News

Robins nets 100th VPP Gold Safe Site

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78 ABW/PA
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Two units making up a small shop together became the 100th Gold Site in the Commander's Safe Site Challenge.

The 406th Supply Chain Management Squadron's Specialty Packaging Shop and the 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Package and Crating Shop jointly were awarded gold site status Tuesday following an inspection.

The two units have 11 employees between them. The 406th SCMS shop builds wooden shipping crates and the 78th LRS shop does light mechanical work on equipment throughout the squadron. They were credited for turning what had been a dark, cluttered warehouse space in Bldg. 351 into an organized, efficient and safe work area.

After a lengthy discussion with the employees about their safety practices at work and at home, the evaluation team took a tour of the area. Mike Johnson, supervisor of the Package and Crating Shop, said the team had taken important steps to improve safety, particularly in getting the shop better organized. One improvement included building racks for lumber used in the Packaging Shop to reduce the risk of lumber falling and hurting someone.

After the tour, the evaluation team held a short deliberation and then announced the two units had become the 100th gold site.

"The team worked really hard on this," Johnson said in between congratulatory hugs. "They deserve it." Mike Watson, head of the evaluation team, urged the shop members not only to continue what they have been doing, but to aim even higher.

"You have taken an old warehouse and turned it into something really nice," he said. "You have done a remarkable job."

The Commander's Safe Site Challenge is a grass roots effort aimed at promoting a level of safety higher than required. To become a Gold Site, a unit must demonstrate it meets the requirements of a Star Site, the highest safety recognition of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's Voluntary Protection Program.

Melanie Clearman, manager of the Voluntary Protection Program at Robins, said growth of the Commander's Safe Site Challenge has been faster than expected since it began in 2007. Reaching the 100-gold site milestone is significant, she said.

She said Gold Site recognition is not handed out easily; units must demonstrate a high level of employee involvement in all levels of their safety and health management programs.

She also noted the rate of mishaps is down in Gold Site areas.

"It's exciting to see so many folks taking pride and ownership, and becoming actively involved in their sites' safety and health programs," she said. "One hundred gold-level Safe Sites is great, but we can't be satisfied with that accomplishment.

She added, "We must continue to improve in those sites and help other sites achieve the same level of recognition."