EM 385-1-1 40-Hour Mastery Course
Built for Federal Acceptance. Taught by the Former Chief of Safety.
The EM 385-1-1 40-Hour Mastery Course is a five-day, instructor-led training experience designed for contractors, SSHOs, safety managers, project managers, superintendents, quality control personnel, and anyone responsible for safety compliance on USACE, NAVFAC, VA, or other federal construction projects.
This is not a generic safety class with a federal label slapped on it. This course is built around the way EM 385-1-1 is actually reviewed, interpreted, enforced, and applied in the field.
Taught by Dr. Christopher S. Rainwater, MPA, MSOH, PCSOH, former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Chief of Safety, the course gives students something most EM 385 training cannot: the government reviewer’s perspective.
What Makes This Course Different
Most contractors do not struggle because they are careless. They struggle because they do not know what the government is really looking for.
This course teaches students how to think like the reviewer.
Students learn how to:
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Understand the purpose, authority, and enforcement reality of EM 385-1-1
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Prepare stronger Accident Prevention Plans
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Develop AHAs/JHAs that can survive actual review
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Understand the roles of SSHOs, Competent Persons, Qualified Persons, CORs, KOs, QA staff, and safety officials
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Avoid common violations that delay work or damage CPARS
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Apply EM 385-1-1 requirements in real project conditions
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Understand waivers, interpretations, inspections, training expectations, and documentation requirements
Who Should Attend
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Site Safety and Health Officers
Safety managers and directors
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Project
managers
Superintendents
Quality control managers
Federal construction contractors
Subcontractors working under EM 385-1-1
Contractors pursuing USACE, NAVFAC, VA, or other federal work
Anyone responsible for preparing, reviewing, or implementing APPs and AHAs/JHAs
Course Topics
Day 1
Purpose, Authority, and Hazard Analysis Foundations
Students begin with the foundation: why EM 385-1-1 exists, how it works contractually, and how federal safety expectations are actually enforced.
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EM 385-1-1 purpose, authority, and enforcement reality
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OSHA, national consensus standards, FAR clauses, and the contract
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The 2024 reorganization and why it matters
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Key project roles: SSHO, Competent Person, Qualified Person, KO, COR, QA, and USACE Safety
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AHA/JHA fundamentals
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What “real” hazard analysis looks like
Day 2
AHA/JHA Development and Core Safety Requirements
Day 2 moves heavily into practical application, including a group exercise focused on AHA/JHA design.
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Group exercise: AHA/JHA design
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Hazard Communication and GHS implementation
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Fall protection requirements
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Confined space entry requirements
Day 3
High-Risk Work and Key Technical Requirements
Day 3 addresses several of the most challenging and frequently scrutinized EM 385-1-1 subject areas.
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Load handling, cranes, and rigging requirements
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Accident Prevention Plan expectations
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Energized and electrical work requirements
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Diving, dredging, and water-related activities
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Key requirements across the 37 chapters of EM 385-1-1
Day 4
Inspections, Training, and Government Review
Day 4 focuses on how compliance is evaluated in the field and during document review.
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Pre-use and periodic inspections
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Top violations and how to avoid them
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Government inspections and what they really evaluate
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Training expectations under EM 385-1-1
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Group exercise: “Would This Be Approved?”
Day 5
Waivers, CPARS, Integration, Review, and Final Exam
The final day pulls everything together and prepares students to apply the standard with confidence.
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Waivers and requests for interpretation
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EM 385-1-1 and CPARS
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Pulling compliance together across the project lifecycle
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Comprehensive review and Q&A with the Chief
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Final examination
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Course evaluations
Course Format
Length: 40 hours
Duration: 5 days
Daily Schedule: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Delivery: In-person instructor-led training
Certificate: Certificate issued upon successful completion
Final Exam: Included
Primary Focus: EM 385-1-1 compliance, federal project safety expectations, APPs, AHAs/JHAs, field application, and government acceptance
What Students Receive
Students receive:
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40 hours of live instruction
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Practical examples from federal construction projects
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Group exercises focused on APP and AHA/JHA review
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Certificate upon successful completion
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Direct instruction from a former USACE District Chief of Safety
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Practical insight into how government reviewers evaluate safety documentation and field performance
Why This Course Matters
On federal projects, safety compliance is not just paperwork. A weak APP, poor AHA, deficient training record, or unresolved field hazard can delay work, trigger findings, damage relationships with the owner, and affect CPARS.
This course helps contractors stop guessing.
It teaches students how to build safety documentation and field practices that are more complete, more defensible, and more likely to be accepted.