By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ramon G. Go
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, Coral Sea – Industrial hygiene provides a safe working environment for more than 5,000 sailors aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).
Comparable to a small floating city, George Washington yields 20 departments that cover all personnel and ship needs. However, it is the ship’s often unsung and unnoticed Safety Department that has arguably the most challenging job during the ship’s patrols: keeping the crew industrially safe.
“Industrial hygiene is the art and science dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, communication and control of environmental stressors,” said Lt. Brandon Hester, George Washington’s industrial hygiene officer. “Proper industrial hygiene keeps the workplace from resulting in injury, illness, impairment, or affecting the well-being of workers and members of the community.”
Hester and his department cover the ship’s 3,360 spaces and compartments - inspecting ventilation systems, taking temperature readings, and checking electrical safety.
“Nearly every part of the ship is affected by industrial hygiene,” said Hester. “From hazardous materials used to eliminate contaminates in our ventilation systems, to the minor ergonomic configuration of a work center, our department is busy checking procedures and trying to anticipate visible as well as invisible circumstances that can lead to the occurrence of toxic gases.”
According to other safety department members, it is actually the ship’s 130 bathrooms that warrant the most attention and swift action in the fight against improper industrial hygiene in port and underway.
“Toilets and showers are the main culprits for endangering the crew,” said Aviation Equipment Support 1st Class Michelle Chiori, safety department’s leading petty officer. “They need precise and proper ventilation to prevent moisture build-up. Molds will grow if they aren’t kept maintained and cleaned which can cause a respiratory hazards to sailors down in the berthing and living spaces.”
Hester agreed.
“Without a proper respiratory protection program, sailors can potentially develop negative health effects for the rest of their life,” he said.
Safety department is comprised of only 11 members, yet they’re able to cover all the ship’s spaces by training and gainfully employing subsequent departmental safety petty officers to also check the industrial readiness of their own divisional spaces.
“Every piece of proper protective equipment (PPE) you wear or safety system in place is meant to protect you from some hazard that you may or may not recognize,” said Hester. “Our main goal is to ensure that every one of our sailors returns home from deployment and continues to live and work safely for the next day.”
George Washington is currently participating in a Talisman Saber 2013. Talisman Saber is a biennial training event aimed at improving Australian Defence Force and U.S. combat readiness and interoperability as a Combined Joint Task Force.
| Date Taken: |
07.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: |
07.24.2013 20:51 |
| Story ID: |
110755 |
| Location: |
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, USPACOM, AT SEA |
| Web Views: |
143 |
| Downloads: |
1 |
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