Safety is as safety does

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Terrica Jones
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  "You don't have to go to the ER to have a good time," said Master Sgt. James T. VanGilder, ground safety manager for the 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.

"The purpose of the commander's safety program is to minimize loss of Air Force resources and protect Air Force personnel from death, injuries or occupational illnesses by managing risks on- and off-duty," said VanGilder.

Class C mishaps are when Airmen have lost time from work because of a work-sustained injury. Class D mishaps are when Airmen need medical treatment greater than first aid because of a work-sustained injury.

VanGilder said the 916th ARW currently stands at .1% of Air Force Reserve Command's cost for both Class C and D mishaps.

"Most accidents don't happen because of one fail," he said. "It's usually several fails that create the mishap conditions that all line up at the perfect moment when an accident happens."

VanGilder said he maintains open lines of communication between himself, workers, unit safety representatives, supervisors and commanders of the wing. Just like any job, safety has its obstacles and challenges but he assures Airmen that their assistance is needed during an investigation, he added.

"When the safety office investigates a mishap, the goal is Root Cause Analysis which is the key to preventing a future mishap; it can be difficult to uncover the underlying reasons that accidents happen," he said. "It's important to complete a thorough investigation because the Safety Center at Kirtland AFB uses my investigations to identify trends and make changes at an Air Force Level."

He points out that safety is every Airman's responsibility in the 916th ARW and helps everyone involved to stay safe. The safety office conducts spot inspections throughout the wing, seatbelt surveys and foreign object damage checks, just to name a few.

"We're here to help!" VanGilder said.