News

Lost production days drops; Robins off DoD worst list

  • Published
  • By Jenny Gordon
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Robins Air Force Base did not appear on this year's Department of Defense Top 40 Worst Installations list for fiscal 2012 for civilian lost production days.

Robins had been on the list since fiscal 2003, when it was at the top of the list; in fiscal 2011, it was ranked number 21.

There have been a number of efforts put in place which have directly attributed to Robins being off this year's list, including partnership efforts involving the 402nd Maintenance Wing, AFGE Local 987, Directorate of Personnel's Injury Compensation Office, and the 78th Medical Group.

Especially in the last year, a culture of workplace safety has pervaded industrial shops across the installation. Through proactive measures in education, planning meetings and briefings, training, and safety initiatives and awareness campaigns, it can be agreed that important changes have been made in how we perform and do business.

"There has been a big emphasis on safety in the 402nd MXW," said Jay Fiebig, 402nd MXW technical director.

Some of that emphasis includes a now active Ergo program, more briefings to units on various bioenvironmental hazards, more investment and attention in personal protective equipment, and open, responsive communication between employees, union representatives and management.

More innovative equipment was brought in to assist workers, such as improved fall protection, special lifting devices, lift tables to keep workers from bending over, and the addition of ergonomic tools for maintenance employees.

"If you can bring the work to the worker, rather than vice versa, then you are much better off," said Roger Hayes, 402nd MXW safety chief. "It's all about trying to keep the worker in a neutral position to minimize strains. I believe we have all come together for a common goal - and that's to protect our workers. Safety is everyone's responsibility."

Other initiatives included the 78th MDG adding a rehabilitation specialist in the 402nd MXW who specifically works with employees to help lessen their time away from the work site.

The Voluntary Protection Program, re-energized earlier this year, has also played an important role in empowering employees to take ownership of their personal safety and the safety of others.

Visual safety awareness boards depicting days since the last lost time injury and the addition of Total Case Incident Rate boards at the shop level have also improved awareness and education.

"This journey is a combination of efforts to improve the safety culture, focus on an attitude of compliance, and actively engage the entire workforce to reduce injuries and incidents," said Col. Evan Miller, 402nd MXW commander. "Those things, coupled with a better understanding and focus on limited duty employees, are what have us on the right path to be a benchmark for industrial safety excellence."

While measures have been put in place to protect workers before they're injured, once an accident occurs, work behind the scenes with personnel also plays a role.

Eighteen months ago, additional emphasis was placed on the limited duty program and key on-site visits to physician and orthopedic offices located in the community were established.
"Every two weeks we would schedule a time to go meet with these offices, where we sat down and explained the Injury Compensation Program to them and how it worked," said Phyllis Johnson, DP's Workforce Effectiveness Division chief. "We found out that a lot of our local providers were not familiar with the program.

"They were totally unfamiliar that we could offer a lot of employees 'limited duty,'" she added. Limited duty is important, as some workers can return to work within their limitations.

"Once we began visiting the doctor's offices, they started returning people back to work a lot more quickly than before. That cut down on our lost work days also," she said.

The number one injury that is sustained is back strains. Other injuries that are consistent from year to year are other multiple strains, hearing loss, contusions, bruises and abrasions.

All these initiatives combined to put Robins on a path toward being a benchmark for industrial safety excellence. The annual DoD list is compiled by the Pentagon through payroll systems from throughout each installation in the Armed Forces.