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Safety: It's a lifestyle

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Blackwell
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Running the gamut from work-related injuries, and high-risk recreational activities, to slipping in the shower or simply walking across the street; potential danger is always present.

Resourceful and innovative collaboration can help manage potential danger when, society's fundamental building block; technology, continuously progresses and poses ever-changing associated risks.

The 20th Fighter Wing safety office mission is to provide a safe and healthy work environment for Team Shaw by identifying potential safety hazards.

Wing safety is comprised of three separate divisions: ground, flight and weapons; unified by collective goals: empower Airmen to identify safety hazards, reduce risks and protect Air Force resources, educate the base populous regarding safety protocol and risk management, and provide trusted counsel and guidance to commanders and supervisors on matters of safety.

Ground safety encompasses a broad range of base-wide, on and off duty safety topics.

The ground safety division creates mishap prevention programs and reviews and assesses the effectiveness of programs-in-place. Reviews and assessments are conducted through annual inspections of the 20th FW and associated units both during and after duty hours and random spot inspections to ensure Air Force Instruction compliance.

Maintaining a traffic safety coordination group, performing periodic seatbelt checks as well as evaluating base traffic issues also falls to the ground safety division to make necessary recommendations to commanders to increase base travel effectiveness.

The flight safety division helps ensure effectiveness and safe flight-related procedures through flight line and supporting back shop visits.

Monitoring maintenance actions performed on aircraft and informing pilots of any potential hazards integrates safety into daily operations. Flight safety also works closely with local air traffic control towers to optimize safe flying conditions.

Working in close proximity to jets means many moving parts and potential hazards. If safety is not taken seriously lack-of-attention to detail could end in fatal results; either for aircrew or maintainers, said Master Sgt. Joe Moore, 20th FW NCO in charge of flight safety.

Strict adherence to AFIs and safety procedures maximizes mission success while minimizing mishaps.

"It's our goal to ensure we keep planes in the air," Moore said. "We want to ensure that the Air Force always has the equipment and people to get the job done when called upon. We want to train safe and fly safe."

Potential dangers involved with weapons safety require stringent qualifiers for division safety representatives.

Weapon safety reps monitor explosives locations and operations, advise commanders on explosives locations, and mobility concerns.

"Explosives have the potential to cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time," explained Master Sgt. Scot Solheim, 20th FW weapons safety manager. "The cardinal principle of explosives safety is to expose the minimum number of people to the minimum amount of explosives for the minimum amount of time. Any handling of a weapon or explosive item should be done so with the utmost caution so as not to put yourself or others at risk."

Wing safety's mission to empower Airmen includes working hand-in-hand with unit safety representatives.

Unit safety representatives fulfill the additional duty with a goal of providing a safe work environment and AFI compliance.

"The 20th Fighter Wing has some really great USRs," said Tech Sgt. Biagi Borrero, 20th Fighter Wing NCO in charge of ground safety.

Airmen who take on USR duties foster mission success for their unit by protecting personnel and equipment, Borrero explained.

"Safety is critical to the mission," she continued. "Having accountability helps push us (as humans) to keep safety at the forefront of our minds."

Safety mishaps resulting in injury take Airmen out of the workplace, reducing unit effectiveness and increasing the workload of remaining personnel.

Complacency and inattentive personnel are common factors leading to compromised safety procedures.

"People often think that the more familiar they are with a task or environment the safer they are," Borrero explained. "This is not true. These feelings of security often cause people to drop their guard, which makes them more prone to risk or injury."

People are more apt toward injury or mishap in familiar environments while performing tasks they've done many times before, Borrero continued. Keeping that in mind, making a conscious effort to be diligent with safety and performance goes a long way.

Safety, like being an Airman, is a mindset that extends on and off duty.

"Safety just doesn't stop at 4:30 p.m.," Borrero said. "I encourage Airmen to remember, it's a mindset."