72nd ABW working toward VPP Star rating Published July 30, 2012 By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 72nd Air Base Wing at Tinker has an ambitious goal: attaining the Voluntary Protection Program Star rating for the entire wing. The application may be submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by the end of the year, perhaps within a few months. If it's approved, "We'll be one of the largest organizations in this region to apply for program recognition," said Mark Hefti of the 72nd Force Support Squadron. OSHA's VPP Region VI encompasses five states: Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. OSHA's Star rating recognizes employers and employees who "demonstrate exemplary achievement in the prevention and control of occupational safety and health hazards, and the development, implementation and continuous improvement of their safety and health management system." Tinker's 76th Software Maintenance Group and Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex staff received the VPP Star rating in June. The combined group numbers more than 900 employees: approximately 660 employees of the 76th SMXG work in 11 buildings at Tinker AFB, and approximately 275 employees work in the staff offices. The 72nd ABW, in comparison, has approximately 3,000 military personnel, civilian employees and contractors working in more than 75 buildings scattered throughout Tinker. "We're like a little city," said Mr. Hefti, a recreation specialist (teen coordinator) at the Tinker Youth Center. "We operate an airport, a hospital, police and fire departments, hotels (base lodging), a swimming pool, child-care facilities, and a bowling alley." "To get this implemented wing-wide has been a huge tasking requiring a lot of effort," said Darren Hulsey, a contracting officer representative in the 72nd ABW Civil Engineering Directorate. "The air base wing is so varied." For example, he said, "A Security Forces officer could get bitten by a dog, while a firefighter might strain his back. We're all over the place." "We learned from the Maintenance Wing some of the obstacles they encountered" in their efforts to obtain Star status, said Brenda Williams of the CIO Support Branch in the 72nd ABW Communications Directorate. Despite the wide variation in job titles, the 72nd ABW has kept its average injury and illness rates at or below industry standards for three consecutive years -- one of the many requirements for achieving the Star rating -- Ms. Williams said. Three VPP mentors from the U.S. Post Office in Edmond toured the Wing on July 13, pointing to a few suggested areas for improvement before the Star application can be submitted, Ms. Williams said. The National Safety Council estimates that preventable injuries and illnesses cost the Department of Defense $10 billion to $21 billion annually. VPP "Star" sites report a reduction in injuries and illnesses surpassing 60 percent, plus a 20 percent reduction in workers' compensation costs. Then-Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne issued a directive in 2006 that VPP was to be implemented throughout the Air Force. Consequently, safety is stressed constantly in the 72nd ABW, with a particular emphasis on slips, trips and falls, Ms. Williams said. As a result, "The employees are accepting of VPP now," Mr. Hefti said. Unit safety meetings are held regularly; the "Porcelain Press" safety newsletter is published and distributed electronically throughout the wing periodically by the VPP Steering Committee; "739-SAFE" lanyard cards have been issued; VPP 101 basic training is provided to all new hires in the wing, and refresher training was instituted recently as an ABW annual requirement. In addition, the wing has had VPP material published in different languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese and Thai, because, "We have people coming here for whom English is a second language," Ms. Williams explained. Through the Porcelain Press, wing employees were urged to report any potholes in parking lots to the Civil Engineering Help Desk, to prevent slips, trips or falls. Further, wing personnel are encouraged to report any safety or health issues through the Tinker Online Hazard Reporting Tool that appears on the right side of the Tinker home page. Reports can be submitted anonymously via the site or by calling 739-SAFE. Each month the Integrated Design Team accompanies 72nd ABW leadership -- Col. Steven Bleymaier, commander; Col. Stephen D. Wood, vice commander; Bob Sandlin, director of staff; and Command Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Vegas -- on walk-throughs of wing work sites. The IDT also conducts monthly meetings with senior ABW leaders. "Colonel Bleymaier is supporting VPP from the top, and we're pushing from the bottom up," Ms. Williams said. "It's vital that leadership believes in the program." IDT members are Ms. Williams, Mr. Hefti, Mr. Hulsey, and 1st Lt. Russell Ramsey, the current IDT Team lead and 72nd ABW executive officer to the commander. The new base chaplain, Capt. Ralph T. Elliott Jr., will join the team soon. The IDT also meets monthly with a 10-member Executive Steering Committee to discuss basewide VPP safety-related issues. The IDT invests a lot of effort in "keeping safety on the minds of wing employees," Ms. Williams said. "It's that important to us." Reducing job-related injuries and illnesses "equates to substantial cost savings and improved force readiness," Lieutenant Ramsey emphasized.