Tinker Team to implement safety recommendations

Published Jan. 18, 2008
By Brandice J. Armstrong
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- As this is being written, dozens of employees around Tinker are working diligently to make Tinker a safer place to work for all. On 9 January, a team composed of Tinker management and union personnel examined 56 recommendations on how to improve safety at Tinker AFB.
   These recommendations came from a safety analysis team that initially visited the installation last September and October. Maj. Gen. Loren Reno, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, had asked Air Force Safety Center officials to facilitate a safety analysis team to evaluate Tinker as a proactive part of our Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).
   While at Tinker, the safety analysis team researched mishaps that occurred in the past five years. They studied explanations, read reports and discussed findings.
   The safety analysis team was composed of personnel from the 76th Maintenance Wing, the 72nd ABW, the 402nd MXW at Robins AFB, Ga.; the 309th MXW at Hill AFB, Utah; and the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland AFB, N.M.
   The safety assessment team's evaluation results were received Dec. 17 and senior Tinker officials were briefed on them Dec. 20.
   Eighteen of the 56 suggestions are expected to be implemented within the next three months, and the remaining will be looked at again for possible implementation in the future. All of the suggestions implemented throughout the year will be applied in conjunction with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) already in place at Tinker.
   "Everyday someone at Tinker gets hurt and lives are changed by injury or a mishap," said James Ergenbright, 72nd Air Base Wing Safety Office system safety engineer. Mr. Ergenbright was a member of both the recent implementation team and the safety analysis team, which visited last year. "If we can prevent even one mishap, we can affect lives for the better."
   The implementation team studied suggestions such as better safety education and training and improving worker's operational risk management tools.. The recommendations studied were based on overall feasibility. This includes the cost, time to implement, availability of technology, organizational impact and mission impact.
   Ultimately, suggestions implemented at Tinker will allow employees to better understand management's expectations with respect to safety and to take responsibility for his or her actions in the workplace. This will bring an overall improvement to the safety culture at Tinker AFB. The safety implementation team was composed of personnel from the American Federation of Government Officials Local 916, 72nd Air Base Wing, 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group, 747th Aircraft Sustainment Group, 448th Combat Sustainment Wing and 327th Aircraft Sustainment Wing.