Donovan Potter, 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE – Hill AFB information technology professionals developed a standardized platform to track safety inspections and employee training that has proven to be successful over the past 20 years.
The Hazardous Communication / Job Order Training Outline is a government-owned, contractor-operated application that automates notifications, management, assessments and analytics of safety, inspection and employee training requirements as it pertains to Air Force instructions on hazard communication and mishap prevention.
Currently HAZCOM/JSTO is deployed to users on Hill AFB and its associated geographically separated units in Texas and Arizona. Officials are currently speaking with potential users at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and have demonstrated it to numerous organizations at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex and at Wright Patterson AFB.
“The goal is to expand our footprint across the Air Force Materiel Command, much like the Training Scheduling System has done over the last 15-plus years,” said Zachary Simon, 75th Air Base Wing Information Technology HAZCOM/JSTO Program Manager.
“We want this to become an enterprise system like TSS and eventually migrate it to Air Force Cloud One as well.”
Jerry Strebel HAZCOM/JSTO Architect and Lead Engineer at Hill said he envisions a one-stop, standardized platform, for all sites within AFMC.
“A lot of work has gone into providing a safer, more secure, less vulnerable DoD IT system to keep a well-informed workforce,” he said.
HAZCOM/JSTO is constructed as two regions within the site, depending on the user’s need. HAZCOM is primarily for bioenvironmental and public health users, and JSTO assists safety users. All hazard communication AFI requirements are linked to the JSTO site, so supervisors don't have to learn two separate systems.
The latest update to the platform was deployed to create a one-stop location that assists unit safety management, including unit safety representatives, quality assurance teams and directors.
Safety and bio inspectors can view hazard information posture prior to visiting the physical workspace to better understand the unit’s current state.
“HAZCOM/JSTO also provides the capability to perform employee annual training of the safety elements of their site by logging the annual review for each hazard category and providing employee training compliance to the safety office personnel, supervisor and unit safety representative,” Simon said.
Strebel said the vision is for HAZCOM/JSTO to be a comprehensive source and solution for the entire command in the near future because of increased security and cost savings.
“It’s about the cyber security and modernization aspect.” Strebel said. “Once this system goes enterprise wide and a standard for OSHA compliance is achieved, tremendous savings for the Air Force will be realized.”
Simon said the next step is for other AFMC locations to come onboard so his team can understand the base’s specific needs and build these functions into the platform.
“This will be an enterprise solution for all sites within the command,” he said. “To do this we need maximum involvement and participation so we can enhance HAZCOM/JSTO’s functionality and capabilities.”
Steven Hunter, 75th Air Base Wing Information Technology, works on the Hazardous Communications and Job Safety Training Outline (HAZCOM/JTSO) computer program, which tracks safety inspections and employee training requirements, Oct. 1, 2024, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The team's goal is to expand the HAZCOM/JTSO program across Air Force Materiel Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Cynthia Griggs) 
(Left to right) Jerry Strebel, Ken Bingham, and Steven Hunter, 75th Air Base Wing Information Technology, are the team who developed the Hazardous Communications and Job Safety Training Outline (HAZCOM/JTSO) computer program, which tracks safety inspections and employee training requirements, for users at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The team's goal is to expand the HAZCOM/JTSO program across Air Force Materiel Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Cynthia Griggs) 
Zach Simon, 75th Air Base Wing Information Technology program manager, and Jerry Strebel, work on the Hazardous Communications and Job Safety Training Outline (HAZCOM/JTSO) computer program, which tracks safety inspections and employee training requirements, Oct. 1, 2024, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The team's goal is to expand the HAZCOM/JTSO program across Air Force Materiel Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Cynthia Griggs)