the U.S. TEAM Guide and its Agency Supplements quarterly and the TEAM Guide State Supplements annually. The OSH Guide is updated quarterly and its Agency Supplements annually. All documents are posted at Fedcenter.gov.

Training on the use of these tools, how to conduct audits, write top-notch findings, and perform quality assessments/quality control on audit processes and findings is available from the following individuals.

ERDC Points of Contact

Questions about ESOH Compliance Tools?

Contact: Peter M. Heinricher (TEAM Guide State Supplements and ListBuilder)
E-mail: Peter.M.Heinricher@us.army.mil
Phone: 217-398-5510

Tina Hurt (OSH Guide, Overseas Compliance Tools, and audit program development and implementation)
E-mail: Tina.M.Hurt@usace.army.mil
Phone 217-373-3441

Updated 25 August 2020


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