Photo By Randall Burlingame | Tech Sgt. Angelica Mendoza, 104th Fighter Wing occupational safety specialist, and...... read more read more
Subscribe
The safety specialists split up between the two bases to maximize information exchanged, resulting in the best possible safety programs.
“They might have some great ideas we didn’t talk about here and vice versa," said Tech Sgt. Angelica Mendoza, 104th FW occupational safety specialist, while talking about Ramstein and Spangdahlem. So we can put it all together for the best program for the members at our base.”
Before the trip, Mendoza communicated with the 52nd Fighter Wing safety office to let them know she wanted to review programs regarding confined spaces, something she thinks can help keep Airmen in a variety of career fields safe.
“For me it’s huge,” said Mendoza. “We have to make sure bio is doing their job correctly, that fire is doing their job correctly. So people get the proper training, they know what they’re doing and what to expect.”
According to Mendoza, a confined space is a space that is large enough for a person to enter and perform work, has limited means of entry and exit and is not made for continuous occupancy. She said fuel cells and manholes are examples of confined spaces.
The safety specialist said she has learned about implementing rescue plans for confined spaces, which she found to be very important.
“That way we don’t have the effect that can happen where somebody goes to save someone, and then they die,” said Mendoza. “And then someone else goes to save that person, and they die. So we’re minimizing the risk of anything bad happening.”
Staff Sgt. Mike Stevens, 104th FW occupational safety specialist, trained with the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing at Ramstein. He said he covered inspection reports, reviewed safety regulations, conducted inspections, helped ensure appropriate safety requirements were met before a fitness challenge and had the chance to speak with the MAJCOM safety office at U.S Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa.
“I think we made a good choice here,” said Stevens. “I’m bringing back some good things. I’m looking forward to it.”
The training experience is something that benefitted all three units involved.
“A big part of our wing’s mission is to integrate total force,” said Staff Sgt. Greg Westmoreland, 52nd Fighter Wing occupational safety technician. “By integrating total force personnel, we learn from each other’s experience. Hopefully, she can take some lessons back. She gave us a fresh set of eyes on how we can improve.”
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.30.2018 07:21 |
| Story ID: | 290568 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 104th Fighter Wing Safety Specialists Train at Spangdahlem and Ramstein, by Randall Burlingame, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT