Safer work at ANAD means equipment for Soldiers

By Charity Parris, ANAD Safety OfficeFebruary 20, 2020

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- One of the most important assets of Anniston Army Depot is you, the employee.

Without you, we could not do what we do best -- disassemble and rebuilt various tanks and weapon systems to ensure our military has the best equipment.

Just as it is critical for our military to have the best and that it works, it is equally important for you to have a safe working environment, enabling you to focus on the job at hand.

The job of everyone at ANAD is to ensure we all go home each day just as we arrived, maybe a little tired but with all body parts intact and working properly.

In order to do this, we are all responsible for safety -- the safety of ourselves and our coworkers, without whom we could not do our jobs.

This is why changing our safety culture is important.

Having more and more employees involved in the safety process is a huge part of the OSHA Challenge.

Employees have to own safety.

The best example is, "If you see something, say something."

Though you often see that saying regarding security, it is just as relevant to safety. If you see someone doing something which could get them hurt, you must say something.

Stop the unsafe work before someone gets hurt!

Imagine someone failed to instruct you regarding a work process. You do the job the best you can, despite the needed instructions. You do things the way you think they should be done and one day everything goes horribly wrong.

You are injured and become crippled or maimed. You can't support your family in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed.

Replay the same scenario as above, but, before everything goes horribly wrong, a co-worker notices and stops you. That co-worker shows you the correct way and no injury occurs.

It's a win-win situation for everyone.

When injuries occur, it not only affects the injured worker and their family, but also the coworkers.

Someone has to pick up the slack when an injured employee is unable to do his/her job because the Soldiers rely on equipment we provide.

There are additional financial strains:

  • Doctor bills
  • Workers' compensation
  • Time lost on the job -- the stoppage of work due to the accident and its subsequent investigation
  • Overtime costs when the cost center struggles to keep up production levels

An injury is just the tip of an iceberg which many people don't see or notice.

When we successfully complete the OSHA Challenge, the entire workforce will be involved and take ownership of the safety program.

When that happens, coworkers will remind those who forget to put their safety glasses on after break.

When a visitor comes into the shop without proper personal protective equipment, employees will approach the visitor and instruct them on proper PPE.

You will say something anytime you see something unsafe occurring.

When employees are involved in the process, it lessens the change of accidents or injuries.

Everyone takes part in doing the right thing.

What can you do?

If you are the person responsible for properly storing dangerous chemicals, you can instruct coworkers on proper storage during a 6-minute huddle.

You can speak to your coworkers on safety topics you are familiar with, sharing your insight and perhaps a new perspective.

When you see something, you should always say something and stop unsafe work.

When we complete the OSHA Challenge, it will lead us to achieve the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program Star status, which makes us a winning site, a shining example.

We all have a stake here at ANAD and we should get involved. When we work together to make ANAD a safer work place, everyone wins!