Session #53

Contractors In War Zones

Our Role as Safety Professionals

Presenters: Dean Carroll, MS

Bob Whitfield, CSHM

Honeywell Tech. Solutions Inc.

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Operational Contract Support (OCS)

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Beginning with the ancient Egyptian

empire, “Contractors” have been called

upon to support, supply, and even fight

in wars and conflicts started by others.

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Current War Zone Head Count

• 44,000* U.S. Troops in Iraq

• 180,000* Contractors in Iraq

• 98,000* U.S. Troops in Afghanistan

• 108,000* Contractors in Afghanistan

$900 Billion spent or approved (11/2010)*

*Provided by the Brookings Institute 2011 www.brookings.edu

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Contractor vs. Warfighter Ratio

Conflict Contractor Military Ratio

Revolutionary War 2 9 1 to 6

Mexican-American War 6 33 1 to 6

Civil War 200 1,000 1 to 5

Spanish-American War n.a. 35 n.a.

World War I 85 2,000 1 to 24

World War II 734 5,400 1 to 7

Korea 156 393 1 to 2.5

Vietnam 70 359 1 to 5

Gulf War 9 500 1 to 55

Balkans 20 20 1 to 1

Iraq Theater as of Early 2008 190 200 1 to 1

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Current War Zone Tasking (Estimated)

Base

Support

65%

Security

12%

Logistics 6%

Translators

8%

Misc

9%

(Mail, Laundry,

Commissary, Dining

Facility, etc.)

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Your Workforce • U.S. Citizens – A natural-born citizen of the United

States.

• Expat’s – An expatriate is a person residing in a

country and culture other than that of the person's

upbringing.

• TCN’s - A third-country national is an individual Is

neither a citizen of the United States nor of the country

to which assigned.

• LN’s – Local national. Citizen of that country

Mandated common language is English!

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Mandatory Theatre Requirements

• CRC – Contractor Readiness Center

– Security (background check, CAC, SPOT, etc.)

– Full physical (RX medications for 90 days)

– DNA capture (entered into DOD database)

– CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and

nuclear) training

– Anti-terrorism, Escape and evacuation training

– Body armor and M117 Mask (training/Issue)

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Our Role as Safety Professionals

• Protect our workers

• Ensure a safe and healthy workplace

• Ensure compliance with all regulations,

standards and directives

• Ensure workers receive appropriate training

• Ensure that appropriate protective equipment

is available and utilized

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War Zone – Protecting Workers

• Identify Risks

– Pre-award risk assessment

– Post-award transition/phase-in risk

assessment

– On task risk assessment and an active

Management of Change (MOC) process

– Close-out/Phase-out risk assessment

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War Zones Present Unique HSE Risk Environments

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Pre-Award Risk Assessment • Traditional Risks

– Confined spaces, hot work, arc flash, lifting, etc.

• War Zone Specific – Rapid Response / Irregular Warfare / Surge

– OCONUS Standards & Processes

– Militarized / Weaponized Equipment

– Housing

– Medical

– Evacuation (medical and threat related)

(U.S. ARMY Field Manual 5-19, Composite Risk Management)

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War Zone Specific R/A

Rapid Response / Irregular Warfare / Surge

• Typically we see something happening on the news

and within 2 weeks a request for support is issued in

response…

• Detail risk assessment for:

– PPE

– Environmental concerns

– Security

– Transportation

– Medical

– Evacuation

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Identifying War Zone Environmental Risk’s

• Legal documents (international

agreements, host nation laws, etc.)

• Interaction with Subject Matter Experts

(host nation authorities, civil-military

cooperation groups, etc.)

• Open source (newspapers, internet, etc.)

• Intelligence assets

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War Zone Specific R/A • OCONUS Standards & Processes

– “Contractor personnel shall be responsible

for storage and disposal of hazardous

wastes and used Petroleum, Oil and

Lubricant (POL) products consistent with the

laws and regulations of the host country and

any other NATO regulations which may

apply.”

(CONUS – OSHA and EPA (40 CFR 261.4B, RCRA, etc.)

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War Zone Specific R/A

• In the War Zone – Very different requirements – General Waste: STANAG 2982, EU Directive 75/442/EEC on

Waste, EU Directive 2000/76/EC on Waste Incineration

– HAZMAT: COMKAF SOP 406, EU Directive 91/689/EEC on

Hazardous waste, EU Directive 91/157/EEC on Batteries and

accumulators.

– Waste Yard Manager must be certified to the UK Waste

Management Industry Training and Advisory Board (WIMTAB)

for waste yard operations.

