Staying Safe, the Seabee Way

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (NNS) -- Commands in the Naval Construction Force strive to constantly improve the safety culture of their Sailors.

Common challenges for safety include wearing the proper personal protection equipment (PPE), to using all the guards on power tools. The most frequent mishap unique to a contingency deployment is associated with vehicle mishaps.

A Seabee is issued most of their PPE prior to deployment; however, PPE is used as the last line of defense to a mishap. There are other items used as proactive safety precautions or as preventive measures for safety. The first is a safety plan for each phase of construction; it is written to include the use of Occupational Risk Management throughout the project. The hazards involved with each work related activity are identified and analyzed before the activity begins.

The first and most important step in the five-step process is to identify hazards because if a hazard is not recognized it is not possible to implement control measures.

Daily morning safety briefs are performed on the job site. These briefs include hazard recognition associated with the day's tasking and the control measures that are in place to avoid mishaps.

All projects and evolutions in the Naval Construction Force are assigned a safety supervisor who will create and execute a safety plan, conduct a daily safety brief and strictly enforce all safety standards. Additionally, Standard Operating Procedures are read and discussed before using unfamiliar equipment to ensure everyone knows how to operate it safely.

Vehicle safety is the largest concern in a contingency deployment such as Afghanistan.

It is imperative that all gear including weapons and ammo are stowed and secured properly and that all occupants are properly secured with their safety harnesses. Anything not secured, including passengers, could become airborne upon rollover causing injuries to other passengers.

All commands deployed on Kandahar Airfield are required to attend vehicle rollover egress training where they must be familiar enough with the safety harnesses, vehicle equipment and proper egress procedures to safely escape from a rolled over vehicle while being ready to engage the enemy.

"Only proactive safety practices will prevent a safety mishap," said Builder Chief Joshua Kolenda, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133's safety officer.

The goal of every Navy Safety Office is to prevent and reduce the severity of mishaps so that all personnel return home to their loved ones safely.

For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmcb133/.