When it comes to safety, it's personal for each Airman

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sean Johnson
  • 341st Missile Wing Safety
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Unfortunately, the Air Force's longest streak of avoiding on-duty noncombat-related fatalities was broken recently. After successfully managing the risks involved with the individual job functions of more than 330,000 Airmen for more than a year, an Airman died in a preventable work-related accident.

This incredible accomplishment on the part of safety professionals throughout the Air Force is completely overshadowed by the tragedy of one death. The death of a co-worker is quite possibly the worst emotional experience one can go through outside of the loss of a family member. The worst part of this tragedy is the likelihood that most will go on with their lives exactly the same way as before, even if the actions and events leading up to the fatality mirror similar operations on this base. The only way to truly avoid tragedy is to make safety personal and the best time to do that is before something terrible happens.

Frankly, safety is a personal thing. Throughout the Air Force, Airmen can observe commanders, functional managers and supervisors trying to determine why their accident rates are high. To lower the accident rates, they hold safety meetings and more safety training presentations. Moreover, they conduct commander's calls and wingman days hoping to improve teamwork that will result in safer Airmen. All of these are important and hold vital information for Air Force personnel; however, the most significant contributors to a safe workplace are individuals taking proper risk management decisions personally.

Unsafe actions are a result of unsafe behavior and the product of unsafe behavior is mishaps. Behavior is much like an iceberg. It's what is not seen below the surface that affects the direction an iceberg (Airmen's behavior) will travel. A person's behavior is affected by five things that are not seen: what they think and feel about something, what they value and believe about it, and what their need is at the time. So if a person acts or behaves unsafely, what are they thinking, feeling, valuing, believing or needing?

Supervisors are ultimately responsible for what Airmen need. Tools, protective equipment and rest are some of these. Emotional care and consideration are also equally important.

Determining what an Airman believes or values can be difficult when not on a face-to-face basis, but understanding how important this attribute is to safety is crucial. For example, many young people are raised to value getting the job done at all costs. This will affect their judgment in critical situations, possibly leading to an injury and even the job not getting done at all. Understanding beliefs is critical.

What an Airman thinks or feels at any one time can be equally as difficult to understand, but every person in the Air Force has had their emotions and thoughts guided at some point in their career. Most Airmen experience this in their initial training. Having an instructor show us the importance of dress and appearance impacts the way we feel and think just as much with the power of example and leaves an entirely different impression with a similar result in action. Ultimately, leading safety by example is paramount to mission success.

The Air Force's yearly summer safety campaign "101 Critical Days of Summer" hosts a different mantra each year and this year's slogan is "Safety--it's personal." This summer Team Malmstrom can expect Wing Safety to attempt to inspire creative solutions to solving safety dilemmas, promote ownership within unit safety programs and support the confidence of Airmen tackling the need to incorporate risk management within their daily lives. The next 100 or so days of a military member's life will be incredibly jam-packed with on- and off-duty activities. Each week the 341st Missile Wing Ground Safety office will publish a new article on many of these topics. As Wing One continues to "defend America with safe, secure and effective nuclear forces and combat-ready Airmen," Team Malmstrom members are encouraged to make this summer the safest by making it "personal."