Critical days of summer ending, but safety remains paramount

  • Published
  • By Sarah Olaciregui
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Although Labor Day weekend marks the end of the Critical Days of Summer, it doesn't mean the importance of safety should be forgotten, according to the 66th Air Base Group Safety Office.

The theme for this year's observance was "Live, work, play; plan your day," with an emphasis on personal responsibility.

During the summer there is always an increased risk for mishaps from events such as travel and vacations, grilling, camping and more. But, as the weather gets colder, base personnel should remember that risks still remain.

"So far, Hanscom has experienced a successful Critical Days of Summer and did not have any major safety incidents," said Galen Williams, 66th Air Base Group Safety Office director. "However, it is important for people to remember to be safe throughout the holiday weekend."

He noted that mishaps still occur throughout the year and the most frequent types include slips, trips and falls, and sports injuries also remain very high among military members.

"It's important for people to take all precautions when playing sports," he said. "Our highest mishaps continue to be on the field or in the gym."

To help further reduce the number of injuries, the Safety Office plans to continue efforts in safety awareness throughout the year. One way will be through the Sharepoint site, which can be accessed by clicking on the Safety and Security links on the Electronic Systems Center Centernet.

This summer, different safety tips and videos were posted each week on the site. These will remain on the site for base personnel to access and pass along to other employees at anytime.

In addition, Mr. Williams urges organizations across the base to share best practices and lessons learned on safety.

"We're gearing up for our VPP [Voluntary Protection Program] recertification in May 2012," he said. "All units should continue process improvements with their safety procedures."

He knows that using tools such as Sharepoint will help make the VPP recertification a success.

"Leveraging technology is important to ensure we provide the best training and hazard reporting tools to make life better for leaders, supervisors and Team Hanscom as a whole."

Anyone who has questions about safety may call the Safety Office at 781-377-5135.