Capt. Gunter Braun, Trident Refit Facility (TRF) Kings Bay commanding officer, and representatives from the TRF safety department were presented a citation and a plaque by Under Secretary of the Navy Thomas P. Dee during a ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, June 29.

The Safety Excellence Award recognizes Navy and Marine Corps commands that demonstrate extraordinary excellence by sustained mission success with simultaneous exemplary safety performance.

The award was established in 2002 by Gordan R. England, who served twice as the secretary of the navy.

In fiscal year 2016, TRF's workforce of 1,473 civilians and 187 Sailors completed three dry-dockings, 10 pier-side refits, two overseas availabilities, 21 short-notice repair periods, and one foreign submarine maintenance period.

TRF personnel also supported more than 453 tons of ordnance handling evolutions, which encompassed nearly 1 million man-hours of production work where total mishaps were reduced by 15 percent, and mishaps that resulted in one or more lost days of work were reduced by 45 percent.

In addition, a deliberate focus on noise hazards resulted in a 56 percent decrease in Occupational Safety and Health Administration reportable hearing loss cases.

Over a three year period, TRF personnel reduced the number of moderate risks by 85 percent, reduced minor risks by 81 percent, and negligible risks by 46 percent.

Braun congratulated TRF employees after raising the SECNAV Safety Flag.

"Being recognized for this coveted award is a testament to our commitment to safety excellence," he said. "We started this journey years ago and by integrating safety into our day-to-day operations, TRF has accelerated this important culture change. I am very proud of all our employees who make safety excellence part of our business. Remember... 10 fingers, 10 toes."

TRF was awarded the Fiscal Year 2015 and 2016 Chief of Naval Operations Shore Safety Award in the medium industrial-level category.

Back-to-back awards, followed by selection as the 2016 SECNAV Safety Excellence Award winner, showcased a "clean sweep" for TRF's commitment to outstanding support and achievement in Navy safety and occupational health and promoting a culture of safety throughout the command.

Alan Heckman, TRF's safety and environmental director, said the award further recognizes the dedication to safety that has been instituted at all levels throughout TRF.

"It reinforces that a culture has been developed where safety occurs at all levels and is an 'all in approach,'" he said. "I am proud to say that not only do we maintain submarines better than anyone else, but that we also do it safely."

TRF will proudly fly the SECNAV Safety Flag for one year, until presented to the fiscal year 2017 awardee.

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