FORT McCOY, Wis. -- The presentation of the Safety Excellence Award Streamer during the Commander's Briefing to the Garrison Work Force is the latest example of the safety culture mindset at Fort McCoy, said Randy Eddy.
Eddy, Fort McCoy Safety manager, said he applied for the award after noting during an Installation Management Command (IMCOM) teleconference that Fort McCoy met the award's criteria.
"Receiving the award encourages a safety culture at Fort McCoy," Eddy said. "By doing the things we did to get the award, we are making people aware of the Safety Program at Fort McCoy."
For winning the award, the garrison received a Safety Excellence Award Streamer, which will be displayed on the garrison guidon for the next year.
The award recognizes the garrison for not having a Class A or Class B accident, which are defined as a high property loss or damage value of more than $500,000 or an injury causing a permanent partial disablement or three or more people injured in an accident. In addition, the garrison had 100 percent completion of composite risk-management training and the Army Readiness Assessment Program (ARAP).
Results from the ARAP serve two purposes. First, Eddy said participants are able to provide input on their organizations' ability and effectiveness in providing an accomplished safety culture. Second, the garrison commander reviews the results and feedback so he can make appropriate changes or emphasize points in the Installation Safety Program.
Risk-assessment training also is important because it gives employees and supervisors a basic understanding of safety risks and the understanding of any inherent risks associated with certain positions, he said.
Soldiers must meet specific safety standards, including doing a risk assessment for privately owned vehicle travel of more than 225 miles, being certified to ride motorcycles through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and wearing a reflective safety belt or vest while walking or running on the side of installation roadways during periods of limited visibility or darkness.
"Our strategic safety goal is to build on a compliance-driven program to nurture a culture where safety is instinctive and intuitive in all operations and activities," Eddy said. "As we improve our own safety posture, we also have to provide safety support and services to tenant and training units to improve their safety practices. We must ensure that everything we do is moving us closer to exemplary safety performance."
The Installation Safety Office (ISO) held safety stand-down days during the last three fiscal years to promote safety, he said.
The ISO also coordinates the quarterly Fort McCoy Safety and Occupational Health Advisory Council/Community Health Promotion Council meeting. Eddy said this includes garrison and tenant organizations and encourages a flow of safety-related information in both directions and provides another avenue for feedback and input. Each garrison or tenant organization at Fort McCoy is represented on the council by a collateral duty safety officer or an additional duty safety officer. The council's next quarterly meeting is April 9.
Eddy said the ISO also will have safety information available at the Health and Wellness Fair, May 8 and the Armed Forces Day Open House event May 18.
For more information about safety and seasonal safety at the Army level, visit the website https://safety.army.mil.
For more information about safety topics in the Fort McCoy community, call the ISO at 608-388-3403.
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