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Excavator in the field.

Safety Team

Charges, activities, membership, and contact information for the Safety Team.

Overview

Excavator in the field.

The Safety Team is a group of individuals passionate about safety made up of subject matter experts both internal and external to the Soil and Plant Science Division, Regional Safety Coordinators, Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory Safety Representative, and Federal partners with an interest in collaboration on safety. It is the responsibility of the Safety Team to develop, review, and maintain safety policies for the Soil and Plant Science Division, make recommendations on safety protocols and improvements, and to collaborate and liaise with other Focus Teams where safety centric items should be incorporated. The core mission for the Safety Team is to establish and promote a safe and comfortable working environment for all and to mitigate on the job hazards and injuries to as much as possible with consistent and focused Division wide, relevant guidance and resources.

Charges

  • Develop and maintain safety policies for SPSD
  • Outline roles and responsibilities for all levels of employees and supervisors
  • Curate a repository for safety information for SPSD (website, share point, etc.)
  • Curate and maintain Safety Plans for all SPSD offices
  • Liaison with other Focus Teams to incorporate safety information, procedures, and protocols as appropriate
  • Liaison with Training Focus Team to develop and implement training programs as part of overall SPSD curriculum
  • Server as the POC for employees to express safety concerns to leadership
  • Provide Quarterly Safety Updates for SPSD (All Employee Calls, Special Seminars)

Job Hazard Analysis

Bull Soil Probe Operation (30.88 KB)
Giddings Soil Probe Operation (29.3 KB)

Sub-Teams

In development, subject to consolidation and change:

  • Field conditions
  • Sampling other than excavation
  • Small equipment
  • Excavation
  • Driving and trailering
  • ATV, UTV
  • Pack animals
  • Aircraft
  • Boats
  • Lab
  • Office
  • Details
  • Personal Safety – situational awareness

Co-Leads

Jenn Mason

National Resource Soil Scientist for Training (Compliance), Tennessee

Matthew Mayer

Ecologist, Alaska

Members

Regional Safety Coordinators

  • South Central Region – Tyson Hart, MLRA Soil Survey Leader, Nacogdoches, TX 
  • South Central Region – Todd Carr, MLRA Soil Survey Leader, Lubbock, TX 
  • Southwest Region – Chris Gebauer, MLRA Soil Survey Leader, Klamath Falls, OR 
  • Southeast Region – Joey Koptis, MLRA Soil Survey Leader, Loxley, AL
  • North Central Region – Ryan Dermody, MLRA Soil Survey Leader, Waverly, IA
  • Northwest Region – Max Ross, Soil Scientist, Olympia, WA 
  • Northeast Region – Vacant 
  • Alaska Region – Stephanie Schmit, Soil Scientist, Homer, AK 
  • Special Projects – Austin Price, Soil Scientist, Raleigh, North Carolina

Safety Representatives

  • Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory – Mike Pearson, Laboratory Analyst, Lincoln, NE
  • Research Branch, National Soil Survey Center – Ryan Hodges, Research Soil Scientist, Lincoln, NE
  • Bureau of Land Management – Ronald McCormick, Soil and Ecosite Inventory Lead
  • US Forest Service – Robert Coulter, National Soils Program Leader
  • National Park Service – Jason Kenworthy, Geological Resources Inventory Coordinator

Safety – Subject Matter Expert

  • Boat and Coastal Zone Soil Survey – Rob Tunstead, Senior Soil Scientist for Coastal Zone Soil Survey, Raleigh, NC 
  • OHV/UTV/ATV – Dan Perkins, Senior Regional Soil Scientist, Northwest Region, Bozeman, MT
  • Urban Soil Survey Project – Randy Riddle, Senior Soil Scientist for Urban Soil Survey, Ventura County, CA

At large members and/or subject matter experts

  • Tiffany Allen, National Resource Soil Scientist for Federal Lands, Waynesville, NC
  • Edgar Mersiovsky, Associate Director for Soil Program Management, Washington, DC
  • Nick Kozlowski, Soil Scientist, Idaho Falls, ID