Role of the Safety Officer

A while back, I got appointed my unit's official Safety Officer as an "additional duty." More recently, I finished my training by going to the one-day training presentation. (I even got a certificate of completion!)

So what does the Safety Officer do? I can think of four things.

First, the safety officer is an advisor to their company commander. They can provide material for the commander's pre-weekend safety brief, giving them more to talk about than the typical "don't do this, don't do that" lecture.

Second, the safety officer runs the unit's safety program. Depending on how the commander wants to set responsibilities, they can work with the fire marshals to make sure all the fire extinguishers' inspections haven't expired, and coordinate with the Environmental Compliance Officer to make ensure compliance.

Third, the safety officer is supposed to report on Army accidents. If Pvt. Joe is driving on post and hits someone's car, the safety officer should be on site, take pictures, and get statements. He can then submit the official report to the chain of command.

Lastly, the safety officer is the liaison between the unit and the battalion-level safety officer. Both the company commander and the battlion safety officer answer to the battalion commander. If the company commander reports a Serious Incident (like a soldier's attempted suicide or somthing) to the BC and the BSO isn't in the loop, that's bad. The safety officer should prevent that by informing the BSO of any reportable issues.

Unfortunately, safety officer is one of those thankless jobs. The consequences of screwing it up can be significant, but there's not much opportunity for glory.

However, in anticipation of *appointing* one some day, I'm glad I now at least understand what they're supposed to do.