News

Robins team visit highlights best practices

  • Published
  • By Faye Banks-Anderson
  • Robins Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  It's interesting what you can find out just by asking.

During a recent visit to Delta's Technical Operations Center in Atlanta, members of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center's Workplace Safety and Health Team discovered what the two Centers are doing in the area of workplace safety is not that far apart.

Charged by Maj. Gen. Robert McMahon, Center commander, to improve and standardize the center's current practices and processes in light of OSHA citations, team members were primarily interested in looking at Delta's best practices for dust containment, decontamination processes and specialized housekeeping procedures.

"It was interesting the number of things we learned during our tour," said Marcee Mickler, 402nd Process Control and Improvement Flight director. "Delta shared opportunities and successes we can bring back to the Center. (But) We also learned we are doing some things very similar to one another."

Personal Protection Equipment buys at Delta are standardized; it has an Environmental Safety and Occupational Health Board which approves all purchases. It also requires safety glasses be worn by all its employees who work in buildings with sanding/grinding operations, not just those performing that type of work.

Additionally, sanding booths at Delta have partially-quilted hanging doors. Adding the quilting has the advantage of reducing noise levels and dust contamination - both important workplace safety and health issues.

However, like the Center, Delta determines what PPE its employees must wear when performing certain tasks, based on air samples and known hazards associated with processes.

Delta also uses HEPA vacuums along with its sanders, blow down booths as change rooms for worker decontamination efforts and PPE disposal, and tacky mats to minimize cross contamination. And, it does not have a standardized overarching housekeeping plan.

Team members agreed the visit was well worth the time, and said visits to more sites with benchmarking opportunities are being planned. Other visit participants included Toni Hurley, Maurice Zammit, Ray Fisher and James Hogan.