The Critical Days of Summer

  • Published
  • By John Lindell
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Ground Safety Manager
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The "Critical Days of Summer" is the annual Air Force focus on safety throughout the summer months. This year the campaign runs from May 27 to Sep. 6. During the summer, Air Force members engage in a wide variety of outdoor and potentially hazardous activities such as boating and riding motorcycles. Additionally, the summer months afford an opportunity for increased outdoor activities such as cook outs and picnics. For these reasons, the summer months have historically shown a dramatic increase in the number and severity of mishaps. Increased outdoor activity usually leads to a corresponding increase in the rate of mishaps.

Since fiscal year 2009, the Air Force has had 218 non-combat related fatalities during the Critical Days of Summer. Only 17 occurred on duty. That means 201 fatalities occurred off duty, a time when many of us think we are at minimal risk of experiencing a mishap. This means the off-duty mishap rate for Air Force members is almost twelve times higher than the on-duty mishap rate. While there are many contributing factors in these mishaps, most of them are preventable. In FY 2011 alone, there have been 20 vehicle mishaps to-date resulting in a fatality or permanent total disability. Ten of those mishaps were four wheeled vehicles and eight of those involved either excessive speed or alcohol. Seven of those mishaps were motorcycle accidents. Six of these mishaps involved excessive speed. This year alone, more than eighty percent of motor vehicle mishaps were easily preventable. Staying safe in motor vehicles is actually pretty simple if you follow these four rules:

1. Drive defensively.
2. Make sure your vehicle is in good repair.
3. Don't drink and drive.
4. Always wear your seatbelt.

We have all heard these simple rules before and many of us are weary of hearing them again. However, rules 1, 3 and 4 are responsible for more than eighty percent of vehicle fatalities in the Air Force. Again, these mishaps are easily preventable. There is rarely a good reason for speeding and driving aggressively. There is never a reason to not wear your seatbelt or to drive under the influence of alcohol.

Another area of concern during the summer is the increase in outdoor activities. Every year there will be easily preventable mishaps related to summertime activities. There are dozens of examples of simple activities that turn ugly due to a lack of attention or prior planning. In the last two summers here at Columbus AFB, there were seven reportable off duty mishaps. Five of them resulted in injury because of a failure to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment. During the same time frame, there were zero mishaps due to the failure to use PPE while on duty. In fact, more than two years have elapsed since a BLAZE Team member was involved in an on-duty mishap involving failure to wear proper PPE.
When discussing the topic of safety, it is the little things that matter. The one time you forget to wear your safety glasses is the time the line trimmer will throw a rock in your face. The one time you fail to pay attention to your surroundings is the day you will run over a bee's nest with your lawnmower. The day you forget sunscreen is the day you get sunburned too badly to work. Any of these will result in another mishap that could have been easily prevented. Remember . . . BLAZE Safety is not a program . . . it's an attitude!