554 ELSW committed to a "Common Sense" Approach to VPP

  • Published
  • By Galen Williams
  • 554 ELSW VPP Team Lead
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  As Hanscom prepares for the November Unit Compliance Inspection, the 554th Electronic Systems Wing is continuing to move forward in meeting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Voluntary Protection Requirements.

Wing Director Frank Weber, Vice Director Col. Derrick Richardson and wing senior staff members signed the Wing's VPP Safety Pledge July 28. The pledge, which asks wing members to take personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of fellow team members, was also signed by other members of the 554 ELSW.

The Voluntary Protection Program, created by OSHA in 1982, was formally introduced to the Hanscom community in May 2006. It emphasizes worker safety and health and the identification and elimination of hazards through employee and management involvement.

Mr. Weber and Colonel Richardson both agreed that safety should be integrated into daily business routines.

"Using a common sense approach, participation and employee involvement is as simple as communicating known hazards in our work environment to team members, soliciting input to correct hazards, and identifying and reporting hazards that can't be fixed quickly," said Mr. Weber.

The 554 ELSW is using compliance tools and checklists that meet or exceed OSHA requirements for the upcoming UCI. VPP encourages everyone to inspect their areas for slip, trip and fall hazards, correct or report electrical hazards, such as improper use of extension cords, and ensure emergency exists and egress paths are identified and clear.

Employees are asked to document instances of compliance through the use of proper forms, such as AFMC Forms 315 and 316, which address work area inspections by supervisors and document safety meetings and topics. Employees can also document safety training of the AF Form 55.

"VPP is just about common sense," said Mr. Weber. "We're not really introducing anything new or foreign into our everyday duties and responsibilities. VPP has already been implemented into 554 ELSW current safety practices such as Operation Risk Management, Air Force Special Operations for the 21st Century, Wingman BOLDFACE and our current Occupational Safety and Health standards, so we're just focusing on keeping up the good work when it comes to safety."