Miramar stays safety smart

Photo By Cpl. Christopher Johns | A sign describing safety procedures is posted on the wall inside hangars on the flight line aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Nov. 28. Once supervisors complete their training, it is their responsibility to implement their new knowledge in the work place.  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CA, UNITED STATES

11.27.2012

Story by Lance Cpl. Christopher Johns 

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – When a Marine checks into a new duty station, they can often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do to become a part of their unit.

This could mean safety is the least of their worries, endangering themselves and those around them.

At Station Safety, focus is always on keeping Marines, sailors, civilians and even contractors mission-capable by minimizing risk and promoting safety throughout Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., every day.

According to Marine Corps Order 5100.29B, Marines stepping into a supervisory role must attend courses offered by those who work at offices like MCAS Miramar’s Station Safety.

“Supervisor safety training is required for all supervisors within 90 days of taking charge of their billet,” said Lt. Col. James Traver, director of Station Safety for MCAS Miramar and a Poughkeepsie, N.Y., native. “We’re always trying to accomplish the mission, but safety has to come first. Our instructors give classes here and in the work environment to advise the supervisors on safety.”

The courses offered last 10 hours to a week long, involving general safety precautions, specific safety concerns and practical applications of safety concerns. These classes are offered quarterly and follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.

“We teach what you’re responsible for as a supervisor when it comes to safety and the welfare of those under their employ,” said Patrick McNamara, a supervisory safety specialist with Station Safety and a San Diego native. “We tailor each class for those who come to take part. The advice we give someone from a construction field and that of a person who works at a desk could be completely different, but safety is what we don’t change. We teach them how to properly report situations involving unsafe conditions and how to fill out the appropriate forms for making changes when they fix these conditions.”

Responsibility for safety does not end with the safety supervisor, but with those designated as the safety representative from the offices they oversee.

“One person isn’t going to be able to keep everyone in their section safe when some sections split into different offices scattered throughout the air station,” said Master Sgt. James Southall, safety chief with Station Safety and a Richmond, Va., native. “So what the supervisors do is create a safety chain of command, the links of this chain are the different reps from each office who have appointed by their section heads and report back to the safety supervisor to train. We aren’t here to manage everyone; we are here as a hub where everyone can come to gather the knowledge we have to take and use how best they see fit.”

For more information on safety and the latest safety recommendations, safety supervisors and appointed safety representatives can attend monthly Safety Committee meetings every third Thursday of the month at 10 a.m.

• Date Taken: 11.27.2012
• Date Posted: 11.28.2012 18:56
• Story ID: 98459
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CA, US
• Hometown: SAN DIEGO, CA, US