1400 Independence Avenue SW 

Room 2055-S, STOP 0201 

Washington, D.C. 20250-0201 

AMS Policy on Safety and Occupational Health, Security, and Stewardship 

Effective June 5, 2023 

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) continues to serve our nation performing vital 

agricultural marketing, grading, and regulatory functions. We cannot do so without ensuring the 

safety, health, and security of all assigned employees in every one of our workplaces and all 

visitors in our facilities. 

We as an agency, and as individuals, must embrace our responsibility to identify, correct, and 

report any unsafe or environmentally harmful situation, act, or condition that exposes anyone in 

an AMS workplace to all hazards. These could include threats or risks arising from the nature of 

the physical workplace and its local environment; the equipment, tools, or materials used by 

employees; or the security context and emergency preparedness of the workplace. Consistent 

with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) directives, it remains AMS policy that all 

AMS personnel: 

x Meet our standards: Meet the standards for safety, security, and environmental 

stewardship, maintain situational awareness, and keep our offices, laboratories, and other 

worksites free of threats and hazards that can result in injury, illness, death, or physical or 

environmental harm. 

x Learn and understand: Read and comply with applicable safety, health, security, and 

environmental policies, instructions, and standards, as well as those related to keeping a 

workplace free of harassment and violence. Understand the importance of these to a safe 

and healthy workplace. 

x Train and review: Complete all mandatory training assigned by the Department and 

AMS, as well as dedicate time each year to review the items covered by this policy with 

your supervisor. 

x Use proper safety and security equipment: Acquire and use specialized or required 

personal protective equipment and complete all specific training required for your work. 

x Inform all stakeholders: Communicate AMS’s safety, health, security, and 

environmental protection expectations to our visitors, customers, contractors, and other 

partners. 

x Prepare: Be prepared for emergency incidents and events that pose threats to people and 

property by reading and exercising the emergency procedures for each site you work in. 

x Protect: Protect our property, information, and people from injury, illness, or loss. 

Promptly take corrective action to eliminate all hazardous safety and health conditions in 

the workplace. 

x Be accountable: Hold ourselves accountable for complying with directives, policies, 

instructions, and standards; support, educate, and remind each other about these policy 

goals. Failure to comply with the applicable directives, instructions, policies, or standards 

may result in disciplinary action, including potential removal from employment. 

An Equal Opportunity Employer 
 

 

x

AMS Policy on Safety and Occupational Health, Security, and Stewardship 

Page 2 

Report: Immediately notify supervisors whenever you experience or witness an 

incident, situation, or event that exposes people or property to potential safety, health, 

security, or environmental harm. Managers and supervisors report occupational safety 

and health mishaps, both employee and vehicle, through the First Report tool. All 

serious workplace related injuries must be reported within 1 hour to the AMS Safety and 

Occupational Health Program (SHP) Manager; all other mishaps must be reported within 

24 hours. 

The Administrator has directed the Compliance, Audit, Risk, and Safety Division (CARS) of the 

Office of the Administrator to serve as the managers of programs that implement the policies 

listed above. AMS is committed to excellence in these programs and demonstrating that all 

employees take our policies seriously through continuous improvement of our awareness, 

understanding, and performance. 

AMS’ leaders, managers, and supervisors are responsible for setting a positive tone and 

encouraging all employees to implement these policies and report concerns without any fear of 

retaliation. 

1. Managers and supervisors are key to ensuring safe, healthy, and secure working 

conditions for their employees at every worksite. They consider safety and security in job 

planning and execution and require walk-through observations of each workplace on a 

regular basis. They shall, to the best of their abilities, promptly take corrective action to 

eliminate all hazardous safety and health conditions in their workplace. 

2. Managers in CARS of the AMS SHP, Environmental Program, Worker’s Compensation 

Program, Emergency Management Program, and Security Program propose, oversee, and 

implement procedures and guidance to achieve the policy goals described above. 

3. Deputy Administrators must ensure that their Programs adhere to and comply with all 

applicable safety, health, security, emergency management, and environmental directives, 

instructions, policies, procedures, and guidelines. They: 

a. Delegate appropriate authority and assign commensurate responsibility to their 

Program staff to implement this policy and related directives, instructions, 

policies, and standards. 

b. Designate staff responsible and accountable for safety, health, worker’s 

compensation, environmental protection, and emergency preparedness as required 

by the applicable directives, instructions, and policies. Maintain a current list of 

these designations in collaboration with CARS. 

c. Address safety, security, environmental protection, and emergency preparedness 

in manager and supervisor performance plans. 

d. Ensure that each employee has received a copy of this policy and has been 

directed to review: 

i. USDA Workplace Violence Prevention Regulation; 

ii. USDA Anti-Harassment Regulation and the Secretary’s Anti-Harassment 

Policy Statement; and 

iii. USDA Regulation on Employee Responsibilities and Conduct. 
 

 

AMS Policy on Safety and Occupational Health, Security, and Stewardship 

Page 3 

For more information about this policy, please contact Francis “Abe” Dymond, Deputy Director, 

CARS, at (202) 494-5613 or Francis.Dymond@usda.gov; Mark L. Kemp, AMS Safety and 

Occupational Health Program Manager, at (202) 720-0061 or Mark.L.Kemp@usda.gov; or Larry 

McNamee, AMS’ Security Officer, at (202) 748-2819 or Lawrence.McNamee@usda.gov. This 

policy remains in effect until rescinded. 

Digitally signed by ERIN ERIN MORRIS 

Date: 2023.05.31 MORRIS 13:57:21 -04'00' 

Erin Morris 

Associate Administrator 

Designated Agency Safety and Health Official