Background:
Previously, the United States (U.S.)
Department of Defense (DoD) was tasked with the effort of reducing the number of
occupational injuries and illnesses occurring at their worksites nationwide.
Over the past four years, 21 DoD facilities have been recognized as Voluntary
Protection Programs (VPP) New Star sites, and by the end of fiscal year 2009,
DoD has plans to have an additional 15 Star sites approved to participate –
making the total number of sites 36.
In December 2008, the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 (AASF #1), Fort
Indiantown Gap, in Annville, Pennsylvania, became the first Army National Guard
facility to be recognized as a Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) New Star
site. AASF #1 is a union site and has approximately 170 and federal civil
service employees. Unlike many of the DoD sites that have attained VPP Star
Status, Fort Indiantown Gap is unique in that many of the workers are uniformed
– federal civilians during the week and uniformed members of the National Guard
on weekends. Work performed at AASF #1 is centered on conducting aircraft
maintenance and repair, and training National Guard personnel for aircraft
flight operations for domestic and overseas missions.
Success Impact:
Key Components of the VPP Process
Lead to Declining Injury and Illness Rates Decline - Days Away, Restricted and
Transfer (DART) and Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR)
One of the main factors for AASF #1 when applying to VPP was partnering with VPP
mentors from the Tobyhanna Army Depot and General Electric. In order to
facilitate "bottom-up" change, the mentors suggested that the base form employee
committees. One these committees were formed, AASF #1 quickly started to notice
a drop in injury and illness rates on the base. Another very important mentor
during the VPP application process was the Association of Civilian Technicians
(ACT) – the union onsite. Union buy-in and participation was crucial to the base
reaching its goals and helped to get management’s cooperation quickly.
For the past three years, AASF #1 has averaged a TCIR rate of 3.3 which is 50
percent below the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) 2006 national average for
this particular industry, and a three-year DART rate of 3.1 which is 28 percent
below the 2006 BLS national average. Over the past year, the site has also
experienced a 95 percent reduction in total lost workdays. The AASF commander
published 2009 safety and health goals to reduce the TCIR and DART rate by 30
percent and the VPP team feels that this goal is achievable. The below table
presents AASF #1’s three-year injury and illness between 2006 and 2008:
| |
DART |
TCIR |
| AASF #1
Three-Year Rate (2006-2008) |
3.1 |
3.3 |
|
BLS Industry National Average for 2006 |
4.3 |
6.6 |
|
Percentage below BLS |
-28% |
-50% |
Leading Safety and Health Outreach and Promotion
The National Guard's national headquarters located at Fort Rutgers in Alabama
was so impressed with AASF #1 and the VPP process that they decided to make
attaining VPP a national initiative for all the National Guard sites across the
country. To assist the sites in getting started with this initiative, a VPP
video with testimonials, including a two star general and the head of the Army
National Guard (Region III site) was developed and disseminated. Representatives
from OSHA’s Harrisburg Area Office were invited to the annual Fort Indiantown
Gap "Safety Stand Down Day" to be speakers on the VPP. During the event, all
Fort Indiantown Gap employees were presented with the Guard’s VPP video.
In April 2009, Region III’s 14th Annual Voluntary Protection Programs
Participants’ Association (VPPPA) Safety Conference was held in Baltimore,
Maryland. The VPPPA Region III Board of Directors invited Colonel Mahoney from
AASF #1 to conduct a management leadership breakout session at the conference.
The session was a huge success with over 70 participants attending.
ASSF #1 serves as an example for other Army National Guard sites working towards
attaining VPP New Star recognition. Three more facilities in Pennsylvania plan
to apply to VPP during the upcoming months and Guard sites throughout the
country are working on implementing the VPP elements. There is full Union
support at all of the Guard sites. The Fort Indiantown Gap's Pennsylvania’s Army
National Guard's VPP efforts have started a national awareness of VPP of this
important and well-publicized agency, and Region III is at the forefront leading
the way.
Origin: Region III, Philadelphia Area Office
Entered VPP: December 2008
Industry and NAICS/SIC Codes: Support Activities for Air Transportation
(488190/4510)
Employees: 277 (223 + 54 contractors)
Employers: 1
Source and Date: Peter Brown, Team Leader, OSHA, Philadelphia Regional Office
(June 2009) and William Murray, American Forces Press Service
VPP Star Ceremony
From left: Major General Jessica Wright, Adjutant General of Pennsylvania; Mr.
Tad Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health; Sergeant Matthew Dohner, Association of Civilian
Technicians representative; Mr. Ed Selker, OSHA Deputy Regional Administrator;
Colonel Steve Mahoney, facility Commander
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