First quarterly VPP Star Joann Williams

Photo By Laurie Pearson | Joann Williams, chief fire prevention officer with Fire and Emergency Services, poses with Sparky, the fire prevention dog, at the Fall Festival held aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif. October 2017. (Photo Courtesy Joann Williams).  

MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

01.26.2018

Story by Laurie Pearson  

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

Joann Williams, chief fire prevention officer with Fire and Emergency Services aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., was selected as the first quarterly Voluntary Protection Program’s VPP Star.
“In the VPP Program management, labor, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system,” explained Sara Montez-Diaz, Safety and Occupational Health specialist and VPP subcommittee member and alternate coordinator. “Approval into VPP is OSHA’s official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health. The VPP Star is OSHA’s highest level of recognition.”
In following with VPP tradition, the committee on base created the local level VPP Star status to recognize individuals on base who exemplify the safety and health goals of the program.
“Joann has volunteered her time to be a VPP subcommittee member and has contributed to many different events and campaigns such as morale boosters,” said Sara Montez-Diaz. “She provides knowledge to employees about VPP and what it does for us here on base and how we can take it home. She has even helped in implementing training on VPP with fun and interactive training modules.”
Safety has always been a focus for Williams, so her role with VPP is a natural fit.
“As a kid, I always wanted to work for the fire department, what kid doesn’t,” she said. “I lived around the corner from the fire department, when I’d hear the sirens I’d run to the corner to watch them leave. When the opportunity presented itself to work in fire prevention, I accepted it and worked my way up. I instinctively want to take care of people and keep them safe. So, my role as chief fire prevention officer and my role with VPP are natural extensions of that innate characteristic, I guess.”
Williams joined the VPP committee 10 years ago after visiting an educational booth at an MCCS event. She filled out a card noting her interest and was contacted by Danielle Heinze.
“She reached out to me and we went through the application process,” she explained. “With supervisor approval, I signed up for the Management Leadership and Employee Involvement sub-committee. At our monthly meetings, we brainstorm and devise ways to get employees involved and interested in their safety. We want them to buy into the program and take ownership of their own safety, as well as the safety of those around them.”
Eventually, an opportunity presented itself to become an OSHA Special Government Employee.
“Within that role, you apply, go to training then become certified through OSHA,” Williams said. “Once an SGE, you go to other sites to assist OSHA with VPP audits for VPP star initial certification and recertification to star status. I’ve been on three audits; one in Montana, and two in Colorado with private companies.”
In addition to helping with the audits, SGEs get the chance to visit other sites’ employees, see their procedures and bring back their best practices to introduce here on base.
“We get to see how other entities are implementing safeguards and getting their employees involved,” Williams said. “Those are our take-backs, in addition to our opportunity to share our best practices.”
“MCLB Barstow was the first Marine Corps base and command to achieve the distinguished OSHA VPP Star rating in 2008, and the only one to re-certify twice,” said Montez-Diaz. “This is a huge accomplishment for MCLB Barstow. Since the base has become a VPP Star Site the base has reduced their Total Case Incident Rates and the Days Away Restricted Time Rates had a significant reduction in work-related mishaps and FECA Costs.”
Additional goals of the program are to improved morale, to provide better communication and cooperation between organizations on base, to boost esprit de corps, increase efficiencies, and improve longterm cost savings, explained Montez-Diaz.
In addition to workplace safety, VPP committee members find that there are takeaways for them to use at home, too.
“It’s given me a heightened awareness of overall safety,” Williams said. “It’s impacted everything we do at home, as well as at work. At home, we make sure we wear proper personal protective equipment, PPE, such as safety eyewear, hearing protection, and gloves while cutting the grass for instance. My family’s personal safety awareness has elevated as well in identifying potential hazards. When we go out as a family, I’m always looking around for safety concerns.”
“The committee works for the base and they come together to promote the program for the base,” said Ray Aguilar, base safety manager and VPP manager. “We have about 11 SGEs and Joann is one of the top and most active ones.”
“My field encompasses safety already,” Williams said. “I enjoy sharing that awareness with base personnel. Hopefully, they embrace it and know they too have the same ability with regard to safety awareness, sharing, teaching others is important. By joining the VPP committee, employees are encouraged to take information back to their workplace and share information with others. It becomes a community of safety as opposed to just designated safety personnel.”
The VPP committee is open to all base personnel.
“It’s open to everybody,” Williams said. “So, please come join so you can take this back to your work site and home!”

• Date Taken: 01.26.2018
• Date Posted: 02.12.2018 12:47
• Story ID: 265666
• Location: MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US
• Hometown: BARSTOW, CA, US