USACRC launches annual Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation

By Lori Yerdon, U.S. Army Combat Readiness CenterMay 9, 2016

USACRC launches annual Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation
This year's ODSAP, Safety & Risk: Balance through Awareness, contains materials and statistical information designed to enhance safety awareness for numerous off-duty activities; it also addresses risky behaviors and the impact of fatigue and alcohol... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (May 9, 2016) -- With the arrival of spring and summer already knocking at the door, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center is launching its annual Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation, a tool intended to make Soldiers aware of the hazards they face during the upcoming months.

On average, the Army loses the equivalent of a company-sized formation of Soldiers to fatal off-duty accidents each year.

According to Lt. Col. Phillip G. Jenison, director, USACRC Ground Directorate, the Army experiences a spike in accidental fatalities between April and October.

"During that timeframe, a majority of those accidents occur off duty," he said. "To combat the nemesis of irresponsible off-duty behavior we update the ODSAP annually to increase awareness and hopefully prevent senseless losses."

From fiscal 2011 through fiscal 2015, over three quarters of Army accidental fatalities occurred off duty.

USACRC first launched ODSAP in 2008 and since then, its use and application Army wide has resulted in encouraging feedback.

"Each year safety professionals and Soldiers alike from around the globe provide feedback," said Tracey Russell, safety occupational health specialist, USACRC Ground Directorate. "Their comments are extremely positive and provide helpful considerations for next year's presentation."

This year's ODSAP, Safety & Risk: Balance through Awareness, contains materials and statistical information designed to enhance safety awareness for numerous off-duty activities; it also addresses risky behaviors and the impact of fatigue and alcohol.

"As the Army continues its commitment to sustained readiness, fiscal 2015 was the Army's safest year on record for accidental Soldier fatalities and a continuation of a years-long downward trend," Jenison said. "Our moral objective is zero accidental fatalities and we need to exhaust all of our faculties to reach that objective."

While Army accidental fatalities have gradually decreased over the past decade, officials say there is one area in particular that continues to be problematic.

"Off-duty mishap prevention continues to be a challenge and leaders have met that challenge head on, as evident by the decade-long decline of accidental fatalities," Jenison said. "However, there's still work to do and I'm confident that collectively we, as an Army, can make a difference in safeguarding America's sons and daughters."

Related Links:

U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center homepage

Knowledge Magazine

Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation 2016

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