HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – The Occupational Safety Office has reported a downward trend in safety mishaps here over the last five years, especially over the last nine months.
While the decrease in workplace safety incidents can be partially attributed to an increase in telework, health and safety officials believe the current pandemic has further cemented a cultural shift toward safety assurance.
“A lot of these safety procedures have been in place and practiced all along, but because of COVID, people have begun to slow down and assess what they’re about to do,” said Galen Williams, 66th Air Base Group Safety director.
After transitioning monthly safety meetings to a virtual environment earlier this year, safety managers saw a dramatic increase in attendance and noticed their reach went beyond just the Hanscom community.
“We’ve been able to train more than 90 percent of our Hanscom supervisors since converting to online courses, and we’ve even been able to train Air Force Life Cycle Management Center personnel stationed around the country,” said Mason Robbins, an installation health and safety specialist. “Our reach has certainly gone past our gates.”
Whether risk assessments must be done for work centers, events, or mission requirements, the safety team is glad to support the community being vigilant toward mitigating risk.
“Every one of us in the office cares about making Hanscom a safe environment,” said Shaun Bassett, occupational safety manager. “It’s good to know people are looking out for each other by taking the time to be proactive and go through safety checklists.”
Additional information on risk assessments, online safety courses and more is available at the Team Hanscom Safety SharePoint.