Improving workplace safety Published March 18, 2011 By Maj. Gen. Robert McMahon and Tom Scott ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Together we - management, employees and union - are working on making a difference, a difference which will result in the Center being a much safer place to work. It's a fact we need to improve our workplace safety and health. This is a fact noted not only by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration - which identified a range of problems from a concern for certain detectable levels of surface contamination with metals such as cadmium, chromium (VI) and lead to inadequate fall protection, poor housekeeping and change room issues - but by our own internal reviews of our vast industrial complex. By nature, industrial complexes have risks. But we're confident that by working as a unified team, we will not only fix those things which need to be fixed and, in turn, reduce those risks, but one day become a model across DoD for workplace safety and health. We've already made a number of improvements: -- We've submitted abatement certifications on all but two of the 13 original citations received in May 2010. The remaining two require the construction of change rooms which are due to be completed by the end of this month. -- We've submitted abatement certifications for 19 of the 26 citations received in January, and will submit three more by the end of March and two in April. This will leave two, which are due in October. Our "Get Well" actions have included: Taking steps to minimize the amount of sanding performed in certain areas including moving depaint sanding to depaint facilities, which are better suited to control contaminants. In those areas other than depaint facilities where sanding is still performed, we are equipping booths with decontamination stations and dedicated HEPA vacuums, and revising the processes for sanding and decontamination. Additionally, we are purchasing HEPA vacuums to improve our housekeeping and on-the-spot repairs, as well as taking actions to increase visual aids or other safety-related information in the workplace. Providing interim guidance to groups and shops regarding Personal Protective Equipment and housekeeping in all areas, especially in those areas where contaminants, particularly dust, may be encountered. We also implemented engineering processes such as cleaning asset dollies before parts are moved, using tacky mats at entrance/exit to break rooms, moving most gross sanding operations to stand-alone operations, using shrouded sanders, and publishing containment bag processes. Formalizing housekeeping procedures and systematically cleaning work centers more often, and verifying how well that's being done through inspections, including swipe sampling, to ensure containment levels are as low as practical. Dramatically overhauling the training of communications with employees about potential workplace hazards. Establishing a Center Safety and Health Office to focus on occupational safety and health issues across the Center, and a separate Workplace Safety and Health Team of union, safety, occupational medicine, bioenvironmental engineering and other specialists to ensure consistency and standardization, and collectively address and resolve issues. It's clear we are making progress. But, it's also clear we still have much work to do, particularly to win back your trust. Two things of which you can be certain: First, improvements are being made, and people - including ourselves - are being held accountable to make those changes. Second, we have the common goal of providing you with the safest possible work environment to do your job. Working together, we can achieve this important goal.