OSHA safety summary shows improvements; Tinker’s goal to reduce preventable mishaps

Published Feb. 23, 2008
By Brandice J. Armstrong
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Tinker's annual summary of work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities for 2007 has been submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
   Despite seemingly high numbers, Tinker officials said every year continues to show improvements toward the aggressive goals set by the Secretary of Defense. The goal is to reduce the number of preventable mishaps at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and across the Air Force by 75 percent by the end of the 2008 fiscal year. The reduction is based on the mishaps suffered at the OC-ALC in fiscal 2002. Safety office officials said they aim to accomplish their objectives by involving all employees.
   "We need to get away from the attitude, 'It is not my job,'" said Lt. Col. Thomas Painter, 72nd Air Base Wing chief of Safety. "Safety is a vital part of everyone's job description and we need every employee working toward the goal of making Tinker as safe as possible."
   In the 2007 calendar year, Tinker's summary of mishaps to OSHA showed nearly 1,000 occupational injuries and illnesses were reported. Of them, 51 cases were serious enough to cause employees to take time away from work.
   The mishap statistics reported to the Air Force Safety Center, which is recorded by fiscal year, showed 53 mishaps were reported in fiscal 2007, the colonel said.
   So far, in fiscal 2008, there have been 15 lost-time mishaps, but the Gen. Loren Reno, OC-ALC commander, fiscal 2008 safety goal is not to exceed 21 injuries and illnesses, Colonel Painter said.
   "The ultimate goal of any safety professional is always zero mishaps," the colonel said. "To get there, however, the safety office must change the culture of base personnel.
   "We need everyone to exercise caution in the workplace and ask themselves at the start of every shift, 'What could happen to me today if I let it?'"
   To reduce the number of mishaps, safety officials said employees should look out for one another. Rather than accept the mentality that someone else will take care of a mess, or remove obstacles, employees should take care of said problems when they occur.
   The number of mishaps may also be reduced through the implementation of the Voluntary Protection Program, a cooperative relationship between OSHA, management, union and employees working together to ensure a better level of safety and health protection. In addition, a safety analysis team, a group composed of Tinker management and union personnel, examined recommendations to improve safety at Tinker. Throughout the year and through VPP, the recommendations of the team will be implemented to improve safety for everyone.
   "If I can get everyone on Tinker looking for hazards and finding ways to mitigate them, it will reduce our overall number of injuries, improve production and allow the center to provide better support to the warfighter," the colonel said.
   Overall, the number of serious injuries and illnesses at the OC-ALC are down by nine percent from 2006. Yet, despite the decrease in serious injuries, there was a slight three percent increase in the number of minor injuries experienced at Tinker.