Hickam implements VPP

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Erin Smith
  • 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  In an effort to ensure base employees evaluate their practices and increase workplace safety, Hickam leadership implemented the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sponsored Voluntary Protection Program whose goal is to preserve combat power by decreasing workplace injuries or illnesses, lost workdays and federal worker compensation costs. 

"VPP is a process where all members of the team have an enhanced safety and health mindset," said Mark Kantorowicz, 15th Airlift Wing Safety Office, ground safety manager. "Members [must become] proactive versus reactive when performing tasks; they [must] consider the risks involved with the process and act accordingly. Personnel transform from having to be safe to wanting to be safe." 

To implement VPP, Airmen aren't tasked to do more than their jobs, follow their technical orders and recognize potentially unsafe practices and duty hazards and stop the project immediately if needed. 

"VPP premise is to drive down incident rates by proactive verses reactive actions, by controlling or eliminating the risk from task," said Master Sgt. Tonda Fryzlewicz, Headquarters Pacific Air Force, safety programs manager. "When [Airmen] assess the risk and take preventive measure before performing the task -- their risk of injury goes down. When the hazard isn't there, risks are reduced."

To kick off the program, a VPP assessment team will visit the base, March 16-20 and provide a gap analysis report to commanders. During the assessment, Airmen need to give honest feedback. 

"When the assessment team is here, we want to give them a true look of what we do on a daily basis. Let them make a true assessment and come back to us with a plan," said Col. Dean Wolford, 15th Airlift Wing vice commander. "This program has been embraced at the [Office of the Secretary of Defense] level and at the Air Force level. It basically builds on existing programs such as [Chief of Staff of the Air Force's] Wingman and [Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century] concepts. We look forward to building a culture of safety, at all levels, here at Hickam." 

The assessment will give a starting line, where commanders can determine what needs to be enhanced in order to achieve "star status," so that kind of honest feedback is critical for leadership. 

"A star status is a recognition that is bestowed by OSHA for someone who has an exemplary safety program," Mr. Kantorowicz said. "It is measured based on the number of mishaps per 1,000 people." 

Those who have been recognized with star status have achieved injury and illness rates at or below the national average of their respective industries. Star participants are reevaluated every three to five years, although incident rates are reviewed annually. 

According to Mr. Kantorowicz, the Air Force's civilian injury rate was 2.91 per 100 people. This translated to 131 million in workman's compensation. On the active duty side, there were 2,200 injuries, resulting in 30,000 missed duty days. 

"The Air Force is about 80 percent of where we need to be. We have to work on the other 20 percent to reach VPP requirements." 

To reach VPP requirements, Airmen are asked to think proactively about safety issues instead of saying "it's not my job," then jump in and stop unsafe practices on the spot.
"We will run many publicity campaigns with the roll out of VPP here at Hickam," Sergeant Fryzlewicz said. "There will be [commanders] call briefings, more articles and workplace hazard assessments. One of the tenants of VPP is employee involvement. Everyone is involved in the process." 

As part of the involvement and marketing process, an Air Force assessment survey for VPP will be sent to Hickam members via e-mail in the next few days. Airmen are encouraged to take the survey. For more information on the VPP, contact the 15th Airlift Wing Safety Office at 449-0795.