A Mission of Safety

Maintaining the safety of Sailors is a top priority at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY). Safety inspector Joe Umemura knows this all too well through his management of the Enterprise Safety Application Management System (ESAMS).
ESAMS is a streamlined safety application that can manage all aspects of the Navy's safety and health programs. Real-time data updates and metrics allow programs to be fully Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) compliant.

"ESAMS is a provider mechanism for management to address safety issues before it leads to an incident or accident," said Umemura. "It gives us an idea of how to preemptively deal with potential hazards based on the data. Once we have the data, we can apply measures to improve safety."

Having consolidated various features, ESAMS includes a straightforward training enrollment system for explosives, environmental, radiation, and traffic safety. One main feature is the ability to enroll in the Basic Rider's Course (BRC) for motorcycle riders which is a requirement for anyone wanting to ride in Japan.

“The BRC is required for anyone looking to get a motorcycle license,” said Douglas Knight, the former Navy Region Japan Traffic and Recreational Off-Duty (ROD) Program Director. “You can’t ride until you complete the BRC and all of its prerequisites.”

The ESAMS interface manages all aspects of the course, including necessary computer-based training and correspondence with instructors. Since the implementation of the BRC, the number of accidents and mishaps decreased drastically, and ESAMS has made the course easier to access.
In addition to traffic safety, ESAMS assists in medical preparation and respiratory protection. According to the Navy Safety and Occupational Health Manual:
"For work areas where tight-fitting respirators, such as self-contained breathing apparatus or gas masks, are required for escape, visitors and personnel who must enter but who are not assigned to industrial workplaces must first receive a medical evaluation, respirator training, and fit testing."

Here at CFAY, Chieko Sasaki, Safety Inspector and Respiratory Protection program manager, uses ESAMS to track and update personnel on respiratory compliance.

"The people who work in welding, painting, sanding, or firefighters need to wear the respiratory protective mask," said Sasaki. "They have to do safety training, medical compliance, and the gas mask fit test. We can track all these things using ESAMS."

Leo Hunnicutt, CFAY’s safety and occupational health manager, can attest to the success of the ESAMS implementation.

"The fact that ESAMS is accessible to all users, from employees to division heads, managers to headquarter personnel, is a key feature," said Hunnicutt. "Mr. Umemura has been managing the ESAMS program throughout the region since 2005. He has been a vital asset in helping coordinate and track safety training, report mishaps and near misses, create and track Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), and track employees required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

To Umemura, it’s more than just a job, it’s about "keeping people safe and knowing that I can prevent potential hazards for everyone is my motivation every day."

Programs like ESAMS provide an excellent way to both initiate preventative training and proactively document likely risks to Navy personnel. At the end of the day, productivity and overall wellbeing is largely due to conscientious safety implementation.

For more than 75 years, CFAY has provided, maintained, and operated base facilities and services in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet’s forward deployed naval forces, tenant commands, and thousands of military and civilian personnel and their families.