August temperatures didn’t stand in the way when the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower “IKE” (CVN 69) Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) team was awarded a Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) safety flag during an Aug. 18 All Hands call on the flight deck.

“I’m extremely proud at this moment. Together we hit a milestone that no one has ever hit before,” said Capt. Kyle Higgins, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Commanding Officer. “We have a culture inside our ship and we shared that culture with the shipyard. That marriage as it starts working out, we become a big family together."

From the very beginning, safety has been a top priority for Ship's Force, shipyard personnel, and contractors. Their diligence and looking out for each other helped bring the Total Case Injury (TCI) rate down from a 3.8 to a 2.41 for a carrier project.

“What has happened is pretty amazing and is really unheard of,” said Jill Wild, Code 106 Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental (OSHE) Director. “It took a lot of cooperation and great team effort to make it happen during an availability.”

Keeping communication lines open, being aware of work environments, and a continual driven mission to succeed has not only improved safety stats, it is improving morale. 

“Our attitude towards safety made this easier. We are all a part of this ship and we come together every day. We don’t want any one of us to get hurt,” said Lonnie Kenley, Acting Project Superintendent. “That score is much deserved and recognition for their efforts and really concentrating and practicing safety. Not just this day, but each and every day.”

Safety practices are all across the shipyard and onboard NNSY’s ships and submarines. There are various places to see and read about safety, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program Passport, bulletin boards, publications, announcements, and safety fairs. Code 106 OSHE Project Manager Jim Cleary explains everyone should stay vigilant and don’t be afraid to speak up when they see something wrong, even if it causes work to stop.

“Is something going to happen based on the industrial area we are in? Yes, there is always that potential. Don’t ever think it is not in your swim lane…we are all in this together. It is not you, me, or them, it is us, a team, a family,” said Cleary. “Everyone needs to be engaged to make it happen and keep injuries down. Do safety pauses when needed. Discuss what happened, where we are at, and what we need to make it better.”

And without missing a beat, the carrier project team is moving forward and keeping its focus on safety, setting the pace and implementing changes for future PIAs.

“We talk about new things, and this is a new thing. It is turning a leaf. And, this leaf we are turning is a great opportunity for the future,” said NNSY Shipyard Commander Capt. Kai Torkelson. “The potential is limitless from where we go from here. This is an outstanding testament of the work of the Eisenhower group to get to this point, and with the help of the shipyard team, it was made possible.”

No one knows what the future holds, but one thing is for sure when it comes to the shipyard family, safety and success will continue to go hand-in-hand.

“The safety culture of this particular project team, our ship, and the shipyard, is really going to carry forward and make all of us, the Navy, the corporation, that much better. It is going to be incredible,” said Higgins. “We have set the safety bar and we are going to see some great changes in the future.”

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