ACROSS Our PRESS DESK......

Sam Cahan, PE                          

Excerpts

(Admiral Richard Brooks, USN, is the Commander, Naval Safety Center. Below, some excerpts from his article, "Safety is Everyone's Concern," which appeared in the U.S. Naval Institute, Proceedings, 12/04)

-"On the other hand, if our personnel believe safety is the job of someone else, either up or down the chain of command, or the command safety officer, our chances for success are not very good. 

-"If you follow the business model that includes all indirect costs, the number grows by a factor of approximately four---and still does not include nonmonetary costs: unfulfilled potential, ruined families, and children who must grow up without a mother or father.

-"The critical equation is simple: safety=savings=improved combat conditions.

-"Talking about safety is good, but results are realized when speeches, messages, and policies are followed with observable and measurable actions. Rules and regulations are great tools to guide our efforts, but only if people understand and enforce them.

-"(Safety) culture means the informal rules and attitudes---good and bad---that govern how we work and train.

-"A safety program must be continuously nurtured and maintained, not just something that comes to the forefront after a mishap."