Voluntary Protection Program: preparing for the AMC mock audit Published July 8, 2009 By Robert J. Ruminski 60th Air Mobility Wing Voluntary Protection Program manager TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- As Team Travis continues to celebrate the Critical Days of Summer and also recover from our Independence Day festivities, we need to ensure that our safety consciousness travels with us during all of our activities whether they be high risk or not. History demonstrates that even the most simple, repetitive tasks can lead to trouble if we let our guard down. Basic safety checks are nothing more than the core elements of the Voluntary Protection Program. By checking the area for hazards when lighting my grill, for example, I am being proactive rather than reactive. By taking the initiative to incorporate these safety practices into this task demonstrates that I am acting as my own safety manager. Utilizing these safety principles in this setting allows me to take care of my wingmen 24 hours-a-day, both on and off duty. Most safety applications are nothing more than subconscious acts learned through being part of an effective safety culture. Airmen know that if it doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Take a time out and reassess it. Team Travis has been incorporating OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program with our safety program for the past few years, an accident and illness rate 70 percent below the industrial average verifies our success. Team Travis VPP will take part in two audits during the coming months. Air Mobility Command's Department of Defense Center for Excellence will be performing a mock audit from Sept. 14 to 18. This will identify our program strengths and weaknesses and ultimately prepare us to be safer. The mock audit will also prepare us for the next phase of our audit cycle; a California OSHA team will perform a base-wide, fence-to-fence audit of Travis either in December or January 2010. This comprehensive audit will confirm Team Travis' commitment to safety excellence; AMC has designated Travis as the test bed for the OSHA Program. David Grant USAF Medical Center has been at the forefront for Travis. Due to their specialty, they've been integrating VPP and have completed both audits. DGMC's outstanding program has earned the organization OSHA's highest safety recognition, "VPP STAR" status. This impeccable safety record is just one of the examples, which illustrate dedication and devotion to duty, a concept which places them on the cutting edge of military medicine.