The U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) Garrison has achieved unprecedented success over the years under the watchful eye of Director of Installation Safety Ronald Van Why.
As such, the post just recently earned an unheard of 12th consecutive Army Safety Streamer, which was preceded by an Accident Avoidance Award the year before.
The Installation Safety Office also had a perfect score during the most recent Installation Management Command (IMCOM) Directorate Readiness Organizational Inspection.
On top of all that, a Collateral Duty Safety Officer program and an Additional Duty Safety Officer program developed by Van Why both garnered recognition and are now being used at other garrisons.
Accidents and injury rates have decreased as well under Van Why's tenure. By the end of Dec. 2022 YPG had gone 182 consecutive months without an at fault Class A or Class B accident.
It is no wonder why Van Why recently won an IMCOM 2022 Stalwart Award for demonstrating the highest standard of exceptional performance. He was one of nine civilian employees recognized at a June ceremony in San Antonio.
“It is a very humbling reward for me,” Van Why said. “It shows that Lt. Gen. Omar Jones, who is the commanding general of IMCOM, trusts and believes in what I’m doing.”
Van Why is the only civilian employee from YPG to receive a Stalwart Award and at the time of his nomination that streak of no at fault accidents had been extended to an even more impressive 184 consecutive months.
"Van Why epitomizes the Installation Management Command professional," Garrison Manager Ken Musselwhite wrote in Van Why's nomination. "No task is beneath him, and no challenge too great. His positive attitude, subject matter expertise and dedication to mission, coupled with selfless service and pride in ownership make him an IMCOM stalwart."
A huge proponent of coaching and mentorship, Van Why added that he thinks it is important that everyone on his team knows how to do his job, and he is training them to do so. As a result, in late 2022 every member of his team had received their professional certifications in occupational health and safety.
Additionally, some team members went on to earn their certifications in courses such as mold remediation, protocols, environmental specialists, lead abatement worker, radiation officer, capturing critical information during the investigation process, and permit-required confined space to name a few.
Recognizing there was a need, Van Why also taught a 30-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration Construction Training Course designed to help newly-hired contract officer representatives and engineering technicians recognize violations and improve safety at job sites where contractors may not have done the work correctly.
“They did not have the background, knowledge or training they needed to oversee construction contractors,” Van Why said. “As an authorized OSHA Outreach Instructor I chose to train them myself,”
Other initiatives Van Why undertook included working with YPG’s Directorate of Public Works and local Mission and Installation Contracting Command office to complete 32 task orders on a timeline drastically reduced by continuing resolutions, delays in funding and changing deadlines.
He is also credited with fully implementing the newly-released Army Safety and Occupational Health Management System a full two years ahead of schedule, as well as being a member of the IMCOM-Readiness Organizational Inspection Team.
As a 2022 Stalwart Award winner Van Why has been selected to be part of a talent management team tasked with retaining and recruiting civilian employees, which is something he is very proud of.
“It is going to be our job to come together every quarter and brainstorm some ideas that we can present to Lt. Gen. Jones.”
Van Why’s commitment to his profession extends well past the garrison’s gate. Locally, he is a Yuma Area Safety Council member; interacts regularly with his counterpart at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and the various federal, tribal, and state agencies.
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