Photo By Samantha Morse | Chris Willis, a V-22 aircraft mechanic at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), performs...... read more read more
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. – The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) has selected Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) to receive the CNO Shore Safety Award in the Large Industrial Activity category for the second consecutive year, recognizing its continued efforts toward safety and occupational health excellence in fiscal year 2024.
The annual CNO Shore Safety Awards recognize commands with the best overall safety programs that emphasize risk management and mishap prevention and are considered the top safety award within the Navy. This is FRCE’s fourth time receiving the award.
FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. Randy Berti said the command has dedicated over 20 years to prioritizing occupational safety and health among the workforce, consistently working to improve practices and reduce injuries. He said earning this award is a powerful reminder of what is possible when the facility’s workforce comes together in support of the mission.
“The safety of our workforce is our number one priority here at FRC East and it is an honor to be recognized by the Chief of Naval Operations for our efforts,” said Berti. “For years, our workforce has upheld a reputation of delivering world-class aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, engineering, and logistics support to the fleet. Now, being recognized as the best in terms of safety multiple years in a row, we are setting the bar for all industrial work environments across the Department of the Navy. I am extremely proud to lead such an exceptional team whose efforts continue to shape the future of naval aviation and industrial safety.”
Compliance and Quality Department Head Amy Morgan said the success of the depot’s safety management system is the result of continuous, intentional efforts to integrate safety into all aspects of operations.
“Getting to where we are today did not happen overnight or from one big change. Rather, it came from hundreds of small, intentional changes over the course of many years that blended safety into every decision, task and conversation,” said Morgan. “The command has done a great job at reducing risk within the facility, which has helped us maintain record low injury ratings and the associated cost savings, allowing us to focus on our mission: supporting the warfighter.”
According to Morgan, FRCE has introduced several safety initiatives over the past two decades, all of which have played a pivotal role in earning this prestigious award.
In 2004, the depot adopted the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001, known as the internationally accepted standard for occupational health and safety management systems. FRCE has since transitioned to the International Organization for Standardization 45001 certification, an updated occupational health and safety standardization program.
The command subsequently enrolled in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), a federal program recognizing employers and workers in private industry and government agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems. VPP focuses on preventing fatalities, injuries and illnesses through a system of hazard prevention and control; worksite analysis; training; and management commitment and worker involvement. In 2019, The United States Department of Labor recognized the depot as a VPP Star Site, making FRCE the first naval aviation command to reach that level. The depot attained VPP Star recertification in 2023.
Morgan said the depot’s participation in the VPP has had a significant impact on its workplace safety efforts.
“VPP is all about going that extra mile to keep our workforce safe,” said Morgan. “It provides us with the framework that allows us to go above and beyond the minimum OSHA requirements, further protecting the safety and wellbeing of FRC East’s employees. Because of this, adhering to VPP standards is critical to our success as the work we do here is important and so is the safety of our workforce.”
According to Safety and Occupational Health Division Director Angelo Owens, maintaining an effective safety management system across a highly industrialized naval aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul facility with 119 buildings and approximately 4,000 civilian, military and contractor personnel is no small feat. He said OSHA’s VPP provided a strong foundation for effectively communicating and implementing safety measures across the complex organization by promoting the division of the depot into manageable sections.
“It’s a lot to digest and try to do all at once,” said Owens. “Splitting the facility up into smaller areas makes it easier to manage. It also engages supervisors in the safety management system’s process and fosters accountability at all levels by instilling a sense of pride and ownership among the safe site leads, supervisors and artisans within each designated area. When we walk around and check each area, they say, ‘You’re not going to find any violations here,’ because they work hard every day to keep it that way.”
In addition to its participation in the VPP and the implementation of a comprehensive safety management system, Owens said FRCE provides in-depth, job-specific safety training tailored to its hazards and operational demands.
“The work performed here is highly technical and unique, which means our training must also be unique,” said Owens. “In order for us to keep our people safe and drive down injuries, lost workdays and their associated costs, we must ensure our workforce is properly trained. To do this, the command has made the OSHA-10-Hour course a requirement for all supervisors and has a handful of safety professionals who are certified OSHA trainers that offer the workforce a realistic, relevant, technically accurate means to minimize risk throughout the facility.
“We’ve also incorporated instructor-led training courses for a few of our safety programs, including the Confined Space, Respiratory Protection and Fall Protection Programs, in addition to our regular, web-based training,” Owens continued. “We have found that with some of our higher risk training courses, instructor-led training courses are much more effective because they provide the needed instructor-student interaction and foster a collaborative safety team culture.”
The FRCE command also enforces a strict policy requiring all personnel to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in industrial areas.
“We have multiple fall protection protocols that require harnesses to protect those who are working at heights greater than four feet,” said Owens. “We have a respiratory protection program to protect individuals from inhaling dangerous materials. A majority of the depot’s workforce is required to wear safety footwear to minimize workplace injuries and slips. We also require bump caps, protective gloves and eyewear and hearing protection, all of which work together to protect our people.”
Morgan said since the implementation of these safety programs, training opportunities and PPE requirements, workplace safety at FRCE has improved.
“Yesterday, while reviewing some old documentation, I was struck by just how far we've come,” said Morgan. “In the past, we didn’t even have the basic framework—the framing of the house so to speak—to communicate and manage safety issues quickly and effectively. Now that we do have that framework in place, we are set up to quickly tackle safety risks, further reducing injury rates and driving production well into the depot’s future. And the results of the depot’s investment in safety are clear.
“We had 835 OSHA-recordable injuries back in 2002, before we began this journey to safety, and in 2024, we only had 29,” Morgan continued. “In decreasing injuries, we’ve also greatly decreased the amount of workers’ compensation benefits paid out by the command each year. We saw a 55% decrease in Federal Employees’ Compensation Act costs over the past seven years, which amounts to roughly $1.7 million.”
Owens said the depot’s investment in improving workplace safety by proactively mitigating risks plays an essential role in providing capable and quality aircraft to the warfighter.
“As a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, our focus was always on production, getting aircraft in, performing the work and getting them back out to the squadrons,” said Owens. “The problem with that is we aren’t able to do that as quickly when people are consistently out of work, healing from an injury – which is why we now focus, concurrently, on safety and production. By doing this, we are getting ahead of the problem so we can avoid losing time and manpower due to injuries and get aircraft out more quickly and efficiently.”
These successes have also earned FRCE recognition from organizations ranging from the Department of Defense (DoD) to the North Carolina Department of Labor, in addition to the CNO.
In 2024, FRCE was acknowledged by the DoD as the best of the best in terms of safety and occupational health with the Safety and Occupational Health Management System Award for the second time in three years. The same year, the command was presented with its seventh consecutive Gold Award, along with four Million Hour Awards, from the North Carolina Department of Labor Safety Awards, as well as its seventh CNO Aviation Safety Award.
Morgan said maintaining a safe work environment is a team effort and by working together, the depot will continue to see improvements.
“It takes all of us, working together, to remain safe and decrease injuries, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job at that,” said Morgan. “Safety is for the betterment of everyone because it helps ensure we can retire from here while still healthy so we can go enjoy retirement with our families. Thinking of safety first and sustaining that mindset is how we do exactly that.”
FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2025 09:32 |
| Story ID: | 497608 |
| Location: | CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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