SFC Hill Increased Warrior Transition Command Safety Awareness

It is said that proper safety doesn't happen by accident. Similarly the improved safety posture of Warrior Transition Command (WTC), ever since Sgt. 1st Class Charles Hill III assumed the role of WTC safety official, didn't occur by accident. September 30 marks the final day of service to the WTC for the Vermont native and former assistant inspector general of the Vermont National Guard.

"The job I applied to at WTC had nothing to do with safety," said Hill, who has also been serving as AW2 task management Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge (NCOIC) at WTC headquarters in Alexandria. "I came in one morning and they said 'Go to the Management Support Branch and get smart on safety.' So I had two weeks in which to get smart on safety."

The first order of business for Hill was to put together a new set of standard operating procedures. After that came the task of developing monthly training for the Command as well as the standing up of a Safety Council, consisting of both civilians and military personnel. Its members, drawn from each of the various divisions within the WTC, then performs the task of conducting monthly safety inspections of their respective workplaces. "What it does is make the various [WTC] divisions take ownership over safety," said Hill.

A typical example of the sorts of things for which these inspectors would check is the interconnection of extension cords and power strips-- the so-called daisy chain arrangement that stands in violation of OSHA law and ranks as among the most common violations found during safety inspections.

Office hazards aside, most of Hill's attention has been centered, not upon the workplace, but in helping to instill safety awareness for WTC Cadre and civilians during their non-working hours. "If they're injured outside of work, obviously we lose that resource," said Hill. "My personal mission was to bring risk management to the forefront of everybody's mind in all aspects of their life."

Though household hazards, such as ladder safety, the proper storage of flammables, and the seasonal cleaning of chimney and stove pipes, certainly factor into Hill's overall risk management efforts, he has devoted a great deal of attention to promoting motor vehicle and motorcycle safety. Not surprising, according to Hill, the bulk of motor vehicular and motorcycle accidents within the U.S. military occur in the 18-25 year old range.

In terms of people's reception to the near constant torrent of training, SFC Hill admits that he hears "some grumbling," however he also receives a hefty amount of thanks. "Sometimes people appreciate how a training session or safety related email comes across… how it applies to their life," said Hill. Using motorcycle accidents as an example Hill says "Most likely somebody knows someone who has had an accident. I've had people write me back, individually, saying 'Hey thanks. Your guidance really made a connection.'"

As he departs WTC Hill reflects on all he's accomplished, saying "It's important from a Command standpoint because we are worried about protecting the assets that we have. Any slip, trip, fall, any off-duty injury that keeps somebody from coming to work and doing their job puts an additional strain on the small staff that we have."

According to Hill the WTC safety agenda that he set up is a more robust program than most other commands of this size. When all is said and done, said Hill- "I took command of the job. I think it's important stuff."