Hanscom Safety Office, three individuals earn AFMC honors
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- The Hanscom Safety Office has earned Outstanding Ground Safety Program honors from Air Force Materiel Command, and three Hanscom military members have been recognized by the command with individual safety awards.
Capt. Morgan D'Olympia , the chief of system safety at Hanscom, was named AFMC's Outstanding System Safety Engineer of the Year, Master Sgt. Shelly Barton, safety superintendent, was selected as the AFMC Outstanding Senior Safety Program Manager of the Year, and Senior Amn. Melissa Nguyen of the 554th Electronic Systems Wing won recognition as the Outstanding Safety Representative of the Year.
The awards cap off a highly successful year for Hanscom's safety program, during which the base became the first Air Force installation to earn Voluntary Protection Program Star status from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
66th Air Base Wing Safety Office
The 66th Air Base Wing Safety Office was recognized for its efforts in leading the base to a successful VPP campaign, as well as for a number of other initiatives.
To ensure everyone on base understood the importance of workplace safety, the office developed and implemented a VPP 101 on-line training course, training more than 4,200 personnel. The safety office established Hanscom's first-ever SAFE dedicated telephone line, allowing people to anonymously report safety hazards.
Focusing on motorcycle safety, the office lined up $8,000 in motorcycle safety training for 40 novice and 25 experienced riders. The organization also coordinated and conducted a pre-season motorcycle safety briefing, informing 100 riders of safety rules. That focus paid off, with no reportable motorcycle mishaps this year.
A spirited 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign at Hanscom included a Safety Fair, with participation from the Fire Department, Security Forces, Bioenvironmental Engineering and AAFES Safety personnel. During Summer Bash, seat belt safety was highlighted, with the State Police demonstrating the stages of rollover accidents in an interactive displays.
The office conducted an aggressive inspection program for ESC units across the center, inspecting 33 separate organizations, identifying 130 safety findings and ultimately providing abatement measures to commanders and directors.
"Our Hanscom Safety Division had an exceptional year in fostering a safety and wellness focus, and this AFMC distinction is well deserved," said Col. David Orr, 66th ABW commander. "All of Team Hanscom had a role in this selection, as you individually and collectively supported the tenets of VPP and a safety-first culture. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our safety professionals leading the way, Hanscom is a safer place to live, work and play."
Captain D'Olympia
As chief of System Safety, Captain D'Olympia was recognized for leading a 36-person Integrated Product Team across four wings and 13 groups at Hanscom and six geographically separated units.
A natural leader, the captain managed the office in safety director's absence, and was responsible for all aspects of the $49,000 safety budget, and $40,000 in VPP funds , ensuring the mission was funded for success.
According to Galen Williams, Director of Safety, the captain provided "superb leadership" on the three-year VPP initiative. "He was a critical member of the Hanscom VPP team, who took charge of planning the high-visibility audit in-brief with OSHA and ESC senior leadership," he said.
During the year, he worked closely with ESC Engineering, taking the lead on reviewing eight program System Engineering Plans. He helped reduce a critical backlog, and ensured program office compliance with an Air Force policy for the new SEP process.
Master Sergeant Barton
Sergeant Barton oversaw the ground and weapons safety mishap prevention programs for ESC assets. She streamlined the inspection process, reducing reports by 56 percent, freeing up time that was devoted to VPP audit preparation.
"Sergeant Barton was absolutely instrumental to Hanscom becoming the first Air Force installation to achieve OSHA's Star rating," Mr. Williams said. "The auditors were very impressed with her professionalism during their visit."
She has now become a VPP Men tor, for Hill AFB, Utah and Robins AFB, Ga. VPP teams, providing expert guidance on the program.
During the year, Sergeant Barton led 47 reportable mishap investigations, providing critical recommendations to prevent reoccurrence. She also drafted mishap trend analysis, detecting slip and fall trends, and provided recommendations to senior leaders on how to prevent those mishaps.
Senior Airman Nguyen
As the Unit Safety Representative for the 554th ELSW, Airman Nguyen reviewed and updated the wing's safety self-inspection checklists, using AFMC Inspector General safety templates as a guide. She organized and hosted safety meetings with other subordinate wing USRs in her building to inspect the facility for safety discrepancies and developed a schedule for follow-up inspections.
She inspected every office in the wing, identifying issues and submitting work orders to ensure they were corrected. Airman Nguyen -purchased an installed wall and floor wire channels to eliminate tripping hazards. She also rejuvenated several storage areas and unused closets that were noncompliant, rallied clean-up crews to properly discard unused building materials and turned in excess paint to self-help facility.
She distributed monthly safety tips and ensured safety bulletin boards in the facility were standardized, and targeted potential ergonomic problem areas, identifying work stations that failed to meet ergonomic guidance."
"Sergeant Ngyuen is a proactive motivator who is dedicated to safety," Mr. Williams said. "She is a true professional who is seasoned beyond her years. She really stepped up and took VPP to heart."