Photo By Chief Petty Officer Julie Matyascik | Cmdr. Rudolf Hawkins, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78)...... read more read more
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Whether USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is inport or underway, her
safety department works to keep the crew and ship safe day-in and day-out. In preparation for the holiday season, safety department arranged a safety standdown to brief the crew on key winter safety risks, Nov. 16.
“Safety is important all year-round,” said Chief Aviation Support Equipment Technician Brian Young, from New Orleans, assigned to Ford’s safety department. “But coming into the end of the year, we ramp up safety around traffic, suicide, firearms and even Christmas tree fires because past years show that all those numbers tend to increase around this time of year.”
An array of presenters spoke on topics such as avoiding drunk driving, observing motorcycle safety, suicide prevention and awareness, and avoiding alcohol and substance abuse. Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Emily Blonski, from Neptune, New Jersey, assigned to Ford’s weapons department, was a presenter. She talked about applying the time critical risk management “ABCD model”, which stands for assess, balance, communicate and do, to winter activities such as snow sports.
Blonski explained how she might assess the situation before going snowboarding by balancing her resources to ensure she would be able to stay safe, communicating her plan to others and executing her plan for a safe snowboarding trip.
“In the winter, ice and snow are seasonal hazards,” said Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class Cory Rhoten, from Lexington, North Carolina, assigned to Ford’s safety department. “We do these safety standdowns both in the summer and winter to make Sailors more aware of specific hazards, but we emphasize safety all year.”
At home or on duty, in home port or during a maintenance period, safety is the responsibility of every Sailor.
“In the shipyard we have to ramp up safety even more because it’s an industrial environment that is dangerous,” said Young. “So not only is it important for each Sailor to be mindful of their own safety, we need Sailors to be looking out for the safety of the ship and our shipmates.”
Young emphasized the importance of personal protective equipment and said that any Sailor who has safety-related questions or concerns can reach out to safety department for more information.
Ford is inport at Newport News Shipyard executing her Planned Incremental Availability (PIA), a six-month period of modernization, maintenance and repairs.
For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford, visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78
| Date Taken: | 11.16.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.23.2021 18:08 |
| Story ID: | 409949 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 265 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, GRF Holiday Safety Standdown, by PO2 Adonica Munoz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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