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If you've submitted Accident Prevention Plans (APPs) for USACE projects over the years, you know the drill. A thick binder, sections on emergency response, fall protection, hazard communication, Activity Hazard Analyses — the works. Reviewers would flip through it, maybe flag a missing section, and eventually stamp it approved.
That process still exists. But with the 2024 EM 385-1-1, a new tool has entered the equation: CESO ENG Form 6293, an eight-page APP cover sheet that is changing how APPs are assembled, reviewed, and used in the field. If you haven't gotten familiar with this form yet, now is the time.
ENG Form 6293 is a standardized, eight-page cover sheet designed to accompany every Accident Prevention Plan submitted on USACE contracts governed by the 2024 manual. It is not a replacement for the APP itself — the full APP document with all required sections and supplemental safety plans is still required. Instead, the cover sheet serves as a structured front-end guide that organizes, summarizes, and validates the APP's content.
Think of it as a quality control tool built directly into the submission process. The cover sheet requires the preparer to inventory the specific supplemental safety plans included in the APP package, confirm that required elements are addressed, and provide a concise synopsis of the project's most significant safety considerations.
For years, APP quality across USACE projects varied enormously. Some contractors submitted comprehensive, project-specific plans. Others submitted lightly modified templates that technically checked the boxes but didn't reflect the actual conditions of the job. Reviewers — often overworked QARs managing multiple projects — sometimes approved plans that had gaps, because identifying those gaps in a 100-page binder isn't easy.
ENG Form 6293 addresses this problem by front-loading the critical information. The cover sheet compels the submitting contractor to explicitly state which supplemental safety plans are included, confirm that each required plan element has been addressed, and provide direct references to where in the APP package those elements can be found.
While ENG Form 6293 is an eight-page document with multiple sections, the key elements include:
The supplemental safety plans section is particularly important. The 2024 EM 385-1-1 requires specific supplemental plans for specific activities — a Fall Protection Plan, a Confined Space Entry Permit program, a Respiratory Protection Plan, and others depending on the scope of work. ENG Form 6293 requires the contractor to explicitly list each supplemental plan and confirm its inclusion.
Based on early implementation experience, several patterns of error have emerged:
The introduction of ENG Form 6293 is one of those changes that initially creates some friction but ultimately raises the quality of safety planning across the board. Contractors who embrace it as a planning tool rather than an extra form to fill out will find that their APP submissions are stronger, their review process is faster, and their project safety foundation is more solid from day one.
Download ENG Form 6293 from the USACE publications website and integrate it into your APP template process before your next project submission deadline.
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