Six safety tenants imperative for everyone to live by

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Paul Gloyd
  • 60th AMW Safety
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Many of you have heard about the Tenets of Air and Space Power; things such as “centralized control and decentralized execution” or “synergistic effects.” A tenet is an opinion, doctrine or principle held as true by a person or an organization. Tenets are an essential element in establishing a culture. 

It goes without saying that Travis has a safety culture. Some may argue that it’s not as good as it could be, but it’s a culture nonetheless. With that in mind, it seems only appropriate to have safety tenets. In other words, what we believe to be true safety principles. 

We solicited input from unit safety representatives and commanders. Of the 67 responses, it was immediately apparent that there were recurring themes. Themes that when thoroughly distilled were so basic in nature that they were undeniably our safety tenets. 

Some of these tenets have been heavily expressed and should sound familiar. Other tenets may be new to you. 

1. Everyone is a safety officer – no, you’re not cross-training into the safety career field, but just as everyone is responsible for supporting and defending the constitution of the United States, so too are you responsible for the safety of yourself, your teammates, and your equipment. Without hesitation, the mission is paramount; however, the mission can’t possibly succeed without people. If a Travis Team member becomes injured or a piece of equipment is damaged, the mission is placed in jeopardy. Ensure mission accomplishment – be a good safety officer. 

2. Safety never rests – not only is safety is a full time job; it’s a mindset that must endure…well beyond the geographic boundaries of the workplace and not limited by the hour of the day. The safety mindset is not baggage that is left at the gate when you depart for the day, only to be retrieved when you arrive the following day. Safety is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment. The Travis Team experiences on-duty mishaps, of varying degrees, on a near daily basis; however, off-duty mishaps occur at five times the frequency. Keep the safety mindset alive, on and off duty. 

3. Always the Wingman – Gen. Duncan J. McNabb, Air Mobility Command commander, reminds us “every AMC member is a Wingman.” Inherent in the responsibility of being a good safety officer is the duty of being a Wingman … always. Being a Wingman implies not only looking out for oneself, but it also means looking out for others, for mission success relies on team success. It’s true, everyone is important and plays a vital role in our accomplishments; however, seldom is it the sole actions of an isolated individual that capture victory. Be the Wingman … the teammate … the friend. 

4. Manage risk in every activity – by now, most are familiar with the operational risk management concept; however, the common perception is that ORM is a work related consideration and does not apply in every case. Nothing could be further from the truth. Safety is personal and risk management is personal risk management. Just as safety never rests, risk management must be considered for all activities, both on and off duty. Proper risk management can be an exhaustive, checklist-driven process, or it can be as simple as putting on oven mitts to remove dinner from the oven. Often the most dangerous part of our mission is the routine task…those that we’ve accomplished so many times that we no longer refer to the technical guidance or seek others for assistance. Take a pause in every activity to ask yourself the question, “What if?” Manage your risk. 

5. Safety has priority – as mentioned previously, safety has to be paramount, for without making safety a conscious decision in every activity, we certainly place the mission, our Wingmen and our family at peril. Most of us have heard the phrase “Safety is job No. 1” and argue that the mission will always come first. Safety, like risk management, is not compromised for the mission’s sake, rather safety goes hand-in-hand with the mission … a force enabler if you will. Need I remind you that people make the mission? Keep safety a priority – enable the mission by protecting the people and resources making the mission. 

6. Safety has responsibilities – we are all safety officers so naturally we have inherent responsibilities. However, these responsibilities are more than just tasks of a safety officer, they are principles as basic as Air Force core values – Integrity First, Excellence in All We Do and Service Before Self. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to leading and enforcing safety by example; knowing and using technical guidance; completing the necessary safety report to help others learn from your experience; wearing personal protective equipment and ensuring your Wingmen wear their PPE; not hesitating to call “time out;” and epitomizing the previous five tenets. Be the responsible Airman and civilian – be responsible for safety. 

Promoting Travis’ safety culture will take a concerted effort from all the Travis Team members. It will take our unwavering dedication. Through it all, keep one thing in mind … safety may get old, but so do those that practice it!