Safety is the goal; complacency is the enemy

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubbs
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Speed may kill, but complacency is right up there and is responsible for a major portion of the injuries and deaths of service members.

Reminding everyone not to let complacency creep into their lives and to practice good safety habits was the aim of a series of safety briefings Jan. 27, said Tech. Sgt. Tanisha Williams, 6th Air Mobility Wing NCOIC of ground safety.

The event was part of Air Mobility Command's safety focus day.

"This is an opportune time as we come off the holiday 'slow' period to refocus our attention and reinvigorate a safety mindset," said Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., AMC commander, in a letter to the command's leaders.

To allow for maximum participation and to the maximum extent possible, Johns directed that AMC operations and training be limited on safety focus day. This will afford Airmen time to focus on mishap trends and the need to constantly maintain our safety focus in day-to-day air mobility operations.

Held at the base theater for all members of Team MacDill, the briefings were designed to, "give everyone a snapshot of what (tragedies) can happen," said Williams. The message was punctuated with stories of actual accidents, their consequences. Pictures helped drive the point home further.

"We want everyone to avoid complacency," Williams said. "When you do the same job day in and day out, monotony can set in and it's easy to get careless and to forget about safety."
Getting that message to stick in minds all year is the difficult task the safety office faces, said Williams.

"It depends on the individual and how much attention they give it," she said. "Some might retain it (the message of safety) for a week or a month, others might take it in and apply it forever."

The later is the rare case, however, so the safety team will continue to pound the message home and hold periodic safety events and campaigns to keep the idea of good safety practices in everyone's mind.

When Williams says "everyone," she means it. There are career fields that may involve more dangerous activities than others, but safety should be a concern for all.

"Regardless of career field, every one has its risks," she said. "You could injure yourself lifting a box in the office."

AMC officials expect the safety focus day will promote positive trends in terms of complacency, attention to detail and adherence to standards. In addition, they hope it will also highlight key issues requiring the command's attention to continue safe and effective mission accomplishment.

(Portions of this story were taken from an article by Master Sgt. Kimberly Spinner, 18th Air Force Public Affairs)