‘Champion of Safety’ trophy presented to Tinker worker Published July 2, 2012 By Mike W. Ray Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- A Tinker Air Force Base employee has received the first "Champion of Safety" award from the Oklahoma Safety Council. The trophy, for "outstanding achievement in safety and health," was presented to Norman Wagner, a management analyst with the 76th Software Maintenance Group, during an OSC safety and health conference in Tulsa earlier this month. The trophy indicates the award is presented to a person whose job is not safety but who nevertheless "turns up the light on safety." Kellie Warrior, marketing and events manager for the Safety Council, said several nominations were received from a variety of industries, such as manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, etc. The Oklahoma Safety Council is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that promotes the adoption of safety, health and environmental practices and procedures. The OSC was established in 1947 and now has a membership base of more than 700 businesses across the state. Mr. Wagner is the program manager of the 76th SMXG/MXW Wing Staff Voluntary Protection Program. He was nominated for the award by Karol Mitchell of the 76th MXW Safety Office. "Norm heard about VPP in 2006 and took on the challenge to be the employee representative to share VPP with those in his organization of 917 employees," Ms. Mitchell wrote in her nomination submission. "He educated many others to help him share the VPP principles and quickly spread the successful program to where it is today." Tinker AFB was notified recently by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that the 76th SMXG and the 76 MXW Staff were approved for OSHA's premier Voluntary Protection Program Star rating. "Most of the employee buy-in and success of the VPP program in 76th SMXG can be directly attributed to Norm, as he demonstrated how we can all be "wing men" and look out for each other's safety and well-being," Ms. Mitchell continued. Mr. Wagner also "worked with the local Red Cross and started the first-of-its-kind Wingman Responder program," which enables employees to train each other "not only in First Aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but also in the use of automated external defibrillators." Moreover, Ms. Mitchell wrote, Mr. Wagner has an "above-and-beyond, can-do attitude" and "takes every opportunity to share the gift of safety..."