KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Albuquerque, N.M. -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s annual Safe + Sound Week campaign, which originally kickstarted in 2017, will take place this year on August 12th – 18th. The campaign is a joint effort between safety organizations to encourage workplace safety and to assist companies in developing and maintaining safety and health programs.
The Safe + Sound campaign consists of three core elements: (1) Management and Leadership, (2) Workers’ Participation, and (3) a systematic approach to Finding and Fixing Hazards. The management and leadership element requires real commitment to implementing a safety program and using it to drive continuous improvement. Workers’ participation underlines the importance of employees at all levels in making the workplace safer and encouraging the communication of hazards with management. Finally, finding and fixing hazards is an ongoing process that helps better identify and control sources of potential injuries.
There are multiple participation challenges that have been created within the three elements to give organizations and their workers the tools and practice they can utilize year-round. Last year, the Department of the Air Force promoted the “Halt a Hazard’ challenge, and this year’s challenge is the “Speak Up for Safety” challenge.
“Speak Up for Safety” focuses on Workers Participation. The Air Force Safety Center is encouraging personnel to take the Speak Up for Safety Challenge as well as any other Safe+Sound challenges that best support your team.
“The DAF Occupational Safety offices and OSHA collaborated on Safe + Sound Week to build a culture of safety in Airmen and Guardians,” said William Walkowiak, chief of Occupational Safety. “Our goal for this campaign is to ensure mission readiness through prevention of injuries and property damage, which requires our people to speak up if they see a hazard and take the initiative to fix it.”
DAF Safety has partnered with OSHA by holding contests and highlighting efforts throughout DAF digital platforms. Airmen and Guardians from across the globe participated in this worthwhile campaign to help build awareness and focus on keeping their workplaces free of hazards.
The DAF analyzed data from 2019 through 2023 and has seen a nearly 10% increase in on-duty mishap injuries over 16 categories of mishaps, even if there was a negligible increase in lost workdays. Although there is not a single area with a spike in mishaps, the increase has been spread among most categories. This means there is still work to be done to reduce on-duty injuries.
“Safe + Sound Week is a perfect time to reexamine safety programs and evaluate your workplaces,” said Mr. David Brandt, chief of Traffic Safety and Outreach branch. “If you identify a hazard, fix it and report it appropriately. Complacency can kill when you lose focus or allow auto-pilot to take over. Safety is an operational priority, and if you’re unsure of the risks in your workspace, do a job hazard analysis for yourself and your team.”
Set aside time with your team during the Safe + Sound Week to work together and identify hazards within the workplace. Those who participate will receive the OSHA and AFSEC virtual coins and be highlighted on AFSEC social media and public webpage. Be sure to tag the Air Force Safety Center and use the hashtag #SafeandSoundatWork to be highlighted.
For DAF Occupational Safety resources: https://www.safety.af.mil/Divisions/Occupational-Safety-Division/Safe-Sound/