– HAZMAT is packed and shipped and accounted for in

accordance with International Maritime Dangerous Goods

Code (IMDG)

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• Militarized / Weaponized Equipment

War Zone Specific R/A

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War Zone Specific R/A

• Housing

• Security

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War Zone Specific R/A

• Medical Care & Evacuation

– Availability

– On site / Off Site

• Urgent care

– DOD provided (stabilization)

– Outside contractor

– Evacuation for extended care

• DOD provided (Nightingale flights)

• Third party provided

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Weapons as PPE? • The Theater Commander may, at his discretion, issue

Government-owned weapons and ammunition for self-

defense to contractor employees.

• The contractor employee is legally liable for any use

that is not in accordance with host nation law,

international law, and the rules of engagement.

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Arrival in the “Zone”

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“Standing Up” A Contract

• Detailed timeline

– On site risk assessment

– Customer deliverables

– Accepting of Government Furnished

Equipment (GFE) and facilities

– Establish customer point-of-contacts

– Establish training (initial, reoccurring, etc.)

– Waste collection & removal process

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Establishing a Safety Culture

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Phase In Risk Assessment - Initial

• What was “written” vs. “actual”

• Site survey (IAQ, noise & vibration, poisonous

animals/plants, food, water, etc.)

• Tasking responsibilities

• Location specific safety/security/health

regulations and standards

• Availability of onsite (Base) support

• Customer required deliverables (plans,

training, Fire Warden designation, etc.)

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On Site Risk Assessment

• Safety and security (housing, etc.)

• Available on base HSE support

• “Clean” versus “dirty” areas (fuel storage,

hazardous waste collection points, etc.

• Noise, Vibration and irritants

• Chemical and pesticide exposure

• Weather/Climate specific concerns

– Average daily temperature is 120+ Degrees

– Daily sand storms, etc.

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10:00 AM

10:15 AM

10:10 AM

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Safety and Security

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Tasking of Contractors

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Customer Deliverables

• Transition requirements - Fire Protection Plan (designated wardens; evacuation

procedures and muster points; water sources)

- Safety Plan

- Radiation Program (designated RSO; mandated

shipping, receiving, storage and handling procedures;

inventory of sources)

- Emergency Notification List (customer, contract and

corp. emergency POC’s)

- Hazardous Waste/Material Control Plan

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GFE and Facilities • Establish complete inventory of Government Furnished

Equipment (material handling equipment, Chemical

Defense Equipment (CDE), personal protective

equipment, etc)

• Document facility parameters (building lock control,

security, inspection scheduling)

• Compile a standard facility safety checklist (self check

to identify potential hazards, seek any failures, conform

to safety measures, prevent accidents

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Establish Emergency Points-of-Contact Comprehensive and up-to-date Emergency Notification

List. Nowhere is this more important than in the war zone!

Maintain the list of Names and Contact Numbers in the

order in which notification should be made.

Be sure to pre-select the means of emergency notification

- Land line

- Cell phone (with international capability)

- Satellite phone

- E-mail

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Waste Collection & Removal • Implement a hazardous waste management plan

(identify, store, treat, dispose of and recycle in an

environmentally sound manner)

• Dispose of in adherence to all host nation rules and

regulations(i.e., there may be a lack of certified

hazardous waste landfills and incinerators

• Inspect Hazardous Waste Storage Areas (HWSAs) for

malfunction, deterioration, operator errors and

discharges

• Identify waste streams and maintain a Hazardous

Waste Profile Sheet for each waste stream handled.

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Establish Training Program • Develop Training Matrix

- Document annual and periodic required

training (hazard communication, hazardous

waste, fall protection)

- Compile listing of site-specific training needs

(heavy equipment operator, forklift, first aid,

CPR, ammo storage, etc.)

- Licensing, registration and certification

renewals

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PPE Selection - Eyewear

Armored vs. Standard

Militarized PPE - “Military Tough”

- See actual samples of militarized eye protection, work

gloves, etc.

- Military Vo ballistic testing for impact ANSI Z87+ and

CSA Z94.3 standards.

- Military Combat Eye Protection System (MCEPS)

Performance Specification (MIL-PRF-31013)

- Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL) approved

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The Transition Home

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Identify and Reduce PTSD Contractors are deeply embedded within the military

organization working daily side by side with the war

fighter in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations.

Now employers have to brief their employees regarding:

– The potential danger

– Stress, physical hardships and field living conditions

– Specifically, employees acknowledge in writing that

they understand the danger and conditions when

they are deployed in support of military operations.

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PTSD A growing body of literature has demonstrated the association of

combat support in Iraq and Afghanistan with post-deployment mental

health problems, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

and depression.

Actions employers can take to reduce claims:

– Formal debriefing and medical screening upon return

• Look for signs of depression and functional impairment

• Alcohol misuse (letter of reprimand, etc.)

• Aggression or aggressive behavior

– Offer counseling (short term) upon return

– Schedule follow-up assessment within 90 days or prior to re-

deployment

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Questions ?