1
Overview of Explosives Safety Governance
in the
Department of Defense
Arthur S. Kaminski; Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board; Alexandria, Virginia
Keywords: Governance, Policy, ESMP, DDESB
Abstract
Within the Department of Defense (DoD), components maintain an accurate policy framework
within their functional area of responsibility that is updated to reflect changes as they occur to
ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the DoD and its components. In other words,
change is institutionalized in the policy framework. The explosives safety community has a
well-defined policy framework that is continually evolving. The challenge remains in
integrating explosives safety into all facets of DoD operations with the aim of preventing
catastrophic munitions related accidents. This paper will provide an overview of DoD’
explosives safety policy framework as a major element of an overview of DoD explosives safety
governance.
Introduction
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes a management system as the
way in which an organization manages the inter-related parts of its business in order to achieve
its objectives
[1]
. Simply put "governance" means: the process of decision-making and the
process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)
[2]
. Governance of explosives
safety in the Department of Defense (DoD) is described here in terms of process, specifically the
continuous improvement management system process.
Main Body:
DoD Organization and Functions
A quick review of the major functions and organization of the DoD will help provide the
context of governance of explosives safety in the DoD.
The DoD is an executive department of the federal government established by the National
Security Act of 1947 but its roots go back to pre-revolutionary times. At the head of the DoD
is the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of Defense is the principal assistant to the President
in all matters relating to the Department of Defense
[3]
.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense, or OSD, is the principal staff element of the Secretary
of Defense in the exercise of policy development, planning, resource management, fiscal, and
program evaluation responsibilities
[4]
. Simply stated, OSD is responsible for policy, advocacy
and oversight.
