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NAPLES, Italy—As the holiday season begins, installations in the Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Region are utilizing safety stand-downs to provide valuable training to all members of the Department of Defense team about being safety conscious.
Though the Navy does not require shore installations to perform safety stand-downs, according to OPNAVINST 5100.23G, Appendix 6A, the Deputy Region Safety Director for Commander EURAFSWA, Steven Kalnasy, said installations in the area and throughout the Navy utilize stand-downs during critical times of the year, such as the holiday season.
"The purpose of a safety stand-down is to provided awareness to the community about time critical or sensitive issues that have command or Navy-wide interest," said Kalnasy.
In some instances, safety stand-downs are directed across the enterprise when a mishap occurs, added Kalnasy. But more often, safety stand-down events are organized prior to major holidays or seasonal campaigns such as the Critical Days of Summer.
"Safety stand-downs are successful in providing and ensuring the information regarding safety hazards, lessons learned, and preventable measures during a particular time period is disseminated out to the community so personnel can make informed decisions and avoid any accidents or injuries to themselves and their family members," said Capt. Robert Rabuse, Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, commanding officer.
The proof of the success of stand-downs is when everyone comes home and back to work safely after a long holiday period by using the information provided to them, added Rabuse.
According to the Naval Safety Center's Web site, in 2008 nearly 15% of all fatalities in the Navy happened during the holiday season, from Nov. 26 to Jan. 4. Installation commanding officers like Rabuse feel stand-downs serve as an important tool to help remind personnel about the hazards associated with the busy holiday period.
Some of the major hazards for the holiday season include suicide prevention, recreation and off-duty safety, electrical safety, and what some feel is the most important topic: travel safety.
"The holiday season is a great, but chaotic time of year," said Robert Brown, traffic safety manager Naval Station Rota, Spain. "All will be looking to relax, recharge, and perhaps take advantage of travel opportunities to their favorite destination. To do so safely is the challenge. Careful planning with an eye towards safety, and implementation of controls will significantly reduce the number of potential hazards this holiday season. The goal is for all hands to return safely, recharged, and ready for another productive year."
To help mitigate holiday-season driving hazards, personnel should use the Travel Risk Planning System before leaving their command for a holiday trip or vacation. TRiPS is an online, automated risk-assessment tool. The system helps personnel recognize—and avoid—the hazards they face on the highway: fatigue, not buckling up, and driving too far. To use TRiPS, log onto Navy Knowledge Online and click in the 'TRiPS' link on the right hand side of the page.
To find out more information about holiday safety, Sailors and their families can access the Naval Safety Center Web site at www.safetycenter.navy.mil.
Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia is responsible for providing efficient and effective shore service support to U.S. and allied forces operating at our installations. For more information about Navy Region Europe, visit http://www.cnic.navy.mil/europe.
| Date Taken: | 11.30.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 11.30.2009 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 42154 |
| Location: | NAPLES, IT |
| Web Views: | 363 |
| Downloads: | 250 |
This work, Stand-Downs Emphasize Safety During Holiday Season, by PO2 Marc Rockwell-Pate, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
