Safety campaign focuses on risk management

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark Wyatt
  • 157th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Air Force Ground Safety officials recently introduced a new safety campaign to focus on risk management and on-duty safety. The campaign, known as Quest for Zero, will highlight career fields each month to increase awareness of the specific hazards those employees face each day.

Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Kurt Neubauer believes that readiness is paramount to the mission, and the safety of every Airman is critical to ensuring that readiness is accomplished.

The campaign's motto, "My Job, My Life, My Choice," embodies that credo.

"Safety is a priority in all career fields at Pease," said Senior Master Sgt. James Roberts, 157th Air Refueling Wing Group Ground Safety manager. "Being aware of those hazards is the first step to mitigate those mishaps, which will preserve our most valuable asset - our citizen soldiers."

Each month Quest for Zero will highlight different career fields, beginning with maintenance this month.

In fiscal year 2013, maintenance mishaps accounted for 51 percent of injuries in the Air Force. Of those, the three most common injury types were sprains/strains, fractures and open wounds.

"Maintenance personnel should be 100 percent focused on doing their assigned job to the absolute best of their ability, and that includes following the technical orders, adhering to standard operating procedures and properly using personal protection equipment [PPE]," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Denton, 157th Air Refueling Wing chief of Safety. "We also must encourage Airmen to use the right tool for the job and identify issues up their chain of command. Most importantly, do not take shortcuts."

The campaign will highlight recurring mishaps and encourage use of risk management and mitigation techniques such as:

· Wear of appropriate personal protective equipment
· Keep work areas clear of obstructions and hazards
· Make work platforms available when possible
· Use safety pins and devices that secure hoods, hatches, doors and ramps
· Maintaining situational awareness and communicate with coworkers
· Following procedures outlined in Air Force Instructions and technical orders

Denton went on to say that maintenance supervisors need to spend time in their respective work areas where their responsibility is to ensure Airmen are not getting complacent.

Although the focus of this article is Maintenance, other career fields most susceptible to injury include: logistics, security forces, services and civil engineering..

"This safety campaign will help ensure employees remain safe," Roberts said. "But will also ensure that the Air Force achieves its mission to fly, fight and win."

To learn more about the Quest for Zero campaign, contact the Safety Office at 603-430-3487 and on the 157 ARW SharePoint site.