b"C O M M A N D HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICERAn important aspect of an organizational cancer-prevention effort is developing the comprehensive accident, injury, illness and exposure policies and procedures as required by Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 296-305-01501 and 01503. Such policies and procedures meet the dual needs of managing on-the-job injury processes and providing organizations with data to help prevent future events. In the context of cancer prevention, an organizations policy and culture ideally support precautionary reporting of exposure to carcinogens as a way to identify and mitigate hazards. Similar to near-miss reporting, precautionary reporting of exposure to carcinogens allows organizations to identify the root causes of the exposure and to design and implement corrective interventions.Also important to fire fighters' overall health are policies and procedures related to wellness, fitness, nutrition, behavioral health, sleep deprivation and musculoskeletal injury prevention.In developing policy that encourages precautionary reporting, it is important to clearly define the parameters of the organizations reporting system. The Washington State Council of Fire Fighters Personal Injury, Illness and Exposure Reporting System (PIIERS) allows members to record all incidents where there is the potential to have been exposed to the products of combustion. An organizational reporting system, however, should only be used when an exposure actually occurs.For example, acting as a pump operator upwind of a large commercial fire may warrant a PIIERS report, but it may not warrant the filing of an organizational precautionary report. On the other hand, if the wind shifts and the pump operator suddenly finds himself engulfed in acrid smoke, then the member needs to fill out a PIIERS report as well as an internal report. These distinctions are clearly not black and white and must be supported by good policy along with a culture of mutual trust within an organization.From labors perspective, a robust organizational reporting system may reinforce the organizations commitment to transparency and safety. Labor also must recognize, however, that management may feel exposed to increased scrutiny if every routine fire call generates a wave of exposure reports. Because of this, labor and management can undertake a collaborative effort to clearly define the formal and informal parameters of reporting policy. After all, both groups have a shared interest: the health and safety of the organization and its members. An additional benefit of maintaining a collaborative approach to COMMAND precautionary reporting is that it moves training, policy and operational norms toward a culture of safety.Promote safety by developingand enforcing policies and proceduresand encouraging timely reporting6"