Norfolk Naval Shipyard recently held a safety fair to share safety practices, new products, and an opportunity for employees to get signatures in their Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Passport book.

The shipyard has made it a priority to go above and beyond when it comes to the safety of its employees. Hosting safety fairs helps build awareness of safety tactics, products, and procedures.

"Having safety fairs gives us a chance to interact with employees, talk about different programs, and maybe show them something new," said Code 106 VPP Program Manager Doug Vick. "It also lets them try on different products, such as harnesses or different types of safety gloves and glasses to see what is comfortable for them and how to get those items."

Employees came to the fair to learn about products, see safety demonstrations, and more. For new hire Shaddona Brooks, Structural Group (Code 920) sheet metal mechanic, learning about safety is just as important as staying focused on the job.

"Following the motto 'Nobody gets hurt today' affects everyone who works in the shipyard. The shipyard is a dangerous place and it may be easy for people to become very complacent when they are doing the same job over and over again," said Brooks. "We all need to watch out for hazards, each other, and be mindful of the surroundings because it doesn't matter if we have been here three weeks or 30 years, everyone is important."

When people come to work, the last thing they want is to be sent home due to an injury. "If someone gets hurt and has to be home for a while, it puts a bigger workload on your coworkers and stress on their own family," said Shop 06 Tool Mechanic Casandra Moss. "Safety is a team effort and if we all make safety a part of our daily lives, we can all go home at the end of the day."

Safety procedures can come in different forms and one of the ways that has proven beneficial to the shipyard is sharing previous safety practices from a previous job.

"From the very beginning, we explain to the new employees the safety standards and the expectations here," said Pipe Group (Code 960) Nuclear Director Jason Balonis. "We have also learned new things from new employees that has improved our safety program. We just want everyone to know the standards that we need to follow and where they can find that information if and when they have any questions or concerns."

Safety information can be found via NNSY WebCentral, OSHE grams, training, handbooks, and the VPP Passport.

"It is important that workers know where to go to find information. If they are learning it firsthand with the VPP, I think more employees would be interested in participating if they know how and why it started," said Vick. "In 2006, the shipyard became a VPP Star Site because we wanted to do more for our employees and we were recognized by Occupational, Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) for something we were already doing, not something we were starting."

Along with getting VPP Passport signatures at the May 17 safety fair, employees looked for more information they could take back to their shops that would benefit their team in their daily lives.

"It doesn't matter where I am or what I am doing, I take safety seriously every day because I lost a friend due to an improper notification on a placard," said Damage Control Naval Architect Keith Flowers. "Our jobs are critical, what we do here is critical to the fleet. We need to look out for each other in every way whether we know each other or not. We have a mission to complete. If we are not being safe, the boat's mission is affected, and so is ours."

Following the lessons of doing what is right in hazardous working conditions helps prevent injuries in the shipyard. "When it comes to safety, everyone has a voice. If something doesn't feel or look right, and you question it, it's probably not right," said Douglas. "When this happens, the most important thing that you can do is stop working and contact your supervisor and express your concern. If the concern is still there, have your supervisor contact Code 106 to get the situation resolved."

For more information on safety and the VPP, visit Code 106 on WebCentral or contact your safety representative.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Norfolk Naval Shipyard, visit www.navy.mil/.