Peterson AFB Hazardous Materials Shop keeps Airmen safe

Published Sept. 7, 2016
By Philip Carter
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Peterson Airmen who work with hazardous materials, need to purchase hazardous materials or are unaware of where to go for information on hazardous material that is authorized for purchase have an office on base to assist them.

The 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron Hazardous Material Shop is the one-stop shop for all HAZMAT needs. They also track all hazardous material on Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

All hazardous materials are trackable items. Items are considered hazardous when the item or agent has potential to cause harm to humans, animals or the environment. The HAZMAT shop accounts for all materials from receipt until they are entirely depleted so they are less likely to cause harm or damage.

Earl Jones, 21st LRS HAZMAT supervisor, and Mary Goshay, HAZMAT supply technician, performs work center visits. This is to make sure hazardous materials are properly stored and contained, and have the correct and up-to-date paperwork. This helps prevent problems before they happen.

Each organization on base has a unit environmental coordinator who is responsible for the entire organizations hazardous material. They work with shop monitors who work directly with the HAZMAT shop.

“We support every organization on base,” said Butch Castillo, 21st LRS asset manager. “Any organization that has an account that deals with chemicals”.

The office of two, Jones and Goshay, makes sure everyone on base who uses any kind of hazardous material complies with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Jones and Goshay accomplish this by training new unit environment coordinators and shop monitors about proper handling, storage and containment of HAZMAT also how to find and use the correct paperwork for purchases

“We teach them how to input and how to request the proper forms,” said Jones. “We also teach them the processes for getting authorization and how to inventory.”

When an organization needs to purchase a new product that is potentially a hazardous material, the shop monitor fills out a request to purchase the item.

Once requested, the HAZMAT office enters the item into a database to get a Safety Data Sheet, which is a form with all the information about a product or chemical. The environmental, bioenvironmental and safety offices review that information and then determine if the product can be used on base.

Airmen can find an SDS from the Enterprise Environmental Safety and Occupational Management System or online at a certain product’s manufacture website to get all the information. Important information about products include how to store it, proper usage, warnings and what to do in case of emergencies.

The HAZMAT shop is also in charge of a hazardous materials storage yard for shops who cannot store materials at their site. This fenced-in area has five to six large, steel environmentally-controlled containers store a variety of hazardous materials that belong to organizations from all around Peterson.

The 21st LRS also has a free issue page on their SharePoint site that allows an organization to check to see if anything has been turned in they might need. This allows them to receive items without having to purchase something new.

“If someone turned in some materials they don’t need anymore, we advertise it on SharePoint,” said Castillo.

If an office on Peterson needs to purchase any products that might be hazardous or just needs assistance with keeping their hazardous material items in order, the HAZMAT shop is there to help.

The address to the SharePoint site is https://eis2.afspc.af.mil/sites/21sw/21msg/21lrs/mmf/SitePages/Home.aspx