What Does EM in EM 385-1-1 Mean?

What is EM 385-1-1 Training?

EM 385-1-1 safety training educates military members and serving civilians about the safety guidelines from the USACE. These guidelines will help them to understand and comply with the USACE safety and health requirements for military and government contract work. 

How Do You Know if a Course is EM 385-1-1 aligned?

EM 385-1-1 alignment means adhering to all the EM 385-1-1 standards and guidelines that apply to your place of work. Here at Hard Hat Training, we show our alignment by providing you with a list of the EM 385-1-1 standards that will apply to you in the beginning of our training courses. Throughout each module we thoroughly discuss what each standard means and how adhering to those guidelines will help you stay safe at work. 

Workers Who Must be EM 385-1-1 aligned

alignment with the EM 385-1-1 is required by nearly all contractors working on military contracts. General military laborers and some contractors are required to take the 16-hour EM 385-1-1 safety training course. 

Other contractors and military or government employees who must enforce EM 385-1-1 standards are required to take the 24-hour EM 385-1-1 course. Site Safety Health Officers (SSHO) as well as managers, supervisors, and construction personnel who are working on a military contract are required to complete the 40-hour course.

EM 385-1-1 or OSHA?

If you work for the military or the Department of Defense (DoD), you are required to comply with EM 385-1-1 standards. In this situation, EM 385-1-1 takes precedence over OSHA regulations and standards. This is because the EM 385-1-1 safety guidelines are more detailed than the regulations set in place by OSHA. 

Do EM 385-1-1 Certifications Expire?

Unless your employer says otherwise, EM 385-1-1 certification does not technically expire. However, you are required to take the 8-hour course as a refresher training once a year to keep your certificate valid. If you miss the refresher course deadline, your employer may require you to retake the 16, 24, or 40-hour course depending on your position. 

What is in the 8, 16, 24, & 40-Hour Courses?

Each course covers safety information according to the EM 385-1-1 training guidelines, each one more in-depth than the last. Throughout the following sections, we will discuss what topics to expect in each one. 

8-Hour Course

The primary goal for the 8-hour course is to ensure that government or military employees receive the necessary training in order to meet their refresher training requirements and comply with USACE’s safety and health standards. The topics you can expect in this course are:

• Program Management
• Medical and first aid
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other safety equipment
• Material handling
• Fall protection
• Safe access
• Excavation
• Hand and power tools

16-Hour EM 385-1-1 Course

The 16-hour course is considered a starter course, covering the standards and requirements of the EM 385-1-1 safety guidelines. The 16-hour course topics include, but are not limited to: 

• Program management 
• Basic first-aid 
• Temporary facilities
• PPE
• Welding and cutting
• Electrical
• Material handling, storage, disposal
• Vehicle, machinery, & equipment
• Fall protection

24-Hour Course

The 24-hour EM 385-1-1 course is the most common course for military contractors to take among the four. You can expect to find the following topics in a 24-hour course:

• Electrical
• Material handling, disposal, & storage
• Vehicles, safety equipment, & machinery
• Fall protection
• Work platforms & scaffolding 
• Demolition, re-occupancy, & renovation
• Safe access
• Hand & power tools
• Confined space entry and permits
• Underground construction, shafts, & caissons

40-Hour EM 385-1-1 Course

This course provides military employees and personnel with an in-depth exploration of the EM 385-1-1 manual safety guidelines. It focuses on preventing work-related hazards and protecting employees. The 40-hour course topics include, but are not limited to:

• Sanitation
• Temporary facilities 
• Hazardous or toxic agents and environments
• Lighting
• Accident prevention
• Fire prevention
• Control of hazardous energy
• Rigging
• Load handling equipment
• Conveyors
• Floating point and marine activities
• Pressurized equipment and systems
• Safe access
• Excavation and trenching
• Blasting

What is The Most Current Version of EM 385-1-1?

The USACE’s Safety and Health Requirements Manual has been in place for over 35 years. The most current version of the EM 385-1-1 is the 2014 version and is around 950 pages long. It is available to view on the USACE publications website. The version before this was the 2008 version and was around 1,100 pages long. 

Accident Prevention Plans

An Accident Prevention Plan (APP) is a safety & health policy and program that is contract-specific or job-specific. It is an important part of the planning and hazard prevention process. 

APP Template

The following items are generally addressed in the APP; although, because APPs are job and contract specific, some things may not be included. However, it needs to discuss any unusual or unique aspects of the contract or job that it was written for. 

Signature Sheet: This would include the title, signatures, qualifications, and phone numbers of the people who prepared the plan. This could be a Qualified Person, a Competent Person, or a corporate safety staff member. 

Background Information: This section should include the contractor’s name and number as well as the name of the project. It should contain a description of the project and the work that will be performed. The location, the equipment that will be used, any anticipated high-risk activities, and the phases of work must also be listed. 

Statement of Safety and Health Policy: Provide a copy of the company’s current Safety and Health Policy statement as well as a detailed commitment to providing a safe and healthful workplace for employees.

Responsibilities and Line of Authority: This section should contain a statement of the employer’s plan to implement the Safety and Occupational Health program and how it will impact their employees. It should also state the identification and accountability of the person or people who are responsible for safety at both corporate and project levels. 

Subcontractors and Suppliers: If applicable, this section should provide procedures used for coordinating safety assignments with other employers on the jobsite. It should also state the identification and safety responsibilities of the subcontractors and suppliers. 

Training: This should entail the requirements for training when it comes to new hires and refresher training. 

Safety and Health Inspections: This section will need to state all of the specific assignments and responsibilities when it comes to a worksite safety inspection, as well as proof of the inspector’s qualifications. 

Mishap Reporting and Investigation: All accidents, mishap reports, investigations, and any other similar documents should be found in this section.

Plans, Programs, and Procedures: In this section, the contractor must list all safety risks that are present in the workplace as well as any alignment plans. 

Risk Management Process: This section covers, in detail, the Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA). 

Abbreviated APP: This last section is a summary and conclusion of the rest of the APP. 

Our Safety Training

Here at Hard Hat Training, we provide our customers with safety courses that are engaging, colorful, and affordable. All of the courses we offer are consistently updated to comply with any changes that are made to safety standards, enabling us to provide you with thorough and up-to-date trainings. 

Our course catalog has over 200 training topics for companies to choose from. Each of our courses are fully narrated and designed to keep the mind engaged. We pride ourselves on the work that goes into our safety trainings, so you can take comfort in knowing that each course has been thoroughly researched. We only give you the information you need to know in order to learn the topics and pass the final exam. It is important to note that we only offer the EM 385-1-1 (USACE 8-hour) and EM 385-1-1 (USACE 16-hour) safety courses. Both adhere to the EM 385-1-1 guidelines and cover every topic that is required by the USACE.